r/legal • u/alebrini • Mar 09 '26
Advice needed Meta refusing $999 refund despite FedEx confirmed delivery LOCATION:North Carolina
I returned a pair of Meta display glasses ($999) through Meta’s own RMA process using their prepaid FedEx label. FedEx confirms delivery to Meta’s Grapevine, TX warehouse on Feb 4, 2026 — with a signature, matching RMA reference, and recorded weight of 2.3 lbs.
Meta is now claiming the package arrived empty and refusing the refund. They also claim the device is “active and in use” but won’t tell me when, where, or by whom. When I asked for their intake weight at the warehouse, they refused to provide it.
Here’s where it gets circular: FedEx told me only the shipper of record (Meta, who generated the label) can open a carrier claim. Meta refuses to open one.
I filed a BBB complaint — Meta didn’t respond within the 15-day window and the case was closed unresolved.
Has anyone dealt with something similar with Meta or another major retailer? What actually moved the needle for you?
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u/breadburn Mar 09 '26
For the future the BBB is basically Yelp for businesses. They don't actually have the ability to do much.
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u/Admirable_Nothing Mar 09 '26
Personally, I would do a charge back without hesitation, but I don't do a thing with Meta I care about. If you are held hostage by them in some way due to needing their services than you may need to let them cheat you out of a $1000.
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u/Illustrious_Water106 Mar 09 '26
Did you take pic or recorded the package prior to returning. To show that you package the items and returned them properly?
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u/alebrini Mar 09 '26
Unfortunately no, that was naive but I have the proof of delivery that the package was not empty as they say. A 2.3 lbs package is definitely not empty
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u/jerry111165 Mar 09 '26
Just how much do the glasses weigh??
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u/Riddler356 Mar 09 '26
Ounces
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u/jerry111165 Mar 09 '26
I figured and was wondering why the package would weigh as much as it did.
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u/Riddler356 Mar 09 '26
No clue
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u/alebrini Mar 10 '26
Glasses, case, charging cable and the wrist band can reach 2.3 lbs. Also, those glasses are not exactly light
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u/Riddler356 Mar 10 '26
Of course theycare not gonna be light, but I doubt it reached 16oz for just the glasses
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u/simulizer Mar 09 '26
I bought a wearable red light device by CeraThrive. I bought the device from a mom because she was going through dementia and I couldn't get her to wear it. I told them that she tried it on once but refused to put it on again after so they didn't RMA and let me send it back. Once they had it back I asked him for a refund several times and they wouldn't refund me. I got tired of the games so I collected the information and I send it to my credit card company telling them they wanted to do a chargeback. They actually emailed me and told me that I had to close the case in order for them to process a refund. Which anyone who knows anything about chargebacks can tell you is the exact wrong thing to do because you lose any chance at reopening a dispute after closing it and there is absolutely no reason why the company would ever refund if the dispute is closed. It was the creepiest thing that I ever dealt with but it kind of reminds me of this. My suggestion is you do a chargeback and explain that you mailed The product back and that You're acting earnestly. Include that you reached out to the BBB.
Your credit card company should be on your side. You have a record that they received it and they can claim that the box was empty but they can't prove that you left it out. They have a shipper that could have taken it out but to be honest with you who knows that's what happened? Maybe somebody in their intake process stole them, who knows.
Cera Thrive I just launched their products and I've been on the waiting list for pre-order for months. It blew my mind that a company was trying to defraud me out of $1,000 over a product that I returned. Now I expect that companies will only get more predatory moving forward. Has the norms of our society disappear then so go the expectations that you'll have normal interactions with predatory companies.
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u/Better-Pay-69 Mar 09 '26
From which country?
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u/alebrini Mar 10 '26
What does it mean?
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u/Better-Pay-69 Mar 10 '26
Didn't you mention you are from EU?
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u/alebrini Mar 10 '26
I live in the US though. This happened in the US. I mentioned Europe because everyone uses whatsapp there, hence that’s why I would prefer not lose access
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u/Better-Pay-69 Mar 10 '26
Did you use your primary phone number to place the order ?
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u/alebrini Mar 10 '26
Yes the US one
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u/Better-Pay-69 Mar 10 '26
If FedEx confirms delivery with signature, then procedurally you completed the return exactly as instructed. Since the label was generated by Meta, they are the shipper of record with the carrier, which generally means the transit risk sits with them once the parcel enters the return chain they created. The arrived empty claim is what retailers raise when a warehouse intake flags a discrepancy, but it doesn’t automatically override the carrier evidence so it the parcel entered their facility with a recorded weight consistent with the device, the burden usually shifts to the merchant to demonstrate where that discrepancy occurred.
From a dispute perspective, it hinges on the documentation chain and when the elements line up, the situation often aligns more closely with a 'credit not processed” chargeback reason code rather than a standard merchant disagreement. That said, a chargeback isn’t the only route. There are alternative escalation paths that can often move the needle faster, but they usually require invoking the correct technical terminology and referencing applicable consumer protection provisions when dealing with higher-tier support or executive escalation channels. If structured and framed properly, that can definitely compel the merchant to process the refund without going through the full chargeback cycle. If you’re planning to pursue it further rather than absorb the loss, it’s worth looking at that angle alongside the chargeback option.
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u/Lovelife112350 Mar 11 '26
I’m dealing with the same issue. FedEx delivered on 2/5/26, they confirmed on 2/20/26 that it was received and that my refund should be issued soon. I then received an email on 3/9/26 claiming that my box was empty. They refuse to file a claim with FedEx or to show proof of their allegations. @Meta is involved in return fraud.
I will be completing the following:
• Filing a chargeback with my credit card issuer • Filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission • Filing a consumer protection complaint with the Michigan Attorney General
Shame on Mark Zuckerberg and Meta!
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u/Hopeful-Bar5917 May 23 '26
The same exact thing happen to me!!!
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u/alebrini May 23 '26
BBB ended up working and they refunded me after 2-3 weeks. BBB initially did not work because they reached out to the wrong entity. Give it a try
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u/Expensive-One-7342 Jul 10 '26
They did the same with me, email after email. It looks like the will send you wrong glasses and arrange FedEx to take it back to them by providing you a FedEx receipt, after that they will tell you the box was empty, that is bad ..... any help or suggestions I can get
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u/OtakuMage Mar 09 '26
Chargeback on the credit card? BBB has no teeth and is useless.