What happens if I dispute the charge with my bank?
Access pauses the moment a dispute is recorded, and if the dispute is resolved against the order the report and any unused credits are revoked for good.
Check the review date and linked sources for context. Live availability, prices and record coverage can vary by VIN, source, jurisdiction and time.
Access pauses as soon as a dispute is recorded: the order is marked disputed, the entitlement is suspended, and the order page reads 'Payment under review'. The report cannot be opened while that lasts. If the dispute is resolved against the order, the entitlement and the report are revoked permanently. If the dispute is withdrawn or resolved the other way, the order returns to paid and access is restored.
- A chargeback is not a faster refund: it pauses access first, and can end it permanently.
- Resolution against the order revokes the report and any unused pack credits.
- A support request is the reversible route; a bank dispute is not controlled by VIN Lookup.
While the dispute is open
When the payment provider reports a dispute, the order moves to a disputed state and the entitlement is suspended rather than deleted. Publicly that state is shown as 'under review', so the order page says 'Payment under review - Report access is paused while the payment provider reviews this transaction.' A pack shows 'Report credits under review - These credits are paused while the payment dispute is reviewed.'
Every report read requires an active entitlement on a paid order, so while the suspension is in place the PDF will not open from the order page, from My Reports or from a saved link.
How it ends
If the dispute is resolved against the order, the order becomes a chargeback: the entitlement is revoked, any queued report job is cancelled, and the report rows are marked revoked. My Reports then reads 'Report access is no longer available - The payment dispute was resolved against this order.' That outcome is permanent in the order flow.
If the dispute is won or cancelled, the order goes back to paid, a suspended entitlement becomes active again, and fulfilment is restored so the report can be prepared or opened as before.
The slower route that can be undone
The refund policy asks you to contact support with the checkout email, the order ID, the last six characters of the VIN and a description of the issue. It reviews duplicate charges, a report that was never delivered, a report that cannot be opened after reasonable troubleshooting, and a VIN mismatch caused by our error. Approved refunds return through the original payment method.
Steps
- Contact support before opening a bank dispute.
- Have the checkout email, order ID and last six VIN characters ready.
- Expect report access to pause as soon as a dispute is recorded.
What this does not cover
- VIN Lookup cannot control, predict or speed up your bank's decision.
- The refund policy describes a review of eligible requests, not a guaranteed outcome.
- Support sees only the payment provider's dispute events, not your bank's case file.
Sources reviewed
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still open the report while the dispute is being reviewed?
No. The entitlement is suspended, and every report query requires an active entitlement on a paid order, so the file will not open from any link until the dispute is resolved.
What happens to unused pack credits during a dispute?
They are paused, and the pack area says so. If the dispute is resolved against the order, the entitlement holding those credits is revoked and they are gone with it.
Can access come back after a dispute?
Yes, in one direction only. A dispute that is won or cancelled returns the order to paid, reactivates a suspended entitlement and restores fulfilment. A chargeback outcome does not reverse itself.