I recently treated my partner to a watch. They didn't have the exact variant of the one he wanted in store, so they ordered it to be delivered to our home. I paid using a Visa debit card.
We were advised 7 working days for delivery, but didn't hear anything until over two weeks later. They called my partner and informed him that the model he'd chosen was 'EU Exclusive' (despite being on their digital catalog in a UK store) and as such they couldn't fulfill the order. They offered an alternative watch or a full refund, my partner requested the refund.
Again we were advised around 7 working days.
Three weeks later my partner called the store to chase the refund. The gentleman he spoke to said he could not see any notes requesting a refund, but he would process it himself immediately and investigate what had gone on.
It's now been 7 working days with no refund or communication again. Would this be a legitimate reason to start a chargeback? It's a well known, legitimate watch brand so I'm not worried about anything untoward and assuming it's a case of human error in store. That said, it's the best part of 5k they've had for nearly seven weeks, which is a bit naughty!
My other question is, how does a chargeback work exactly? Does my bank refund me then go after the merchant? I have no idea if the refund has been processed yet, I don't want a scenario where the bank refunds me only for the merchant to drop my money in the bank the next day. Or for the chargeback investigation to slow down getting my funds back if it's already in process.
Thanks!