Your Account Is Disabled. You Have 60 Days.
Meta disabled your Facebook, Instagram, or Business account without warning. You lost access to your ads, your audience, and your paid subscriptions. The clock is running.
If you paid Meta with a credit card, you have exactly 60 days from the statement date showing the charge to file a chargeback with your card issuer. After that window closes, the money is gone. Meta will not reverse the decision through appeals alone.
This article walks you through the four concrete paths to recover your money: direct appeal, chargeback filing, formal dispute notice, and arbitration. Start with Get the packet, which contains the letter templates, mailing addresses, and chargeback instructions you need right now.
Path One: The Direct Appeal (Days 1–7)
Meta's appeals process is opaque. You submit a request through their help center. Most users receive a form-letter rejection within 48 hours. The appeal rarely works alone, but you must file it anyway—it creates a paper trail.
Go to facebook.com/help/contact. Select "Account Disabled" and describe your situation in under 500 words. Be factual: "I did not violate Community Standards. I request a manual review." Do not argue. Do not apologize. Do not ask why.
Save the confirmation email. You will need the date and reference number.
Path Two: The Chargeback (Days 8–60)
If Meta disabled your account, they failed to deliver the service you paid for. That is a chargeback reason code: "Service Not Rendered" or "Unauthorized Transaction."
Your 60-day window starts on the statement date—not the transaction date. If your statement shows a charge on January 15, you have until March 16 to file. Call your card issuer immediately and ask for the exact deadline in writing.
Common card issuers and their chargeback departments:
- Chase (Visa/Mastercard): 1-800-935-9935, option 3
- Amex: 1-800-528-4800, dispute department
- Capital One: 1-800-227-4825, fraud/dispute
- Discover: 1-800-347-2000, chargeback team
- Citi: 1-888-248-6262, dispute resolution
- Wells Fargo: 1-800-869-3557, card services
- US Bank: 1-800-285-8585, disputes
Tell the issuer: "Meta charged me for Facebook ads and disabled my account without cause. I did not authorize the service termination. I request a chargeback." Have your statement date and charge amount ready.
The issuer will send you a dispute form. Complete it within 10 days. Attach screenshots of your disabled account, your payment history, and Meta's rejection email.
Path Three: The Formal Dispute Notice (Days 30–45)
While your chargeback is pending, send a certified letter to Meta's legal department. This creates a second paper trail and forces Meta to respond in writing.
Mail to:
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department
1 Hacker Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Use this template:
Re: Notice of Dispute and Demand for Refund
Dear Meta Legal Team,
On [DATE], my Facebook account [ACCOUNT ID] was disabled without warning or explanation. I did not violate your Community Standards. I have paid $[AMOUNT] for ads and subscriptions since [START DATE].
I have filed a chargeback with my card issuer ([CARD ISSUER NAME]) on [CHARGEBACK DATE]. I am also filing a formal dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1666.
I demand a full refund of $[AMOUNT] within 30 days. If you do not respond, I will pursue arbitration through the American Arbitration Association.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR PHONE]
[YOUR EMAIL]
Send this via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt. Keep the receipt. Meta's legal team must respond within 30 days or forfeit the dispute.
Path Four: AAA Arbitration (Days 60–120)
If Meta ignores your dispute notice and your chargeback fails, file for binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association. Meta's Terms of Service require arbitration instead of court.
File at adr.org. The filing fee is $250 for claims under $10,000. You will submit your evidence: the disabled account, your payment receipts, Meta's rejection email, and your certified-mail receipt.
An arbitrator will review the case. If you win, Meta pays the refund plus your filing fee. If you lose, you pay nothing more—the $250 is your only cost.
Most Meta users settle before arbitration. Meta's legal team knows the chargeback and dispute process will cost them more in staff time than the refund.
What Meta Charged You (Stripe Descriptors)
Check your statement. Meta charges appear under these descriptors:
- FB* (Facebook ads)
- META* (Meta Verified, Reels bonuses)
- FACEBOOK* (legacy charges)
Write down the exact amount, statement date, and descriptor. Your card issuer will ask for all three.
Start Now
The 60-day chargeback window is your hardest deadline. You cannot extend it. Meta will not negotiate after day 60.
Get the packet contains the complete letter templates, a chargeback checklist, the AAA filing instructions, and a deadline calculator so you never miss a date.
Call your card issuer today. Ask for the chargeback department. Have your statement in front of you.