Lost package. Bad charge. Withheld deposit. Overcharged medical bill. Cancelled flight. Every situation has a legal path to recovery — we'll point you to the right one.
Find My Recovery Path →Pick the category that matches your situation. Each tool gives you a free assessment and tells you exactly what to do.
We don't take a percentage of your recovery. Every assessment on this site is free. Optional paid features — like auto-generated demand letters — are a flat fee, far less than what contingency-based services charge.
For situations outside our specific tools.
Direct links and contacts for each recovery category — organized by situation.
State-by-state deadline rules, penalty multipliers, and demand letter templates for all 50 states.
GetDepositBack.us →Landlords have 21 days to return deposit + itemized statement. Penalty: up to 2× deposit for bad faith.
CA Civil Code §1950.5 →14-day rule for returning deposits; failure triggers forfeiture of the right to make any deductions.
NY Tenant Rights Guide →30-day return deadline. Landlord forfeits deposit and owes $100 + damages + attorney fees for non-compliance.
Texas Law Help →15 days if no deductions; 30 days with written notice of deductions. Failure: full deposit returned.
Florida Bar Consumer Guide →No lawyer needed. Filing fees: $30–$100 in most states. Most landlords settle before the hearing date.
Small Claims Guide →File a missing mail search after 7 days. File an insurance claim after 15 days for Priority Mail, 21 days for other services.
USPS Claims Portal →File within 60 days of ship date for lost packages. Damage claims: file within 60 days. Reports and tracking at same portal.
FedEx Claims Center →File within 9 months for international; shorter for domestic. Include tracking number, photos, and value documentation.
UPS File a Claim →Protects purchases from third-party sellers. Claim window: up to 90 days after estimated delivery. Fast resolution.
Amazon A-to-Z →File within 30 days of scheduled delivery. International shipments may require additional documentation.
DHL Claims →If the carrier denies your claim and you paid by card, file a chargeback under "item not received." This often succeeds when carrier claims fail.
See Chargeback Resources →Contact your bank — not Visa directly. Visa dispute codes include 13.1 (item not received), 13.3 (not as described), 10.4 (fraud). 120-day window from transaction date.
Visa Dispute Guide →Contact your issuing bank. Key codes: 4853 (cardholder dispute), 4840 (fraud), 4807 (unauthorized). 120-day window.
Mastercard Zero Liability →Amex handles disputes directly — no bank middleman. File at amex.com/en-us/benefits/card-benefits/dispute-a-charge. 60-day window for billing errors; 120 for fraud.
Amex Dispute Center →File online at discover.com or call the number on your card. Discover's cardholder-first policy means high acceptance rate for valid disputes.
Discover Dispute FAQ →If your bank denies a valid chargeback, file a CFPB complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Banks resolve ~97% of CFPB complaints within 15 days.
File CFPB Complaint →Our dedicated chargeback tool — find your dispute code, generate your dispute letter, and get your exact success odds for free.
ChargebackWin.us →Flights departing from EU/UK, or arriving on an EU/UK carrier. 3-year claim window. Applies to delays 3+ hours at destination.
AirlineClaims.uk →If the airline ignores your EU261 claim, escalate to the NEB in the country of departure. They can compel payment at no cost to you.
EU NEB Directory →Free escalation body for UK261 disputes. Airlines must respond within 8 weeks; CAA can intervene and require payment.
CAA Passenger Rights →APPR applies to flights to, from, and within Canada. Compensation up to CAD $1,000. File at CTA within 1 year.
CTA Air Passenger Rights →US carriers must pay up to 4× your one-way fare (max $1,550) for involuntary bumping. File a DOT complaint at airconsumer.dot.gov.
DOT Air Consumer →Our tool covers EU261, UK261, APPR, and US DOT claims. Free to check eligibility; flat fee for demand letters.
FlightPayout.com →File complaints about unexpected out-of-network bills or balance billing violations. Providers face up to $10,000 per violation.
CMS No Surprises Act →Free independent review of denied insurance claims. Binding decision within 45 days. The insurer must comply if the IRO rules for you.
CMS External Review →Every state has an insurance commissioner who can compel insurers to act. File complaints online — most resolve within 30 days.
NAIC Commissioner Finder →Upload your bill and get a line-by-line error report + dispute letter for $49 flat. 80% of bills have at least one error.
MedicalBillError.com →Medicare beneficiaries have a 5-level appeals process. Level 1 (redetermination) is filed within 120 days; costs nothing and reversal rate is 20–40%.
Medicare Appeals →If a medical debt is in collections and you dispute its accuracy, file a CFPB complaint. Errors in medical collections are common and correctable.
File CFPB Complaint →Illustrative examples based on real recovery patterns. Individual results vary.
Timeline comparison across all recovery categories — from filing to resolution.
| Category | Typical Timeline | Fast Track | Slow Track | Key Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Deposit | 2–6 weeks | Under 2 weeks (demand letter) | 3–6 months (small claims) | Whether you have move-in/out photos |
| Lost/Damaged Package | 2–8 weeks | 7–14 days (USPS Priority) | 60–90 days (international) | Carrier, insurance amount, documentation |
| Credit Card Chargeback | 30–60 days | 5–15 days (provisional credit) | 90–120 days (merchant disputes) | Card network, reason code strength |
| EU261 / UK261 Flight | 4–12 weeks | 2–4 weeks (compliant airline) | 6–18 months (CAA escalation) | Whether airline concedes or fights |
| Medical Bill Error | 30–90 days | 1–2 weeks (duplicate/simple errors) | 3–6 months (insurance reprocessing) | Error type — billing vs. insurance vs. coding |
| Insurance Denial Appeal | 60–120 days | 72 hours (expedited/urgent appeal) | 6–18 months (external review + state) | Plan type (ERISA vs. ACA) and denial reason |