Getting your money back from a Turkish clinic: Section 75, chargeback and more

Your operation was cancelled, the clinic agreed to refund you – and nothing has arrived. Or the treatment went wrong and the clinic has stopped answering. This guide is about the practical part: which route actually gets money back to your account, depending on how you paid.

Whether you are entitled to a refund in the first place – deposits, cancellation and withdrawal – is covered in our separate guide on deposits and cancelling a clinic package. This article is general information, not individual legal advice.

Which route fits how I paid?

The payment method matters more than almost anything else. Start here:

Payment method	Main route	What to watch
UK credit card, paid directly to the clinic	Section 75 claim against the card provider	Item or service over £100 and up to £30,000; direct link to the clinic needed
Credit card paid via an agent or intermediary	Chargeback; Section 75 may fail	The chain between you, card provider and clinic may be broken
Debit or prepaid card	Chargeback through your bank	Scheme deadlines, reported as generally 120 days; the bank decides
PayPal (goods and services)	PayPal dispute, then possibly card claim	Generally 180 days from payment; friends and family payments excluded
Bank transfer	Written demand, then Turkish legal routes	No chargeback; act against the clinic directly
Cash	Written demand, then Turkish legal routes	Proof of payment is everything

You can use more than one route at the same time, but never get paid twice for the same loss – tell the bank if the clinic pays you.

I paid by credit card – can I claim under Section 75?

Possibly, if the conditions are met. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your UK credit card provider jointly liable with the supplier for breach of contract or misrepresentation. According to Which?, it covers single items or services costing more than £100 and up to £30,000. You can claim the full amount even if only part was paid on the card – for example a deposit.

The key weakness for health tourism is the debtor–creditor–supplier link. There must be a direct chain between you, the card provider and the business you contracted with. Which? warns that buying through travel agents, marketplaces or third-party payment processors can break that chain. If your card statement shows an agency, a payment platform or a company with a different name from the clinic, expect questions.

Section 75 is not subject to the short scheme deadlines of chargeback; Which? notes that the general limitation period applies (six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland). In practice, claim as soon as the clinic has clearly failed to perform or refused to pay.

What to send the card provider: the quote or contract, proof of payment, the clinic’s cancellation or refund promise, your written demand and its reply (or silence), and medical evidence if the treatment was not performed as agreed.

I paid by debit card – can I do a chargeback?

Yes, you can ask, but it is not a legal right. Chargeback is a process under the Visa and Mastercard scheme rules. Your bank decides whether to raise it, and the clinic’s bank can contest it. It works for purchases of any value and on debit, credit and prepaid cards.

Time limits come from the scheme rules. Which? reports that claims should generally be made within 120 days; the exact period can run from the payment date or from the date the service was due. Ask your bank for its deadline on the first call and do not wait for the clinic’s next promise.

Tip: If the clinic keeps saying “the refund is being processed”, ask it for a written date. Once that date passes, go to your bank – waiting for repeated promises is the most common reason chargeback deadlines are missed.

What about PayPal?

PayPal Buyer Protection can help if you paid as goods and services. Under its UK policy, a dispute for an item or service not received must generally be opened within 180 days of payment. Payments sent through “friends and family” are excluded, and PayPal decides eligibility at its own discretion. PayPal also expects you to try to resolve the matter with the seller first.

If PayPal refuses and you funded the payment with a credit card, ask your card provider whether a chargeback is possible. Section 75 rarely works through PayPal, because PayPal sits between you and the clinic.

I paid by bank transfer or cash – what now?

Your claim is against the clinic itself. Banks generally cannot reverse an authorised transfer just because the service was not delivered. If you were tricked into paying a fraudster rather than the clinic, report it to your bank immediately – that is a different situation.

For cash, the most important thing is proof: a receipt, a WhatsApp message confirming the amount, a photo of the handover, an invoice. Without it, recovery becomes very difficult.

The clinic won’t respond – what are my steps in Türkiye?

Put your demand in writing first, then escalate. A typical sequence:

1. Written demand by email and through the channel you booked with, setting a deadline (for example 14 days). A formal notice through a Turkish notary (ihtarname), usually sent by a lawyer, carries more weight.
2. Consumer arbitration committee (Tüketici Hakem Heyeti): for disputes below a threshold updated each year. For applications made in 2026 this is reported as 186,000 Turkish lira. Applications go to the committee where you live or where the transaction took place; from abroad, this usually means the committee where the clinic is located.
3. Mediation: for many consumer claims above the committee threshold, mediation is a precondition for going to court.
4. Consumer court (Tüketici Mahkemesi): for larger claims or where mediation fails.
5. Enforcement (icra): a committee decision or judgment that is not paid voluntarily is enforced through the Turkish enforcement offices.

For patients abroad, each step usually needs a Turkish lawyer with a power of attorney. See our guide on suing a clinic in Türkiye from abroad.

The clinic has closed or changed its name – what then?

Act quickly, but do not assume the money is lost. A new name on Instagram does not mean the company behind the contract has disappeared. Check the legal name on your invoice, contract or card statement; a Turkish lawyer can check its status in the trade registry and whether it is in liquidation or bankruptcy.

Card routes are often your best option here, because Section 75 and chargeback claims are made against your card provider, not against the clinic.

Is the agent I paid liable?

It depends on the role the agent played. If the agent sold you the package in its own name and took your money, it may be your contractual partner and liable for the refund. If it only passed you to the clinic, the claim is primarily against the clinic. Send your demand to both. Details are in our guide on agencies and facilitators.

How long do I have?

The deadlines differ by route, and the shortest ones are on the UK side:

• Chargeback: scheme deadlines, reported as generally 120 days – ask your bank.
• PayPal: generally 180 days from payment for non-delivery.
• Section 75: general UK limitation period (six years; five in Scotland).
• Financial Ombudsman: within six months of the bank’s final response.
• Turkish claims: limitation periods under Turkish law depend on the type of claim; have them checked early.

Can the Financial Ombudsman help if my bank refuses?

Yes. If your bank or card provider rejects a Section 75 or chargeback claim, first complain to it in writing. It generally has up to eight weeks to respond (a shorter period applies to some payment services complaints). If you disagree with its final response, or it does not reply in time, you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service – free of charge – within six months of the final response.

Tip: Ask the bank to explain in writing why it rejected your claim. A vague refusal (“not covered”) is a good starting point for a complaint.

Sample demand letter

Subject: Demand for refund – [your name], treatment booked for [date]

On [date] I paid [amount] to [legal name of clinic/company] for [treatment]. The treatment [was cancelled by you on (date) / was not carried out / was not carried out as agreed]. On [date] you confirmed that the amount would be refunded.

I request repayment of [amount] to the account below within 14 days of this letter, by [date]. If I do not receive payment by then, I will pursue the claim through my card provider and the competent authorities and courts in Türkiye without further notice.

Bank details: [IBAN, account holder]

[Name, address, email, date]

Keep a copy and proof of sending.

Read more

• Deposit refund? Cancelling a clinic package in Türkiye
• Suing a clinic in Türkiye from abroad
• Agencies and facilitators: who is liable?