How long does a supplier have to dispute?
Depending on the retailer, the timeline for disputing deductions may vary. In order to best manage charge backs, suppliers should dispute as fines arise or on a monthly basis to avoid being overwhelmed with unruly deductions.
For post-dated deductions, Target allows suppliers to dispute back 18 months. This dispute window is relatively lenient compared to other retailers like Kroger and Amazon. For collect suppliers, the best practice would be to dispute within 9 months.
Basics of the Dispute Process
Suppliers will likely find that AP deduction Code A030, the Target code indicating a shipment shortage, is the most common. In general – as will be explored later in this booklet’s last section – suppliers are likely to find that shipping related deductions are the most common across the board.
Some suppliers of Target have noted that, although it generally takes quite a bit of time for them to respond to shortage and chargeback claims, they are generally very responsive and helpful on the phone. The phone number for Target supplier support is 1-612-304-3310. To navigate the menu driven voice prompts, try pressing 3, then 2, then 0, and you should be able to speak with an actual person.
Early and active communication with the merchant team is also a best practice recommended by Target. Good relationships with merchant teams can help make the dispute process quite a bit smoother.