When can you get your money back for a bad Local Services lead?

A lead that costs $40 to $100 and goes nowhere hurts, and it hurts more when the cause is a wrong number or a customer in the wrong town. Google has a way to ask for the money back, with real limits. Everything here comes from Google's help pages, which I re-read on November 1, 2026. Wording can change, so confirm in your own account.

Can you dispute a Local Services lead?

Yes. For a business on Google Local Services Ads, Google says: "If you believe the lead you received isn't valid, you can immediately dispute a lead." A successfully disputed lead is credited back to you, in the United States and Canada only.¹ Google adds that lead disputes aren't available for health care verticals.¹

How long do you have to dispute?

Thirty days. Google's eligibility page says: "Unfortunately, leads can only be disputed within 30 days."² Put a monthly reminder on your calendar to review leads. A lead you notice in week six is probably out of reach.

What is the difference between a dispute and an automatic credit?

A dispute is something you start. An automated credit is something Google applies. Google says it makes it easier to receive credit for poor quality leads with automated Local Services Ads lead credits, and that in most cases credits will be applied to your account balance within 30 days.³ Lead credits aren't available for health care verticals, tax specialists or advertisers in EMEA.³

Google's lead page also says leads determined to be invalid or low quality are not charged, and that if you believe a lead is poor quality you can say so in the Feedback Survey for that lead.⁴ Use that survey every time. It costs a minute and is the route Google points to.

Which kinds of bad leads are not credited?

Google no longer supports credits for "job type not serviced" and "geo not serviced" leads.³ That surprises owners. A caller asking for a service you don't offer, or from outside your area, may not be refundable under the automated credits. Fix the cause: check that your listed services and service area match what you do, because bad matches are your cheapest problem to remove.

The pages I opened did not list the full set of reasons that qualify a lead for a dispute. They point to a short set of questions in your account that check your eligibility. Answer them honestly and keep notes on each lead, such as the caller's number, date and what happened.

Can you get a refund for a call you missed?

Google does not say. Its page lists a call you missed during business hours, where the customer stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, as a valid lead you are charged for.⁴ A lead that is valid by that rule isn't clearly "invalid," and no page we opened says it can or can't be credited. Don't plan your budget around a refund. Plan around not missing the call.

It also helps to know that follow-ups are not charged again if there is interaction within 15 days of the first contact.⁴ A repeat caller is not a second bill, so you don't need to dispute them.

How do you build a record that supports a dispute?

Keep a simple log for each charged lead you question: the date, the caller's number, how long the call lasted, what the person wanted and why you believe it wasn't valid. Google's pages don't say which notes it reviews, so this is a practical habit, not a requirement. It helps you spot patterns too. If five bad leads in a row ask for a service you don't offer, the fix is your listing, not a dispute.

What does it cost you if you don't dispute?

Take sample numbers: say you pay $60 per lead, get 40 charged leads a month, and 5 of them are clearly junk. That is $300 a month, or $3,600 a year, if nobody ever disputes. Disputing even three of those a month recovers $180 monthly. Your numbers will differ, but the habit is the same: review the lead list, flag junk with a note, and file inside 30 days.

Then look at the other side of the ledger. Every lead you do get can be worth far more than its fee, if someone answers. Money back for a bad lead is worth a few minutes. A good lead that goes to voicemail is worth a few hundred dollars gone.

What changes with Performance Max?

Google began moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads, in pay-per-lead Performance Max campaigns, in August 2026 for select home and storefront service advertisers in the US, with broader groups later in 2026 and the rest in 2027.⁵ The page on that migration says you only pay for valid, qualified leads, such as phone calls, message leads or bookings, and that the Leads page shows a charged status for each. It does not explain how to dispute a charge. If your account has moved, look in Google Ads help for the current credit steps before assuming the Local Services rules above apply.

A short checklist

• Review new leads every week, not every month.
• Use the Feedback Survey on any lead that looks wrong.
• Dispute inside 30 days and keep your own notes.
• Check your service list and area so out-of-scope leads stop arriving.
• Staff the phone during ad hours so the leads you pay for are leads you can win.

B&G Solutions answers phones around the clock in a small business's name and books jobs into its calendar or booking app. We also manage Google Business Profiles and review replies, run Google Ads and Local Services Ads, and build websites meant to bring in calls. If you want to know how many calls you are missing right now, we do a free check.

Common questions

Can I dispute a Local Services Ads lead?

Yes. Google says that if you believe a lead isn't valid you can dispute it, and a successfully disputed lead is credited back (US and Canada only).

How long do I have to dispute a lead?

Google's eligibility page says leads can only be disputed within 30 days.

Are all bad leads credited?

No. Google says it no longer supports credits for job type not serviced and geo not serviced leads, and credits and disputes aren't available for health care verticals.

How long do automated credits take?

Google says that in most cases credits will be applied to your account balance within 30 days.

Can I get a refund for a missed call?

Google's pages don't say. A missed call that the customer stays on for more than 20 seconds is listed as a charged lead.

Sources

1. Google Local Services Help, Lead disputes (2026)
2. Google Local Services Help, Dispute eligibility (2026)
3. Google Local Services Help, About Automated Local Services Ads lead credits (2026)
4. Google Local Services Help, How leads work (2026)
5. Google Ads Help, Local Services Ads migration to Google Ads (2026)