Build a Chargeback Risk Dashboard in Google Sheets

What This Does

Chargebacks (product cancellations that claw back your commission) hit hardest when they're unpredictable. This guide shows you how to build a simple chargeback log in Google Sheets and use Gemini AI to find patterns — which products cancel most, which customer profiles are highest risk, and which months tend to spike.

Before You Start

• You have Google Sheets set up (see the PVR Tracker guide)
• You can recall your last 2–3 months of chargebacks from memory or your DMS reports
• Time needed: 15 minutes to set up; 5 minutes when a chargeback occurs
• Cost: Free

Steps

1. Create a new sheet tab for chargebacks

Open your existing F&I Deal Log, or create a new spreadsheet. At the bottom, click the "+" tab to add a new sheet. Name it "Chargebacks."

What you should see: A new empty tab called "Chargebacks" at the bottom of your spreadsheet.

2. Set up headers in Row 1

Type these headers in cells A1 through H1:

• A: Chargeback Date
• B: Original Deal Date
• C: Product Type (VSC / GAP / T&W / Other)
• D: Product Gross ($)
• E: Customer Profile (note: credit tier, loan term, approximate age)
• F: Months After Sale
• G: Reason (if known)
• H: Notes

3. Enter your historical chargebacks

Work backwards and enter the last 6 months of chargebacks. Even rough data helps. You don't need exact dollar amounts — estimates are fine.

What you should see: A growing list of chargeback events. Troubleshooting: If you don't have records going back 6 months, start with what you have and build from here. Even 10 data points start to show patterns.

4. Open the Gemini AI panel and analyze

Click the Gemini star icon (or Extensions → Gemini in Sheets). Select the Chargebacks sheet first so Gemini knows to analyze that data.

5. Ask pattern questions

Type these questions one at a time:

• "Which product type has the most chargebacks?"
• "Are chargebacks more common at a certain time after the sale (under 30 days, 30-60 days, 60-90 days)?"
• "Is there a pattern in the customer profile notes for VSC chargebacks?"
• "What is my estimated total commission lost to chargebacks in the last 6 months?"

What you should see: Gemini returns analysis in plain language, identifying the patterns in your data.

Real Example

Scenario: You've had 8 VSC chargebacks in the past 3 months and don't know why.

What you type: "Looking at my VSC chargebacks, do any of the customer profiles, loan terms, or timing have anything in common?"

What you get: Gemini might surface: "6 of your 8 VSC chargebacks happened within 45 days of the deal. 5 of those customers had 84-month loan terms with credit scores below 650. This suggests customers in that tier may be experiencing buyer's remorse earlier than average."

With that insight, you can adjust your VSC presentation for that customer profile — spending more time on claim simplicity and the "peace of mind" angle before they leave the box.

Tips

• Log every chargeback within 24 hours of being notified — the data degrades fast if you wait
• Add a "retained" column to track if you successfully talked someone out of cancelling
• After 6 months of data, ask Gemini to create a "high-risk profile" description you can use to flag deals that need extra follow-up

Tool interfaces change — if the Gemini button has moved, look for a star or sparkle icon, or check Extensions → Gemini in Sheets.