The banks have rules that must be followed, but the process usually works. One rule is that the charge back request must be made in writing.
I did mine online. They just kept asking me for the same information over and over. I kept sending exactly what they asked for. I could tell it was a stall tactic and eventually gave up after a few weeks.
Also, the credit card company will ask for a copy of the company's return policy. In Alec's case, he had 7 days to return the defective VS Max to GoSatellite (according to their policy). I suspect its been longer than that.
eBay was the solution for me. I sold my receiver at a loss and bought a different model (Coolsat 8100) for a similar discount. Not ideal, but it gets the job done.