How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge

The worst thing that you can do if you find a strange charge on your credit card is to allow the matter to go uninvestigated. Unless you have so much money that extra charges are of no consequence, you should dispute any credit card charges that you don’t recognize immediately.

First thing’s first: don’t panic. There are several possible explanations for an unfamiliar credit card charge, so examine all of the possibilities before making an even bigger mess. Look at the credit card charge, the company under which the charge is listed and the amount. If you have them, pull out all of the credit card receipts that you have in your possession and go through them one by one, checking them off your statement as you go.

If this doesn’t shed any light onto the matter, it is time to dispute the credit card charge.

If there is a company name, phone number or website listed for the unfamiliar charge, contact them first to inquire about the charge. Let them know that you don’t recognize it and that you don’t believe you authorized it. In some cases, companies bill your credit card under unfamiliar or strangely abbreviated names, and simply calling the company will clear up the misunderstanding.

If, however, you remain confident that you did not authorize the credit card charge, ask the company to issue a refund. Sometimes this will work, and sometimes it won’t. If not, let them know that you will be in touch and contact your credit card company to dispute the charge.

Try not to get angry with the credit card company representative with whom you speak. Instead, explain the situation in as much detail as possible, and let him or her know that you did contact the merchant (if that was possible) and that the merchant was unwilling or unable to assist you. Then ask about your options.

Different credit card companies have different ways of dealing with these matters. Some will take your complaint over the phone and launch an immediate investigation while others will require you to fill out a form either online or as a hard copy. Either way, it is best to provide the credit card company with a written complaint and deliver it by certified mail to the appropriate mailing address.

Within thirty days, the credit card company will get back to you with a response to your complaint. They may require you to pay up to a certain amount for the fraudulent charge or they may not hold you responsible at all. They may also request more detailed information, such as any receipts you have and a description of the conversation you had with the merchant.

If the dispute for your credit card charge goes unresolved, you should continue to seek further information about the transaction. Providing as much information as possible to the credit card company will drastically increase your chances of being exonerated from liability.

Source: Associated Content