My mom spent some sleepless nights thinking about and trying to dispute a charge on her travel credit card. A couple of months ago, she went on a business trip to New York, but had to cancel a short trip to Connecticut the last minute. Even if she called her agent to cancel her hotel accommodations in Connecticut, she was still charged in her card. Up to now, she is still waiting for the credit card company to reverse the charges.
When she did her research, she realized that problems like these are most likely to happen with any travel credit card. The key is to know what needs to be done to be able to file dispute successfully.
First of all, under the Fair Credit Billing Act, a dispute must cost more than $50. It is always advisable to review your bill once you receive it via mail or online. If there are any discrepancies versus the actual receipts, as a first move, try to contact the merchant first to resolve the matter. If a merchant admits up to a
Mistake; most likely they will clear it by making a partial refund or maybe a credit for a service you might avail in the future.
If this first step fails, contact your travel credit card issuer and raise this problem. More importantly, be aware that any amount in question if left unpaid should not incur interests and late payment fees. Be ready and make sure that you have a pretty strong case to win it. The Fair Credit Billing Act protects you in such a way that it makes sure that your consumer rights are beheld. Your credit card company is required to conduct thorough investigation within a month, after which they will have to send you a letter with the result of such investigation.
Your receipts will eventually be regarded as exhibits in case you go into a process similar to a court trial. Therefore, documentation is necessary and important. The issuer will have to review if your case is eligible and if your dispute is technically compliant. Your credit card company will be your “lawyer” while the merchant’s bank will stand for the travel company and the network will serve as the ruling judge and jury.
If you think your travel credit card dispute is not resolved properly, know that there are still options available to you. You can raise your concern to the Federal Trade Commission. You can still recover the money you lost and still probably win your dispute.
I really wish that this will be over for my mom soon. I think she has a strong case to back up her dispute.
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