The Boston Globe recently ran an article outlining tips for winning a credit card dispute. They offer sound advice. First, determine if the mistake you see on your credit card statement was simply an error or is something much more serious, like the result of identity theft or a stolen credit card. If it’s the former, you have 60 days to notify the credit card company – in writing – of the error. If it’s the latter, you need to call the credit card company immediately and let them know, and then cancel the credit card and ask for a replacement card. You can also contact the company that put the charge on your card, as it’s often an easy process to get them to reverse the charge.
If you write to the credit card issuer, summarize any calls you’ve made to them, as well as the calls you’ve made to the merchant. In the meantime, you don’t have to pay the disputed amount, and the card issuer has to launch an investigation and report back within 90 days.
If, for whatever reason, you didn’t catch the mistake, you might still have a claim – called “claims and defenses” if you have an outstanding balance on your credit card that’s higher than the mistaken charge (in other words, you didn’t pay the charge already). You need to work with the merchant, but if that doesn’t work, you can still contact the credit card issuer and ask them to resolve the matter.
