How to dispute a charge on your credit card.
• You need to write to the creditor at the address shown on your
statement for "billing inquiries. You must Include your name, address,
account number, and a description of any errors.
• Send your letter of dispute as soon as possible. It must reach the
creditor within 60 days after the first bill containing the errors was
mailed to you.
The creditor has to acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30
days of receipt. At the latest, the dispute must be resolved within two
billing cycles, but not more than 90 days.
Unauthorized Charges. If your credit card is used without your permission, you could be held responsible for up to $50 per card.
If you report the loss before the card is used, you can't be held responsible for any unauthorized charges. I
To minimize your liability, it is imperative that you report the loss
as soon as possible. Most issuers have 24-hour toll-free telephone
numbers to accept emergency information. If you have managed to
notified your credit card company by telephone It's important that you
follow-up with a letter which includes your account number, the date
you noticed your card missing, and the date you reported the loss.
If you have a dispute about merchandise or services. You can dispute
charges for unsatisfactory goods or services. To do so, you must:
• Have made the purchase in your home state or within 100 miles of your
current billing address. The charge must be for more than $50. These
limitations don't apply if the seller also is the card issuer or if a
special business relationship exists between the seller and the credit
card issuer.
• First make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute with the seller. No special procedures are required to do so.
If these conditions don't apply, you may want to consider filing an action in the Small Claims Court.
