How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge

First things first, whenever you have a charge that you feel is erroneous or worth disputing, you should always reach out to the merchant in question. There are few reasons to do this. First, if possible, it’s much better to dispute the charge directly with the merchant as often times they end up being quite reasonable and can refund you the money directly. Secondly, when you first reach out to the merchant you will then be able to document and have forms of written communication from the merchant. You can then use your written correspondence as evidence of what transpired when you are disputing the charges with your credit card company (if it gets to that point). Ultimately, this will greatly increase the odds of you winning the dispute as the more of a paper trail you have the better your chances are of winning a dispute. Credit card companies typically want to see that an active attempt was made to reach out. Moreover, your credit card company will always ask how the merchant responded when you brought the charge to their attention, so you will have a story already prepared before all that occurs.

Why Would You Want to Dispute a Charge?

There are numerous reasons why charges can be disputed by a consumer. These include: automatic withdrawals after cancellation, misrepresented or faulty products or services, fraudulent charge backs, etc.

How Can You Be Proactive About the Dispute?

If possible always have some written correspondence to send your credit card company, this will definitely make your life easier in the long run. That’s why it’s advised you always reach out to the merchant directly before filing the dispute. If you are proactive about the process and document everything you should be able to avoid any surprises. Moreover, if you were unable to resolve the dispute directly with the merchant your credit card company is more inclined to take your side when your file a dispute with them. The credit card company will see that you made a good faith attempt at resolving it directly the merchant instead of just filling a dispute without any attempts at resolving it on your own.

Further Action

If you are disputing a charge with a merchant directly and it doesn’t go as planned make sure to voice your opinion. It might not seem like much but if you are loud enough it could help inspire the merchant to change for the better so that more people don’t experience the same thing you did. You can also dispute the charge on social media with the business’ public account. Social media is a public domain and if it’s a large enough company they will have to respond to your complaint. Additionally, you can always threaten to file a complaint with the BBB, FTC, Consumer Affairs, etc., and if you are on the phone with the company explain this to them. This is very likely to help your case and to change the tune of whoever is assisting you. Finally, don’t be afraid to escalate the call to a manager when on the phone with your credit card company, etc. You don’t want to be disrespectful or make a large fuss if it’s not something worth it but don’t be afraid to voice your opinion.