Consumer Complaints

What should you do when a company doesn’t deliver on its promise? Use your credit card to your advantage.

I want my money back!

We’ve all been there, finding that deal which seems too good to be true online. But the internet wouldn’t lie to us…right? Unfortunately, there are thousands of people who get scammed online every day. Other times, websites are simply poorly managed rather than being scams. While complaining can sometimes resolve an issue, there are instances where you simply want to forget about the whole mess and just get your money back. Read reviews before you buy

The Government actually helps!

Luckily, the government has passed numerous laws to protect the average Joe like you and me from these kinds of headaches. The most important set of laws that were passed are called the Fair Credit Billing Act. The law primarily applies to credit cards; it won’t protect you when it comes to loans or extensions of credit you repay on a fixed schedule. This is important! Often we buy things like cars, furniture and major appliances on an installment basis so buyers beware!

So how does the process actually work? It’s much simpler then you’d think. There are two methods. The standard method is as follows: Write to your credit card company. Make sure you use the address given for “billing inquiries,” this is NOT the address for sending your payments. Be sure to include your name, address, account number and a description of the problem (anything from getting billed too much to not receiving the product/service.)

The letter must reach the creditor within 60 days (plenty of time) after the first bill containing the error was mailed to you. It’s important to send your letter by certified mail with return receipt requested. This way you have proof that your credit card company received your letter. Include copies (never originals) of sales slips or other documents that support your position. Your credit card company has to acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days after receiving it. Afterwards, they have two billing cycles (but not more than 90 days) to resolve the problem. During that time, you don’t have to pay for the charge.

Dealing Directly

For those who don’t want the deal with the hassle of sending letters, there’s a much simpler approach, call customer service. Most companies will give their customers the benefit of the doubt, and credit them for the amount charged. This is because it’s more important to the credit card companies to keep a loyal rather than spend time arguing over an individual charge. Even so, there are several important tips to remember when calling customer service:

* Be courteous and polite. Never call up mad.
* The charge on your bill should be recent, within the last 30 days.
* Have all your paperwork and relevant information ready.
* Don’t call the credit card company until you have first attempted to resolve the dispute directly with the company with whom there is a problem. For more tips

Even after dealing with customer service, the rules regarding sending a letter may apply. Sometimes the credit card company will request for you to send in a letter anyway or the charge may take some time before disappearing. In the end though, these are just minor hassles in order to get your money back. I think we can all agree that’s far better than getting nothing back at all.