If you are struggling to pay your debts every month, the last thing you want to do is pay more than you owe or pay for inferior products. Consumers that find themselves in this boat must follow a formal process to dispute erroneous credit card charges.
There are several reasons you might want to dispute a credit card bill. credit repair If you purchased a defective or substandard item and the seller refuses to correct the situation, someone makes unauthorized purchases in your name, or you simply find mathematical errors on your statement, you should take proper steps to dispute your bill.
Show Good Faith
If you buy an item and it's either defective or not as described, you can withhold payment if the seller will not take actions to repair, replace, or otherwise make you satisfied. If you dispute a charge that wasn't delivered as promised, you must first make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute with the seller. Secondly, you must tell the credit card company in writing your reason for withholding payment.
Requirements
You can refuse to pay only if you used a major credit card (Visa/Mastercard) not one issued by the seller (such as a store card), the purchase was over $50., and the sale took place in your home state or within 100 miles if out-of-state. State law determines whether phone or internet purchases fall into that category.
Document Your Case
If you conclude you are entitled to withhold payment, write a letter to the credit card company telling them about your dispute and the steps you took to seek a resolution. credit repair Then send your documentation to the address specified by the credit card company to handle its disputes.
Resolution
The credit card company must acknowledge receipt of your letter within 30 days, unless the error is already corrected. Within two billing cycles or up to 90 days, the credit card issuer must either correct or state its position on the error. While pending, the disputed amount and related finance charges cannot be deducted from your account. During this time, the disputed amount also cannot be reported as delinquent on your credit report and collections cannot be initiated. However, the disputed amount can remain on your statement and factor into your credit limit. Interest charges can also still accrue on the disputed amount, but must later be dropped if the matter is resolved in your favor.
Still Not Satisfied?
If the card issuer doesn't settle the dispute to your satisfaction, you have ten days from that notification to further respond. You need to send another letter outlining why you still refuse to pay. At this time, the credit card company can report your account as delinquent to the credit bureau, but it must also submit a record of your dispute. credit repair They also must send you record of everyone they reported the delinquency to. When the dispute is resolved, the card issuer must send a revised notice to everyone to whom it reported the delinquency. If the card issuer doesn't comply with any of these procedures, it must credit you the disputed amount, plus interest, up to a total of $50. even if the bill was correct.
The same process applies if you find charges made by someone else on your account or you are charged the wrong amount. You shouldn't have to pay for unfair, inaccurate, or erroneous charges on your credit card bill. But it is up to you to regularly review your statement and credit score so you can promptly report any disputed amounts.
With finances so tight these days, every little bit counts and you deserve to hang on to your hard earned money. Meticulously following these simple steps might just help you keep a little more of it in your pocket.
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
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