can this be disputed?

Question

Someone orders a magazine online. They say to wait 10 weeks it never show’s, even 3 months after it was due. Magazine Subscription Company says they are working on kinks, and will not issue a refund. Can you dispute it on the credit card it’s been charged to, even though it’s been paid off?

Answer 1

Yes you can. Tell the credit card company that you purchased this magazine, it never came, and the magazine company is not cooperating. They will immediately address it with the magazine company and most likely the magazine company will not fight it. I have done this a few times and I won every time.

Answer 2

Yes, consumer laws concerning credit cards are very protective of the consumer. Your card company will reverse the charge, and assign an arbitrator if necessary. The magazine company probably won't fight it though.

Answer 3

You would have to check with the terms of your particular credit card, but commonly creditors will be more likely to help you provided you show proof of your good faith efforts to try to reconcile the issue directly with the merchant first. Note that some creditors have a limit of approximately 30 days in which you can file such a claim. Creditors are in the business to make money, which they do successfully in part by capitalizing on the likelihood that a consumer will neglect to check their statements, miss payment deadlines and perpetuate revolving debt. If you have an excellent credit and payment history, you may have a little more leverage and could imply that you will take your business elsewhere if they will not work with you. Be sure to use a calm, confident voice over the phone and carefully word HOW they can help you; perhaps less like a question and more like a statement, such as, I will need to file a dispute as opposed to 'can' or 'will' you help me.

On a side note, I once missed (I didn't look at my statement that month!) a few thousand dollars worth of fraudulent charges on my card that were made in another country when I was clearly in the USA. Unfortunately I did not catch this until almost 3 months later. When I called the customer service number (often the rank with the least decision-making power) they tried to tell me it was too late to file a dispute. Keep in mind, it is in the interest of the creditors to try to keep your money, preferably without dispute, but keep on them. I asked to speak to the manager until I got a hold of someone who could/would help me. I did end up having to do a little bit of paperwork (e.g., filling out a dispute form, copies of charges, etc.), but did eventually get things settled in my favor. Creditors do have a responsibility to investigate fraudulence and in will more likely make the effort if you can provide them with a paper trail of evidence, so be sure to keep a record of the names of people you talked with as well as the dates and times of such communication.

Finally, I strongly recommend that your check out the website of consumer advocate Clark Howard. He has suggestions, resources, articles and links that cover myriad situations including some just like yours. On his talk radio program, he takes callers' questions about how to deal with creditors, etc. His site is:

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/7/40/

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

I believe once the bill is paid you are stuck. I on the other hand received a magazine that I did not order I returned it and informed them I did not place the order. I continue to receive monthly statements asking for the money. In fact I was charged for the next installment. I refuse to pay.

Answer 5

Jen, the company should refund you your subscription with interest since paying by credit card. Call them back requesting this, let me know if you don't get satisfaction.

Answer 6

I would think so. The credit card co,can always charge back to the book compant.

Answer 7

Yes - you can always dispute a charge in cases where you did not receive the merchandise.