Disputing credit card charges

December 2, 2008 · Posted in Personal Finance · 2 Comments 

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There have been a couple of times where I have disputed credit card charges in the past, but they were relatively straightforward.  Once, I was charged twice for the same item, and could not contact the company via customer service.  I contacted the credit card company, and it was taken care of almost immediately.  The second time, I was charged 10 times the correct price, and had the original receipt.  Again, the process was relatively straightforward.

Once a year, I tend to make small charges to all of our cards in order to keep them active.  I did this last month, and starting paying our bills last night.  Imagine my dismay when I found that one card had a balance of $62.10 instead of $2.10!  There was a $60 charge for a subscription to American Quarterhorse.  Not only was I clueless about what an American Quarterhorse subscription entails, but I was surprised because the $2.10 charge is the first time I have ever used the card for anything except a balance transfer.  This particular card sits in a drawer at home.

I immediately called the credit card company, and they are going to look into it.  I hope it gets resolved in a timely manner like the others!

In general, even though some credit cards allow you to file a dispute online, I like to call and talk to a person.  Getting a name and specific information helps put my mind at ease.

Have you ever had a mystery charge on a card?  What did you do?

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