|
How to Dispute Dishonest Bills
Have you ever been billed for merchandise you returned or never received? Has your
credit card company ever charged you twice for the same item or failed to credit a
payment to your account? While frustrating, these errors can be corrected. It takes
a little patience and knowledge of the dispute settlement procedures provided by the
Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA).
The law applies to "open end" credit accounts, such as credit cards, and revolving
charge accounts - such as department store accounts. It does not cover installment
contracts - loans or extensions of credit you repay on a fixed schedule.
Consumers often buy cars, furniture and major appliances on an installment basis, and
repay personal loans in installments as well.
What types of disputes are covered?
The FCBA settlement procedures apply only to disputes about "billing errors." For example:
 unauthorized charges.
Federal law limits your responsibility for unauthorized charges to $50;
charges that list
the wrong date or amount;
charges for goods
and services you didn't accept or weren't delivered as agreed;
math errors;
failure to post
payments and other credits, such as returns;
failure to
send bills to your current address - provided the creditor receives your change of
address, in writing, at least 20 days before the billing period ends; and
charges for
which you ask for an explanation or written proof of purchase along with a claimed
error or request for clarification.
To take advantage of the law's consumer protections, you must:
write to the
creditor at the address given for "billing inquiries," not the address for sending
your payments, and include your name, address, account number and a description of
the billing error.
Send your
letter so that it reaches the creditor within 60 days after the first bill
containing the error was mailed to you.
Send your
letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you have proof of what the
creditor received.
Include
copies (not originals) of sales slips or other documents that support your position.
Keep a copy of your dispute letter.
| 
Free Downloads
Career
RSS Feed