When I tried to file a dispute for an unauthorized charge on my WAMU account, I found that talking to a customer service rep over the phone was useless. Go down to your local branch and talk to a manager (in your nicest tone possible). That worked for me! Even she (the bank manager) got the run around when calling customer service but she was able to escalate the case in a way that I couldn't, so that it could be resolved. Good luck!

Not cool for the OP - doesn't the cab have to produce a receipt as well to show the bank?

I don't know where Krystal lives, but cabs are normally pretty tightly regulated. For example in NYC, I would call the Taxi & Limo Commission as well, just as another resource to use - again I don't know what Krystal's local resource is. Might get nowhere, but they might take the complaint more seriously, and the threat of their involvement might make Yellow Cab respond.

Wait until the "Fraud Department" unexpectedly cancels your debit card because they finally get around to noticing that there was fraudulent activity reported 3 months ago...

They might even decide to freeze your assets pending a further investigation.

It doesn't say where this is--it might be worth complaining to the taxi authority of the city. In New York, that's here: [www.nyc.gov]

@hillsrovey: The cab should have given her a receipt -- I've charged a cab ride (about $20) and had to sign a receipt.

If another round between Yellow and Chase doesn't fix things (including the bank manager), I would contact the local Public Service Commission for the state that oversees the cab company.

@Ilovegnomes: I completely agree. And keep your cool this time. Although this is a poor situation, the OP made a big mistake by losing her temper and using foul language with customer service. I understand the rep she was speaking with wasn't being helpful. In situations like these, it's sometimes best to hang up and call again. Sometimes the next rep is more polite, intelligent, helpful, etc.

Here's a thought... I know every single time I've taken a cab, they leave the information totally blank. It's usually just a slip of paper with the company logo and standard to, from, charge, tip, etc. on it. I'm the one who fills everything in after the fact whether I pay cash or credit. I've done this in Atlanta, GA, Dulles, VA, New Orleans, and NYC so I know it's not just been local. Now I'm honest and only write in what was actually charged and then expense it for work.

So what if the OP takes another cab ride from the exact same distance and location, pays in cash to avoid another problem, asks for the receipt, fills in all the info, and re-creates the receipt to show Chase? Wouldn't that solve Chase's need for a receipt and kept them to put a hold on her account or something?

I lost sympathy when I hit the f-word. Her not understanding that a telephone rep could consider this abusive is beyond me

You can also try the Taxi and Limousine Commission ("TLC")

Was this in NYC? Cabs are supposed to have working cc machines, so next time just say "sorry, I have no cash and only have this credit card number", and refuse to leave without the receipt. Many time NYC cab drivers "pretend" their machines don't work (because the fees come out of their take), so when confronted with zero fare or a cc fare, all of a sudden their machines start to work again...

I know this doesn't help with the OP's problem, but this is the way to play the game from the consumer's standpoint.

@Hoss:
"I also think he was a bit out of line to reprimand me like I'm a child."

This situation is frustrating, but seriously people, you are only hurting yourself by being rude/swearing. If customers swear at me, I am told to tell them to call back when they can handle themselves in a professional manner. If you can't control your emotions, you are acting like a child. Calm down and chill out.

@kduhtoe: I agree - it's ok to be upset and express it, but "in your anger do not sin". Politeness and persistence are much more likely to get you the customer service you deserve!

@hexychick: Does the receipt have a date? That might be an issue...

EECB or letter to the CEO worked wonders for me. Read the article about Man gets Chase to bend to his iron will. I got Chase to refund nearly $1500 in finance fee's, fix my APR from 27.27 back to 5.99%, and reinstate a closed account back to full with a 0% APR by mistake. That department can maybe help you since your asking for just some help with fraud... Try it maybe consumerist can send you a note of the info... I can get you the number of my rep but do not want to post since it will cause her to get many calls and her number may get changed... Your not supposed to call direct but I feel for you... If I can get it to you one way or another I will... Don't know how though.

I don't know where Krystal took the cab but there's a hack bureau, by that name of something else, that licenses cabs in almost every jurisdiction. The drivers are required to keep records of fares (point of pickup and point of discharge). She should be able to go to the cab company or ask the hack bureau to go to the cab company and get documentation on the trip. This sounds like out and out fraud by the taxi driver.

By the way, language has gotten coarser over the years but "fuck" is still not part of a business conversation.

@Hoss: Wow, apparently you've never made a multiple-month journey through the depths of customer service to try to resolve a 200 dollar false charge.

She admits she shouldn't have sworn, but honestly, I know few people that wouldn't have LONG before that. And the CSR reprimanding her? Not cool at all.

I'm not sure I understand why people use debit cards. It seems like problems like this leave you holding the bag while a credit card makes disputing this type of thing easier. Better yet, pay cash for cab rides and other slightly shady situations. "Well, what if I'm out of cash?" Don't let that happen. Ever. Always have at least $50 if only for emergencies.

@hillsrovey:
If it was a credit card the bank would make the cab company produce proof. I guess since it's a debit card which doesn't have the same protections required by law as a credit card, the bank is making the customer do the work to prove it was a fraudulent card. Or perhaps it's just a poorly trained CSR.

It seems to be a dreadful situation, and an awfully expensive way to learn the lesson (keep cab cash in pocket). Seems as though the companies involved really are trying to drive customers away. I certainly hope it gets resolved.

That having been said, there's no reason why a grownup should simply shrug his/her shoulders, admit to being "foulmouthed," and expect a pass. Sorry. In a situation where so much out of of your control, the ONE thing in your control is your demeanor. And it can (often does) make or break a situation. I suspect that in this case it did not make.

Once you lose your temper, you lose all control over the conversation and the situation, and the victory goes to the company. Learning when to make (or not make, or disengage from) a phone call is imperitive when dealing with this sort of stuff.

@katstermonster: When I worked for Cingular/AT&T and someone lost their cool (which was frequent), I simply asked them to leave. They would typically call security before I needed to because they thought security would make me stop ignoring them and deal with their problem. Once security showed up, I would explain the customer was using foul language, disturbing other customers and was asked to leave. That probably happened once a month.

Using the word fucking isn't cussing anyone out.

Seriously. It's 2009. Get over it.

If you can't deal with mundane things like words, then do everyone a favor and die in a fire.

The reality is that people can use it as an excuse to either hang up on you, change the subject and/or piss you off, which works to their advantage.

Then again, it's totally a douche move.

@Brady Cox: Clarification: swearing isn't a douche move... it's fucking rad.

On the other hand, here's how a bank should help their customer:

I recently had a fraudulent transaction appear on my ESL Federal Credit Union checking account. My wife was in England about 2 months ago and used her debit card over there (never again). A few days ago a $ 219.69 reservation charge appeared from Travelodge in Great Brittan.

I contacted Travelodge and they were no help at all because I did not have the city or area from which the reservation was made. I contacted ESL, filled out a fraud report and the amount was refunded to my checking account 10 days later.

I'd like to see Chase (and I mention them specifically because they suck) or any of these other shitty banks do that.

Kudos to ESL for ALWAYS being fair and going out of their way to help their customers.

@Brady Cox: Wow, after reading this several times, I still don't know where Brady stands on this issue.

@Brady Cox: Aha, there's the clarification I was looking for.

You're right, Brady; Swearing is "fucking rad"! It's the salt and pepper of language.

That being said, swearing should be avoided when dealing with customer service or anything business related. Seriously, if you want your problems solved, you need to treat the rep with respect and kindness.

People, tell me if I'm wrong, but I think there is a consistent scam going on with cabdrivers and their credit card machines being "broken." Either they don't like the credit card fees, or they want to get cash tips, or something. When I'm getting a cab for work and want to be reimbursed for everything (including tip), I'd much rather pay by card.

@Brady Cox: Really? I suggest you try it when talking to your boss or a client. Growing up includes the ability to know when such words are appropriate in conversation. Talking with your buds, yes. Talking to a stranger, no.

@Brady Cox: i have to agree with you. She kept her cool much longer than I would have. It is frustrating enough having to deal with customer service, but dealing with the run around that she got and still out all that money (which is alot to me) would have caused me to explode.

I don't think that people that work in customer service (not in store but on the phone) seem to lose all compassion and reasoning. If this person had listened to her situation which she explained clearly to him he would have understood the level of frustration she was dealing with. If it gets to the point where the person throws out a "fuck" then they need to step back and realize why they did it. Instead of reprimanding her, how about you show some empathy and see what you can do to help her the best way that you can.

@calquist: I have spent many years in customer service and there is a big difference between a customer swearing at me and a customer swearing while on the phone with me.

A good customer service rep should understand that the customer may be upset at their PERCEPTION that they have been "wronged" (whether they have or haven't) It is not as if the OP said, "F you, CSR". She said "This is f*cking ridiculous"

People lost their temper sometimes and it is the job of a good CSR to make sure that they are not angry when they hang up.

I made the mistake of cussing out a credit card rep. Now most of the time when I call, I get disconnected before I even get to a person. I end up having to call several times. Learning what I have from this site, I'm pretty sure the reps are doing it on purpose. Luckily, I canceled that account the other day anyway.

Never be afraid to swear during a call like this. Don't be censored. Demand your right to free speech. Listen, if I had a dime for every time I dropped the f-bomb during a call with Comcast...I'd be a well-fed man (via the McDonalds dollar menu).

@ageekymom: maybe im jaded but I am lucky enough to have a boss and a work environment where I can say "fuck" and swear and there are no repercussions. Just because you swear doesn't make you juvenile.

The OP was wrong to use a debit card here. A credit card gives you protections debits cards do not and it's YOUR money in play during a dispute, not the bank's.

The OP was also WAY out of line to say "f*cking" during a professional phone call. While she may have been right to be annoyed, the moment she took the call to that level, she lost all respect of the CSR. She made a bad problem much worse.

I do have to say when I have rarely dealt with Chase on a CC dispute, they seem to make the customer have the full burden of proof to win, which is very unusual. I cancelled my only Chase CC when they made me go through 100 hoops for a simple $10 dispute.

@Brady Cox: She should've asked if there was an adult there she could speak to.

@floraposte: I'd recommend this too. I have a feeling they'll take a $200 overcharge pretty seriously. Like, in the actual sense, not the "taking it seriously" sense.

@kduhtoe: "That being said, swearing should be avoided when dealing with customer service or anything business related. Seriously, if you want your problems solved, you need to treat the rep with respect and kindness."

The rep wasn't resolving any of her issues, just repeating that you need a receipt. She was pretty patient with him and just expressed her frustration. Even if she had been syrupy sweet he still would have not done anything for her. We have all been there where we deal with a rep that just cant step out of the script or just reasoning for the current situation.

@Adrienne Willis: Adrienne, in a perfect world, customer service reps would all be deeply understanding and intuitive. In a perfect world, there would be no need for customer service though. The fact of the matter is customer service reps are berated incessantly. You don't call customer service to say hello and tell the company it's doing a good job. You call customer service when something is wrong, and you're pissed. Drop f-bombs with customer service all you like, it's your account that's going to get jacked by the service rep.

@Adrienne Willis: So why not call back and speak with a different rep?

@I_have_something_to_say: To be fair, Chase was fairly prompt in refunding a fraudulent charge on my account. Granted, they screwed up like three other things, but they did listen and fix things.

Also, I went in to a branch - a large branch to boot; that may have helped.

@Ilovegnomes: You mean you actually spoke to a live person on the phone? When I've tried to talk to a live WaMu agent about a fraudulent charge I had to push the key for the credit department or something and ask to be transferred. I've never been able to find a number for or prompt for the fraud department.

Yet another reason not to use debit cards.

Come on people. She kept her cool during multiple instances of this company disrespecting her, and she said "fucking" once. You've never sworn in a professional situation? Never? And you believe that doing so automatically exempts someone from any legal rights (and exempts the company from any responsibilities) related to the business dealings?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

To all the people who think using the f word stopped this from being a professional phone call, I beg to differ. The moment the CS reps stopped doing their job and lying to her (whether because of stupidity, laziness or shitty corporate policies) - that's when it stopped being a professional phone call. This is a problem across many industries, and while using colorful language may not be the best way to get things done, sometimes these idiots on the other end of the phone need to understand how upset you are. In person its very easy to pickup on body language that someone is upset far before the situation escalates. In this case someone was just sitting on the phone like a drone ignoring the fact that the OP just had money stolen from her account, and didn't seem to care one bit.

I would have told the cab driver "Sorry, but if you can't give me a receipt, I ain't paying the fare. Call the cops. Bye." Then I would have stepped out of the cab.

If I wanted to be nice, I would have called the Cab Company and offered to send them a check in the mail.

@Ilovegnomes: WAMU/Chase is THE WORST with undisputed charges. It took local police involvement to get them to refund incredibly shady charges done on my stolen credit card. The whole thing was a customer service clusterfuck. They even denied receiving my claim but luckily I heeded the warnings of Consumerist commenters and had the thing sent certified. I hate them. I can't close my card, but it will sit in my drawer until it rots.

So, OP, if you get to that point- make sure to send your claim certified!!

And others, if fraudulent activity occurs on your lost/stolen card- file a police report! Even if the police don't take action, it helps to have the incident documented by police if you need to make further claims or go to trial.

@kduhtoe: I am not for cursing just to be rude and brash but she expressed frustration. That is my biggest problem with dealing with customer service (especially when they are foreign - non English as a first language- reps), I explain my situation clearly and either a- they don't listen and continue to read off of a script or b- give an answer that clearly doesn't solve anything based upon the situation at hand. They do not understand my frustration and emotions.

However when dealing with an English as a first language rep I find that I have things resolved much easier or escalated to to the right department. If I curse I always apologize and explain my frustration and that it is not geared towards them.

Now I don't know if this rep was non-english speaking or not, I am just speaking based upon my experiences with different types of customer service.

@dave23: Thanks dave23, for making that point much better than I would have. Swearing in conversation is much different than "cussing someone out."

@katstermonster: Some call centers have policies in place that you have to say something like was said whenever a customer swears. Some enforce this to the point where you can get in trouble if you let swearing slide.