Consumerist
chargebacks
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Chargebacks
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chargebacks
chargebacks
The Chargeback Blacklist
The ChargeBackBureau sells merchants a blacklist with names of customers who have done chargebacks. Merchants are supposed to be able to access its lists and deny transactions to customers if they see they're chargeback-prone. When a consumer is put on the list, they get sent an email warning them they're "going to have trouble purchasing goods or services on the Internet in the future." ChargeBackBureua's headquarters are conveniently located in Panama, which is convenient for its American clients, as such databases are illegal in the US. Chargebacks are an important tool for consumers to fight back against merchants who won't give you what you paid for. Here's how to do one. If a merchant won't do business with you because you stood up for your rights before, then you shouldn't do business with them either.
Dispute charges at your peril [SFChron]
terms and conditions
Merchant Tries To Forbid Chargebacks
A reader wrote in to ask us if we've ever seen anything like the "Chargeback Abuse Policy" that Luxury Car Tuning in Las Vegas includes in their terms—"You agree not to file a credit card or debit card chargeback with regard to any purchase," and if you do anyway, you have to pay any fees that normally the merchant must pay when dealing with a chargeback. The reader wants to know, "Is this allowed by any merchant agreement that you know of? Sounds pretty ridiculous to me. How likely would it be that they could get away with this?" More »
airlines
4 Hints For Getting Your Ticket Money Back When The Airline Goes Bankrupt
We got passed a communique from the Fiserv debit-card processing company to its clients that offers some insights for consumers concerned about getting their money back if they have bought tickets on an airline that has gone bankrupt (as several have recently). Here's the takeaways:
- Chargebacks can be filed on all tickets, whether they were purchased directly from the airline or from a third-party
- You don't have to take a replacement flight offered by another carrier if you don't want to
- You have 120 days from the date of expected travel to file a chargeback
- Depending on merchant policy, travel insurance may be transferable or redeemable
(Photo: Getty)
refunds
Update: Westin Casuarina Refunds Extra Charges, Apologizes To Customers
Last week's news that the Westin Casuarina hotel in Las Vegas was surreptitiously charging conference attendees for the organizer's unpaid bill generated enough bad press that the Westin did an about-face this week, and sent out letters on Tuesday telling affected customers it is reversing the extra charges. A Westin spokesman said, "We've decided as a matter of customer relations to issue the refunds while continuing to pursue payment from The Coaching Center" in Austin, Texas. The Westin also says the refunds are an "effort to show our good faith," which we assume means "please don't sue us." More »
hotels
Vegas Hotel Charges Attendees For Unpaid Convention Fees
The Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas has begun charging an unpaid $50,000 convention fee to the attendees who already paid before they attended back in October. The company that set up the event, Austin-based The Coaching Center, hasn't paid its bill yet, and "president Suzanne Black said she was trying to arrange a payment plan when she was told by Westin management that the hotel would recoup the bill from attendees." Now people are finding charges anywhere from $600 to $1200 on their credit card bills. Even the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has said this isn't standard practice, but Westin says it's got fine print that proves it can hold you liable for any charges left unpaid on your visit. More »
billing
Sign Up For Yahoo Voice And Receive A $74.95 Charge From Yahoo Personals
Yahoo Personals surprised technology guru Russell Shaw with a charge for $74.95 when he signed up for Yahoo Voice. Russell had let his subscription to Yahoo Personals lapse last February and ignored Yahoo's repeated entreaties to renew his membership. He assumed his account was cancelled, told his credit card company not to authorize any new charges, and did not inform Yahoo when he lost his credit card last May. More »
weights and measures
Royal Farms Gas Pump Charges You Even After The Gas Stops Flowing
Royal Farms refuses to fix a broken gas pump that charges customers even after the gas stops flowing. The pump in Abingdon, Maryland has overcharged Tom on five separate occasions, and Royal Farms refuses to issue a promised refund. More »
complaints
Alitalia Strands Passenger In Iran
John writes:
Alitalia AirlinesMore »
Customer Relations
350 Fifth Avenue
Suite 3700
New York, NY 10118To Whom It May Concern:
On October 21, 2007 I attempted to check in on time for an Alitalia flight from Tehran, Iran to Milan, Italy for which I was ticketed and had confirmed my reservation the day previous. The check-in agent informed me there was a problem with my ticket and that I would not be allowed to travel. I found this horrifying, as my Iranian visa was expiring and any delay could cause serious problems with Iranian immigration and could bar me from leaving the country.
show us your verizon face
Verizon Installs FiOS, Won't Tell You Your Account Number, Keep Charging An Unauthorized Credit Card
Dan ordered Verizon FiOS and used a credit card to pay for the installation. He told the CSR specifically he didn't want his monthly bill to be debited from this credit card. Guess what Verizon is doing? More »
telephony
SunRocket VoIP Is Dead, Run Away While You Still Can
As of last night, Sunrocket VoIP is unplugged, and they didn't warn any of their 200,000+ customers, who had been attracted to the service by deals which offered $99 buy-one-year, get-one-year-free unlimited calling to the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Now they're experiencing spotty service, full outages, and a feeling of panic.
Sunrocket customers need to immediately start porting their number (here's how), and filing chargebacks with their credit card companies to get their money refunded (here's how).
More »
cancellations
Don't Get Benchpressed By A Gym Contract Scam, A Cautionary Tale
So you go through the process of selecting a gym, asking yourself whether you want one close to your house or to work, choosing between opulent technoplaygrounds and piles of torture devices in an old VFW lodge, and most importantly, determining whether your goal is to actually get fit, or get laid. More »
moving
ASAP Van Lines Dispute Resolved In Favor Of Consumer
The results of a reweigh yesterday showed that ASAP Van Lines mistakenly overcharged Candace for her shipment. More »
moving
Update On That ASAP Van Lines Dispute
The reweigh for the reader in a dispute with ASAP Van Lines over her moving bill has been moved forward to sometime after June 3rd . More »
followups
ASAP Van Lines Responds To Complaint Alleging $400 Bilking
Tiffany from ASAP Van Lines reached out to us regarding a complaint we posted. Our reader felt she had been unfairly hoodwinked into paying $400 more and was subject to abusive telephone calls. Tiffany offers a different version of the events. More »
complaints
Virgin Atlantic Charges $110 For Seat Upgrade, Gives Same Seat To Another Passenger For Free, Doesn't Care
UPDATE: Looks like we bungled this one. We asked travel expert Mark Ashley for clarification and he said: More »
chargebacks
