Chargeback is a little known scheme which gives you a chance of getting your money back from your bank if you purchase by credit card or debit card and something goes wrong with your order.
Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act the credit provider is jointly liable with the retailer for anything you buy by credit card or credit agreement, provided the item costs between £100 and £30,000.
Chargebacks come into play when Section 75 does not apply:
- Purchases made on debit or prepaid cards or chargecards
- Purchases made on credit cards that are less than £100 or more than £30,000
You may be eligible for a Chargeback on an item or service if:
- A purchase does not arrive
- The company you buy from ceases trading
- Goods or services are not as described or are in an unsatisfactory condition
- You are charged more than agreed for a purchase or are charged more than once
- Your card is used fraudulently
If you have been unable to obtain a refund from the supplier you can ask your card provider to do a Chargeback and take the money back from the merchant.
Banks are NOT legally obliged to process a Chargeback request, but it’s a customer service guarantee that is honoured by Visa, Maestro and American Express.
Full details of how to claim a Chargeback together with template letters are available at the following links: