As a cardholder, you’ve probably heard horror stories about people being crippled by financial crime. If you find out that your bank account is under investigation, it’s normal to wonder if the worst has happened. In most cases, though, the investigation is likely fueled by debt or suspected illicit activity.
The number of charges disputes by cardholders have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. Data shows an increase in consumer disputes involving canceled flights, concert tickets, and other nonrefundable activities.
If a bank sides with you in a dispute, they will remove the charge from your statement. However, the seller may fight back if your claim is invalid.
Chargebacks were first introduced in the 1970s as a consumer protection mechanism. They defend cardholders against untrustworthy merchants and criminal fraud. However, due to evolving technology, the chargeback system has become largely outdated.
If you find yourself the victim of identity theft, you have options available to help prevent fraudsters from doing further damage. One of these options is called a fraud alert.
Imagine that you order a new pair of shoes online using your Mastercard. When they arrive, though, you realize that you received the wrong brand and size. In this frustrating scenario, your first response should be to contact the merchant directly and try to return the item in question.
Let’s say you purchased an awesome shirt online. It’s comfortable, it looks great…but when you try it on, you find a big tear in the seam. What do you do?
Let’s assume that you make a purchase online. You put the goods in your cart, enter your shipping and billing information, hit checkout, get your confirmation email…everything seems good. But then, weeks—and eventually months—go by, and the goods you ordered never arrived.
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, to say the least. But, as this year draws to a close, and we begin to see an end in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s finally time to begin looking toward the future.
With the shadow of COVID-19 looming over the 2020 holiday season, millions of consumers are going to be doing a majority—or all—of their shopping online this year. For some, this could be the first year you’ve done any business online.
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