Consumer complaint received 2023-03-01
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
We charged {$650.00} with our Discover card to a new XXXX for a XXXX XXXX for my son. My son would not be able to use it as he would be away at college, as it was going to take 2 weeks or more to make. My wife called the XXXX XXXX XXXX to cancel it and credit our card, She said she would. Our card was never credited. My wife tried to call the XXXX office, but kept getting an answering machine, my wife left many messages. a few months went by, no credits. I tried to call the XXXX office myself and also received an answering machine and left several messages over about a month period. the dental office finally answered the phone and I spoke to XXXX about the credit we were suppose to receive, She told me they were short staffed and also they had been on vacation. XXXX told me she would talk to the XXXX and call me back. Never called back. I tried to call them. I waited a few more weeks thinking they were processing the credit. Nothing. Finally, I called and left a message telling them if I didn't hear from the I was going to dispute it with my credit card company. Never heard from them, so I called Discover card to dispute the {$650.00}. We did not receive any product nor did the dental office make any product. The representative took all the information from me, and told me the {$650.00} will be in dispute and to give the dentist a chance to respond to the dispute. I was told if they do not respond to the disputed amount the temporary credit will be a permeant credit of {$650.00}. 5 weeks went by and I noticed, the {$650.00} was paid to the XXXX. I called Discover card and was told they never responded to the dispute. The charge was put back on because I did not have a cancellation letter or a tracking number. Everything was verbal. Discover told me that we should try to call them and have them issue the credit. I told them, we had been trying for months, how we we ever get them to give us a credit when you sided for them and paid them. I was misrepresented and unprotected by Discover in the dispute process as I have no mouth guard and paid {$650.00} for nothing. If Discover representative would have told me they would automatically put the charge back on if they didn't respond I might have had a chance of getting a cancellation in the 5 weeks it took for the dispute, but was misrepresented the process. I spoke mgr XXXX who is at Discover dispute, who was vague and unhelpful. He told me to take other avenues., but it was final with Discover. I called Discover XXXX. We spoke to XXXX at Discover XXXX offices. He took all our information and told us he would call us back. Several days past by, and no call, so we called and spoke to XXXX who did not remember anything of the conversation, complaint or the phone call. We were surprised by his answer, that he couldn't remember anything because we talked in detail about our dispute problem.. It was like it was our first conversation, but we gave him all the details again. He had us hold for a few minutes and came back and found the file, he told he had already made his decision and it was for the merchant. I told him I was surprised and disappointed that we have no protection from Discover and I have to pay for something I did not get. I have been a cardmember for almost 30 years, and have had great customer service in the past, but any way you look at this, it is a misrepresentation and a big loss to ME, the consumer, of a {$650.00} charge that should have been reversed in my favor.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation