Consumer complaint received 2021-08-12
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: NC
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:
On XX/XX/2021, I ordered 2 {$100.00} MasterCard gift cards through Staples Direct with my Barclays CC. I had ordered the cards to be physically shipped to a XXXX storefront at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, NC so that I could go pick them up. I was provided the tracking information through USPS, but the tracking stopped at a XXXX plant without ever being updated -- it never made it to the store. 

I contacted XXXX support and on XX/XX/XXXX they responded by email apologizing for the delay. At some point in either XXXX or XXXX, I spoke to them by phone and was told they, XXXX, would reissue 2 more cards to replace the ones that never arrived with the same deal in place -- the cards would be shipped to the same store for me to pick up. However, this time I never received tracking information and was told I'd be informed when the cards arrived. After a month of waiting, on XX/XX/XXXX I physically went to the XXXX XXXX store to check to see if the cards had arrived. I went at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and spent 30 minutes waiting while they checked various spots where the cards should have been, but was told they were not there. I then emailed XXXX support again on the same day, XX/XX/XXXX, stating I still hadn't received the cards. A response was given on XX/XX/XXXX saying the cards would not be reissued a 3rd time and that XXXX would begin working with the vendor to refund the order. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, after having contacted them again about not having been updated on the status of my refund, I received another email stating they're still working on the case -- that a resolution is hoped to be had in the next 24-48 hours. Within the next 2 days, I received a phone call and voice mail from a XXXX representative informing me that the gift cards had both been fully redeemed -- so, fraudulently -- and that I would need to dispute the transaction directly with my CC company. In this case, that was Barclays.

I disputed the transaction with Barclays on XX/XX/XXXX citing and describing the above process as well I could stating 'Non Receipt of Merchandise '. Barclays allegedly began an investigation and rendered a verdict that according to the merchant 's response ( They referred to XXXX, not XXXX, as the merchant in this scenario ), that " the services were rendered and the gift cards were redeemed using your name, XXXX XXXX. '' This is highly problematic because the dispute in question is with XXXX XXXX, not XXXX. XXXX is only a vendor affiliated with Staples -- as such, XXXX has no responsibility nor input on the reception and distribution of merchandise to me, the individual, in this scenario because XXXX assumed responsibility to receive and then give the merchandise to me, the customer. Because XXXX is the merchant, and not XXXX, the claim that " the merchant rendered the services and the gift cards were redeemed using your name '' is false because XXXX is not the merchant charged with providing the merchandise. No evidence from XXXX has been provided showing that I received the merchandise, so any use of those cards is fraudulent since I, the recipient, could not have used nor authorized the use of those funds.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation