Consumer complaint received 2022-02-04
Company: ALLIANT CREDIT UNION
State: TN
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/XXXX, a charge was posted to my credit card for a washer/dryer combo set ordered directly from XXXX 's website. On XX/XX/XXXX, a delivery was made but the incorrect product was received. I contacted XXXX, and was told to accept the delivery and that they would locate my product and swap them out. But the next day, I was informed that XXXX has no such program in place and would be unable to send us the product that we had ordered. They refused to send it to us, and said we would have to purchase it again to receive it. The retail price had increased, since we had purchased it at a promotional price. To get a refund, I would have to send back the wrong product ( which is fine ) but according to their return policy I would need to pay a restocking fee since the product was not defective or damaged. In the end, I would be paying hundreds of dollars to make up for XXXX 's shipment mistake, just to be able to receive the product I had ordered and paid for but was not given. 

And so, on XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a dispute with my credit card company, Alliant Credit Union. Having communicated with them several times and providing them with information and documentation, I was ensured that the process would be smooth ( even though it would take some time ). However, I received notice that my dispute was suddenly closed. on XX/XX/XXXX, and that I needed to call the Risk Management chargeback team directly. I communicated with them again and provided more information and was assured that they would re-open my dispute and to call back on XX/XX/XXXX to check and make sure that it was processed. This was to ensure that I would not be responsible for paying the disputed amount on my next credit card statement, since the dispute had been closed incorrectly. 

The dispute was closed because the merchant, XXXX, fraudulently claimed that they had provided me with the means to return the product and that they were waiting for the product to arrive before fixing the issue. XXXX has not been in contact with me since the dispute, except to offer a warranty for the washer. They did not send an offer of warranty for the dryer, or anything pertaining to the dryer. 

When I contacted the chargeback team on XX/XX/XXXX I was informed that they would not be re-opening my dispute despite the assurances that were made. They have no documentation showing that XXXX has done what they claim, and yet have decided on their own not to move forward with my dispute even though I purchased a product and did not receive it. This decision is unfair and harmful to my family and I. We used the credit card with Alliant with the understanding that we would be protected in such a situation, and have not been protected in the slightest. Alliant has chosen to protect the merchant rather than the consumer in this situation, while offering false assurances and information each step of the way. They accused me instead of helping me, stating that I was trying to keep the incorrect product and receive the original product as well. All I have tried to do is ensure that I receive the dryer I originally purchased, at the price I have already paid for it. A chargeback was the only option left to me that did not wrongfully cost me hundreds of extra dollars just to receive what I have already purchased, but Alliant has ensured that even this step has fallen short and that I will not receive a refund, the dryer, or anything except months of frustration and sunk costs. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was further informed that I should contact the Member Services of Alliant and that they would be able to help mediate between myself and XXXX, hopefully bringing a resolution that the chargeback team was unwilling to continue pursuing. However, Member Services made it clear that this was incorrect, and that they have no means of helping me and so I needed to go back to the chargeback team once again. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, a charge was posted to my credit card for a washer/dryer combo set ordered directly from XXXX 's website. On XX/XX/XXXX, a delivery was made but the incorrect product was received. I contacted XXXX, and was told to accept the delivery and that they would locate my product and swap them out. But the next day, I was informed that XXXX has no such program in place and would be unable to send us the product that we had ordered. They refused to send it to us, and said we would have to purchase it again to receive it. The retail price had increased, since we had purchased it at a promotional price. To get a refund, I would have to send back the wrong product ( which is fine ) but according to their return policy I would need to pay a restocking fee since the product was not defective or damaged. In the end, I would be paying hundreds of dollars to make up for XXXX 's shipment mistake, just to be able to receive the product I had ordered and paid for but was not given. 

And so, on XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a dispute with my credit card company, Alliant Credit Union. Having communicated with them several times and providing them with information and documentation, I was ensured that the process would be smooth ( even though it would take some time ). However, I received notice that my dispute was suddenly closed. on XX/XX/XXXX, and that I needed to call the Risk Management chargeback team directly. I communicated with them again and provided more information and was assured that they would re-open my dispute and to call back on XX/XX/XXXX to check and make sure that it was processed. This was to ensure that I would not be responsible for paying the disputed amount on my next credit card statement, since the dispute had been closed incorrectly. 

The dispute was closed because the merchant, XXXX, fraudulently claimed that they had provided me with the means to return the product and that they were waiting for the product to arrive before fixing the issue. XXXX has not been in contact with me since the dispute, except to offer a warranty for the washer. They did not send an offer of warranty for the dryer, or anything pertaining to the dryer. 

When I contacted the chargeback team on XX/XX/XXXX I was informed that they would not be re-opening my dispute despite the assurances that were made. They have no documentation showing that XXXX has done what they claim, and yet have decided on their own not to move forward with my dispute even though I purchased a product and did not receive it. This decision is unfair and harmful to my family and I. We used the credit card with Alliant with the understanding that we would be protected in such a situation, and have not been protected in the slightest. Alliant has chosen to protect the merchant rather than the consumer in this situation, while offering false assurances and information each step of the way. They accused me instead of helping me, stating that I was trying to keep the incorrect product and receive the original product as well. All I have tried to do is ensure that I receive the dryer I originally purchased, at the price I have already paid for it. A chargeback was the only option left to me that did not wrongfully cost me hundreds of extra dollars just to receive what I have already purchased, but Alliant has ensured that even this step has fallen short and that I will not receive a refund, the dryer, or anything except months of frustration and sunk costs. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was further informed that I should contact the Member Services of Alliant and that they would be able to help mediate between myself and XXXX, hopefully bringing a resolution that the chargeback team was unwilling to continue pursuing. However, Member Services made it clear that this was incorrect, and that they have no means of helping me and so I needed to go back to the chargeback team once again. 

Upon speaking to the chargeback team again, I was told they would not be helping me any further and that I would need to contact XXXX and handle it with them even though XXXX had already refused to replace the incorrect product. I would be subject to whatever fees and stipulations XXXX decides to charge me, if the product was allowed to be returned at all. Although the chargeback team originally stated that they would re-open the dispute if I returned the product, I asked for clarification and was informed that there was actually nothing else they would be able to do. In that sense, they were taking the side of the merchant by offering me protection that they had no intent of following through on, and using that offer of protection to get me to pay hundreds of dollars in fees and added cost thinking that I would be covered when I would, by their own admission, be left to handle it and pay for it all on my own.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation