Consumer complaint received 2022-02-08
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: MA
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:
In XX/XX/2020 my husband purchased a round-trip ticket from Travel agency XXXX, with his XXXX Barclay 's ( {$640.00} ) for my mother who lives in XXXX. 

In a matter of days, the COVID19 Pandemic was upon us and we received correspondence from the travel agency, XXXX, that we can cancel our ticket for a full refund, if that's what was our wish, due to Pandemic, new restrictions, countries closing borders, etc. 

We confirmed with XXXX that we would like our money back as you can see is part of the correspondence with them below ; we've sent numerous requests to XXXX regarding our refund after that via email and via phone. Below is just part of the emails. Every time we were assured that our full refund is on its way, and it will just take " one or 2 billing cycles. " After a few attempts to get our refund and same response- we were growing weary and contacted the card issuer ( XXXX, Barclays ) to report potential fraud and dispute the charges. Barclay 's representative advised us to fax them all the correspondence and evidence we had with the Merchant ( XXXX ) and they will investigate. As a result, we received a letter a month or so later stating that Barclay 's decision was that we should try and resolve it with the Merchant and they closed our case?! After several phone conversations with Barclay 's, informing them again and again that the Merchant is not responding to our request, we paid for a service we never received, etc. it became clear that XXXX has never responded to Barclay 's inquiry either! I remember asking the representative, if the Merchant is not responding to you, what makes you think we'll have better luck now?! Then the representative said to send them ( Barclay 's ) all the paperwork and evidence AGAIN with a statement letter describing the issue so we can keep the case open and they can further investigate. Again. 
We did what we were told, and received a letter back, advising us that the dispute we opened is now closed and we should try and work it out with the Merchant .... same response as months earlier! 

I called Barclay 's again very upset, as we did everything they've asked - SEVERAL TIMES, and after a few conversations with representatives explaining how we are a victim of fraud, they regretfully informed us Barclay 's can not do anything to reverse that charge and will not refund us the amount. I pointed out that I have recently looked up XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX and it seems we are not the only ones that that Company has scammed in the same way as others, but the representative said again - nothing we can do because " the Merchant has not violated the terms. '' Which is absolutely the opposite - they took our money, did not deliver services/goods, proposed to us a full refund BUT are not issuing the refund and deliberately are promising it " within a few billing cycles ... " I believed there should have been a safeguard in situations, such as ours and filed a complaint with XXXX  against Barclays - - as a result, I received a phone call from a Barclay 's representative, explaining to me that the reason why we can not get a refund is because we were outside of the " dispute window. " This was the very first time we've ever heard about a dispute window, and I reminded the representative that they've sent us numerous written correspondence without mentioning anything about this, as well as speaking with a large number of different representatives on the phone, and again - never once mentioning a certain time frame we had to submit a claim, supposedly. And that it had, supposedly, passed... 
I asked her - why did you waste our time for over a year - going back and forth, and supposedly launched investigations, if we were not even in that " window.?! '' And potentially delaying us even more?? 
She just said she's very sorry but there's absolutely nothing XXXX can do for us... I requested to be connected with her supervisor, and she's said there is No one above her.. The person 's name is XXXX XXXX, Executive Specialist, Office of the President. 
*It is all contradictory, as Barclays was encouraging us all this time ( and several times in a written form ) to contact the Merchant and try to resolve the issue ourselves, further delaying the resolution of the issue, the Merchant was promising refund and also delaying us, and in the end - because we followed the credit card representatives recommendation to wait and work it out, now all of a sudden we are " outside of the window.. '' We've tried XXXX a few more times- to no avail, they actually stopped responding to us. And now, we are in the 2nd year of the purchase of that plane ticket, still no refund.

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