Consumer complaint received 2021-07-25
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: SD
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, two charges were posted to our XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX by XXXX XXXX for the XX/XX/XXXX purchase of a XXXX XXXX XXXX. One charge was for {$49.00} and the second for {$59.00}. The {$49.00} charge was made in error and, when notified, XXXX reversed that charge and the credit was posted to our account on XX/XX/XXXX. 

The product never arrived ( and still hasnt ). We were frequently unable to contact XXXX or, if we could, the replies were evasive. As a result, we disputed the {$59.00} charge in XXXX using the online procedure at Barclays credit card website ( https : //www.barclaycardus.com ). Barclays acknowledged receipt of your {$59.00} dispute by letter dated XX/XX/XXXX. It was assigned Case Number XXXX and a provisional credit of {$59.00} posted to our account on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, we received a letter from Barclays dated XX/XX/XXXX the deadline imposed by 15 U.S.C. 1666 ( a ) regarding Case Number XXXX for a billing dispute for the {$49.00} charge by XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. It said {$49.00} was being charged back to our account [ b ] ecause you received two credits for one disputed transaction. Our XXXX credit card statement shows a {$49.00} charge labeled " Rebill - XXXX XXXX '' posted to our account on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Barclays made this charge without any factual or legal basis. Its statement that we received two credits for one disputed transaction is false.

As Barclays acknowledged in its XX/XX/XXXX letter, the only disputed transaction was the {$59.00} charge, for which Barclays issued one credit of {$59.00}. The merchant reversing an erroneous {$49.00} charge is unrelated to the dispute over the {$59.00} charge. Barclays NEVER issued a credit for {$49.00}. Therefore, as Barclays own records would reflect, it had no reason to rebill us for a transaction the merchant admitted was erroneous.

After receiving this letter, I spent more than 40 minutes on the telephone with Barclays dispute resolution explaining this situation. I was told nothing could be done unless I filed a new dispute because there wasn't a case number for the {$49.00} reversal and XXXX was closed. This is despite the fact the chargeback came under the XXXX case number. Moreover, the Barclays website does not allow us to file a dispute over this online. ( I faxed a dispute letter and supporting evidence to Barclays late on XX/XX/XXXX. ) To further make this a Kafkaesque situation, I asked the dispute resolution representative to speak to a supervisor. I was informed I couldn't because " COVID-19 protocols '' prohibited the representative from handing the phone to someone else. When I asked that a supervisor call me, I was told that would take 7-10 days. Does Barclays really use handheld phones that leave their representatives unable to transfer calls to another phone or extension? Does it really take a Barclays dispute resolution supervisor a minimum of a week to find a phone?

Barclays unfounded, unilateral action essentially reduces the {$59.00} credit to which we are entitled to {$10.00}. Its forcing us to pay XXXX a total of {$99.00} for a nonexistent {$59.00} product. Barclays is now in violation of 15 U.S.C. 1666. Its actions and refusal to deal with us in good faith should be sanctioned. Moreover, Barclays investigation and dispute resolution procedures should be examined as they appear nonfunctional and incompetent.

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 monetary relief