Consumer complaint received 2022-05-16
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: MD
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, I made a purchase in the amount of {$160.00} using my Barclay credit card ending in XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I returned a total of {$140.00} of that purchase ; however, the merchant failed to issue a credit back to the source payment. In XX/XX/XXXX, I initiated a proper billing dispute with Barclay, which was assigned Case ID : XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received correspondence from Barclay dated XX/XX/XXXX. In that correspondence, it stated that Barclay was unable to continue pursuing the claim with the merchant because Barclay was unable to contact me on XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX. Barclay further stated that if I disagreed with the merchants response and would like to reassert the claim, that I should send a signed and dated letter and provide a copy of the invoice/contract. 

By letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, I acknowledge receipt of Barclay 's correspondence and requested that the dispute be reopened. Specifically, I noted that a copy of the invoice/sales draft was uploaded to the billing dispute portal at the time the dispute was opened. I also enclosed a copy of the original invoice/sales draft with the XX/XX/XXXX correspondence. Attached is a copy of this correspondence. 

I then explained in that correspondence that " The merchant agree in its response that the items that were purchased on the card ending in XXXX were returned but the merchant incorrectly states that it issued a refund. '' I pointed out that " The original purchase was for {$160.00} and a total of {$140.00} was returned. There has been no refund received from this merchant that has been applied to the card ending in XXXX for the return. '' Further, it was noted that " The original purchase was not made on a card ending in XXXX. Rather, the original purchase was made with the card that ends in XXXX, and that is where any refund should have been applied. '' At bottom, the merchant never issued a credit back to the source payment, which was the Barclay card ending in XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, more than 90-days after the dispute was initially opened in XX/XX/XXXX, a phone number ( XXXX ) XXXX appeared on my caller ID that purportedly belong to Barclay 's XXXX dispute. There were no messages left by the caller from that number. I attempted to call the number back but received a recording that it was used only for outbound calling and could not accept incoming calls. I then spoke with customer service and was advised that the dispute was closed because the caller from Barclay 's back-office, who never left a message, could not reach me, and that I would have to write again to have the case reopened. 

The manner in which Barclay handles billing disputes appears to violate the Fair Credit Billing Act, which requires that " Within the 90 days, the credit issuer must either remedy the situation or send a letter to the consumer explaining why there was no error. '' This billing dispute was initiated in XX/XX/XXXX, more than 150 days ago, and Barclay has not remedied the situation. As such, I reserve the right to initiate a civil lawsuit against the Bank for its billing dispute practices. 

In addition, a merchant is required to issue a credit back to the source payment, and Barclay has been laxed in allowing merchants to benefit from this improper billing method, and that may also form a basis for an appropriate action against the Bank. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX AM, before drafting and filing this complaint, I attempted unsuccessful to reach Barclay 's executive office on XXXX ; however, I was unable to reach anyone. This, of course, will be the last complaint submitted to CFPB in an attempt to resolve a billing dispute with Barclay- the next avenue will be to initiate litigation and pursue a claim and seek damages in an appropriate federal court for violation of the Fair Credit Billing Act.

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