|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Fair Credit Billing**

Have             you ever been billed for merchandise you returned or never received?             Has your credit card company ever charged you twice for the same             item or failed to credit a payment to your account? While             frustrating, these errors can be corrected. It takes a little             patience and knowledge of the dispute settlement procedures provided             by the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA).

The law applies to "open end"             credit accounts, such as credit cards, and revolving charge accounts             - such as department store accounts. It does not cover installment             contracts - loans or extensions of credit you repay on a fixed             schedule. Consumers often buy cars, furniture and major appliances             on an installment basis, and repay personal loans in installments as             well.

**What types of disputes are             covered?**

The FCBA settlement procedures             apply only to disputes about "billing errors." For example:
-  unauthorized charges. Federal               law limits your responsibility for unauthorized charges to $50;charges that list the wrong               date or amount;charges for goods and services               you didn't accept or weren't delivered as agreed;math errors;failure to post payments and               other credits, such as returns;failure to send bills to your               current address - provided the creditor receives your change of               address, in writing, at least 20 days before the billing period               ends; andcharges for which you ask for               an explanation or written proof of purchase along with a claimed               error or request for clarification.
**To take advantage of the law's             consumer protections, you must:**
-  write to the creditor at the               address given for "billing inquiries," not the address for sending               your payments, and include your name, address, account number and               a description of the billing error.send your letter so that it               reaches the creditor within 60 days after the first bill               containing the error was mailed to you.
Send your letter by certified             mail, return receipt requested, so you have proof of what the             creditor received. Include copies (not originals) of sales slips or             other documents that support your position. Keep a copy of your             dispute letter.

The creditor must acknowledge             your complaint in writing within 30 days after receiving it, unless             the problem has been resolved. The creditor must resolve the dispute             within two billing cycles (but not more than 90 days) after             receiving your letter.

Date                  Your Name                  Your Address                  Your City, State, Zip Code                  Your Account Number

Name of Creditor                  Billing Inquiries                  Address                  City, State, Zip Code

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to dispute a                   billing error in the amount of $______on my account. The                   amount is inaccurate because (describe the problem). I am                   requesting that the error be corrected, that any finance and                   other charges related to the disputed amount be credited as                   well, and that I receive an accurate statement.

Enclosed are copies of (use                   this sentence to describe any enclosed information, such as                   sales slips, payment records) supporting my position. Please                   investigate this matter and correct the billing error as soon                   as possible.

Sincerely,                  Your name                  Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)
 

**What happens while my bill is             in dispute?**

You may withhold payment on the             disputed amount (and related charges), during the investigation. You             must pay any part of the bill not in question, including finance             charges on the undisputed amount.

The creditor may not take any             legal or other action to collect the disputed amount and related             charges (including finance charges) during the investigation. While             your account cannot be closed or restricted, the disputed amount may             be applied against your credit limit.

**Will my credit rating be             affected?**

The creditor may not threaten             your credit rating or report you as delinquent while your bill is in             dispute. However, the creditor may report that you are challenging             your bill. In addition, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits             creditors from discriminating against credit applicants who exercise             their rights, in good faith, under the FCBA. Simply put, you cannot             be denied credit simply because you've disputed a bill.

**What if...**

**...the bill is incorrect?**

If your bill contains an error,             the creditor must explain to you - in writing - the corrections that             will be made to your account. In addition to crediting your account,             the creditor must remove all finance charges, late fees or other             charges related to the error.

If the creditor determines that             you owe a portion of the disputed amount, you must get a written             explanation. You may request copies of documents proving you owe the             money.

**...the bill is correct?**

If the creditor's investigation             determines the bill is correct, you must be told promptly and in             writing how much you owe and why. You may ask for copies of relevant             documents. At this point, you'll owe the disputed amount, plus any             finance charges that accumulated while the amount was in dispute.             You also may have to pay the minimum amount you missed paying             because of the dispute.

If you disagree with the results             of the investigation, you may write to the creditor, but you must             act within 10 days after receiving the explanation, and you may             indicate that you refuse to pay the disputed amount. At this point,             the creditor may begin collection procedures. However, if the             creditor reports you to a credit bureau as delinquent, the report             also must state that

you don't think you owe the             money. The creditor must tell you who gets these reports.

**...the creditor fails to             follow the procedure?**

Any creditor who fails to follow             the settlement procedure may not collect the amount in dispute, or             any related finance charges, up to $50, even if the bill turns out             to be correct. For example, if a creditor acknowledges your             complaint in 45 days - 15 days too late - or takes more than two             billing cycles to resolve a dispute, the penalty applies. The             penalty also applies if a creditor threatens to report - or             improperly reports - your failure to pay to anyone during the             dispute period.

**An important caveat**

Disputes about the quality of             goods and services are not "billing errors," so the dispute             procedure does not apply. However, if you buy unsatisfactory goods             or services with a credit or charge card, you can take the same             legal actions against the card issuer as you can take under state             law against the seller.

To take advantage of this             protection regarding the quality of goods or services, you must:
-  have made the purchase (it must               be for more than $50) in your home state or within 100 miles of               your current billing address;make a good faith effort to               resolve the dispute with the seller first.
The dollar and distance             limitations don't apply if the seller also is the card issuer - or             if a special business relationship exists between the seller and the             card issuer.

**Other billing rights**

Businesses that offer "open end"             credit also must:
-  give you a written notice when               you open a new account - and at certain other times - that               describes your right to dispute billing errors;provide a statement for each               billing period in which you owe - or they owe you - more than one               dollar;send your bill at least 14 days               before the payment is due - if you have a period within which to               pay the bill without incurring additional charges;credit all payments to your               account on the date they're received, unless no extra charges               would result if they failed to do so. Creditors are permitted to               set some reasonable rules for making payments, say setting a               reasonable deadline for payment to be received to be credited on               the same date; andpromptly credit or refund               overpayments and other amounts owed to your account. This applies               to instances where your account is owed more than one dollar. Your               account must be credited promptly with the amount owed. If you               prefer a refund, it must be sent within seven business days after               the creditor receives your written request. The creditor must also               make a good faith effort to refund a credit balance that has               remained on your account for more than six months.
**Suing the creditor**

You can sue a creditor who             violates the FCBA. If you win, you may be awarded damages, plus             twice the amount of any finance charge - as long as it's between             $100 and $1,000. The court also may order the creditor to pay your             attorney's fees and costs.

If possible, hire a lawyer who is             willing to accept the amount awarded to you by the court as the             entire fee for representing you. Some lawyers may not take your case             unless you agree to pay their fee - win or lose - or add to the             court-awarded amount if they think it's too low.

**Reporting FCBA violations**

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces             the FCBA for most creditors except banks. The FTC works for the             consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business             practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help             consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get             free information on consumer issues, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP             (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at            www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters             Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related             complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database             available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies             in the U.S. and abroad.UBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML//EN"> |