Consumer complaint received 2024-04-25
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE (OR)

We, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( my maiden name was XXXX XXXX XXXX when my CFPB account was created ) and XXXX XXXX, made a vacation rental reservation on XX/XX/XXXX, with XXXX XXXX for {$1400.00} in XXXX XXXX and used our Credit Master Card Barclays to pay for this purchase. This was to be our Christmas vacation and our Honeymoon. When we arrived in XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, we contacted the rental property owner, XXXX, at ( the phone number +**-*-**-**-**-**- ) given to us by XXXX to get the keys to the rental property. 

We could not locate the property, so we pulled over and found a gentleman who could speak XXXX. We asked him to use his cell phone to call XXXX ( she doesn't speak XXXX ) to let her know we'd arrived and were ready to check-in. This was when we discovered that she did not rent out the property for XXXX and no longer has the rental available. XXXX refused to speak with us directly, only talking to the translator, leaving us stranded. 

This was not only our Christmas vacation but also our Honeymoon. We recently got married on XX/XX/XXXX. You could imagine the emotional distress we were undergoing at this time. Not only did we not have Wi-Fi service, but we could not call off the island with our cell phones because we needed international calling plans. 

The lovely gentleman who was our translator assisted us with locating other accommodations that evening, and we had to pay nearly the same amount as we had previously paid XXXX. 

This was our first time renting from XXXX ; we never intended to cancel our stay at the property since it was our vacation/honeymoon. We contacted our credit card company, Barclays Card, the same evening on XX/XX/XXXX ; we had to go to a random hotel to borrow their hotel phone and call out to inform Barclays Card of our incident. We asked Barclays Card to refund ( credit ) our transaction amount of {$1400.00} since we did not get the rental apartment we paid for. We gave Barclays Card XXXX 's phone number so they could speak to her directly regarding our incident that day. We also called Barclays Card in mid. XXXX to check in on the status of our transaction dispute and gave Barclays Card the property owner 's name and phone number again so they may contact her. 

Anytime Barclays Card called us, if we missed the call, XXXX XXXX ( wife ) would call back and always speak with a different agent. We were told everything was under control and would get resolved. We received a missed call on XX/XX/XXXX, regarding our dispute when XXXX XXXX ( wife ) called back, spoke to a different agent, and was told we would receive a decision. 

Although we appreciated the temporary credit from Barclays Card on XX/XX/XXXX, while they're still investigating, they issued their final decision to charge us back {$1400.00} plus interest and service charges on or after XX/XX/XXXX, which we felt was unacceptable. 

We received the dispute packet from Barclays Card on XX/XX/XXXX, along with their letter to us dated XX/XX/XXXX ; in the packet, there was no tangible proof of communication between Barclays Card and the rental property owner or between XXXX and the rental property owner, XXXX, as part of their investigation or of their findings. 

XXXX, on the other hand, sent a dispute to Barclays Card, which consisted of our rental confirmation ( XXXX  XXXX ) and ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX ) claiming we canceled the services, which is untrue ; the unreadable screen of cancelation and cancelation rules claimed the apartment was available to us the entire time and that we canceled on them without filling out proper documentation promptly. This is a blatant lie ; we didn't contact XXXX because we were stranded in XXXX XXXX, in the middle of nowhere, looking for our rental apartment. Since we did not intend to cancel, we didn't need to fill out any cancelation documents. So, the cancellation screen from XXXX on our account was left blank. It was our first time doing business with XXXX ; we never expected a horrible experience like this! We are both seniors ; we're in our early XXXX, law-abiding senior citizens, and we're not in the business of scamming financial institutions or vacation rental businesses. We believe we're being accused of something that we did not do, which is unacceptable and is causing us extreme emotional distress. If anything, we think we're victims of a possible scam of XXXX and the rental property owner in XXXX XXXX. This is the first time we've done business with XXXX. Someone has our money, and we never received the rental apartment we had paid for. We also feel Barclays Card took XXXX 's side, and this is why they did not credit us back the money we spent on the vacation rental that we didn't get. 

Since our case is not settled, we continue to suffer from daily emotional distress. We strongly believe XXXX and Barclays Card owe us a complete refund of {$1400.00} with interest and service charges reversed because XXXX did not have a proper agreement with the rental property owner, XXXX. XXXX of them was dishonest, and we suffered the consequences. 

According to Barclays ' letter regarding our dispute ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ), we did not receive the packet until XX/XX/XXXX. The letter said we can further pursue our claim by providing our response with any additional information within XXXX days from this letter, dated XX/XX/XXXX. Remember that we did not receive the packet until XX/XX/XXXX, so I understood that XXXX days from XX/XX/XXXX, should have been XX/XX/XXXX, according to my calendar. 

My husband and I sent a reply packet via XXXX mail on XX/XX/XXXX. I tracked my certified mail packet to Barclays card and saw they received our packet on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I have not heard back from Barclays Card after they received our dispute reply packet, so I decided to call Barclays Card today, Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX. The customer service agent from the Barclays Card Dispute department was insulting when I asked him the status of my dispute ; instead of answering, he scolded me for taking too long to send back my reply dispute. I was in shock that he had treated a long-time customer so unprofessionally. I explained to him that although they dated their letter to me as XX/XX/XXXX, their packet didn't arrive until XXXX days later, XX/XX/XXXX. So I counted XXXX days from XX/XX/XXXX to send my reply, which I sent on XX/XX/XXXX, which was XXXX days. I also told the agent I sent it via XXXX mail ; I have no control over how fast the mail travels to the Barclays Card address. 

The agent continued to berate me over how long I responded to them. I was frustrated and told him I couldn't believe he was scolding me and that I was a valuable customer of Barclays Card. I told him I just wanted closure on my dispute, so did they decide to close my case already? He admitted that Barclays chose to close my dispute case and that they would mail me a letter. 

I was distraught and disappointed with how Barclays Card treated me. If I didn't call them today, were they still planning on sending me a letter to inform me that they closed my dispute case and I'm out of luck on getting my money back?