Consumer complaint received 2023-10-20
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: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA (MD)

This complaint is related to my account associated with my Apple Credit Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Since XX/XX/XXXX I am trying to resolve an unrecognized fraudulent transaction on my Apple Credit Card. Here is the very short summary of the current state : On XX/XX/XXXX my card was charged {$730.00} by XXXX * XXXX and I immediately ( within 1 minute ) disputed the charge. Since then, several investigations into the dispute have been opened with fraudulent evidence submitted by the merchant and in the last iteration evidence from my side that clearly proof that the charges are unwarranted. However, Goldman Sachs insists that the evidence from the merchant is sufficient, and the charges are correct. Therefore, I am reaching out to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, hoping to resolve this for once and remove these fraudulent charges. I am feeling severely mistreated by Goldman Sachs and the psychological and emotional distress this process has enforced on me, as a XXXX  XXXX speaker and XXXX  in the XXXX is immense. Please find a detailed description of the events below : On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  I received a message informing me about a {$730.00} charge with the description WF * XXXX in my Apple Wallet. At the same time, I received an email with a FedEx notification and tracking ID XXXX about a package being shipped to my address. At this point this was the only reference number about the order I did not make. I immediately ( XXXX XXXX  ) contacted the Apple Card support team to report this unrecognized transaction. I informed the Apple Card specialist that I have never done business with XXXX before or on that day and that no one had access to my device to make the purchase at XXXX. At the time of transaction my phone and card were in my pants pocket, and I had never used the card outside of the Apple pay app. Additionally, I told the Apple Card specialist that I had already contacted the merchant ( see next paragraph ). As a next step, the transaction was marked as fraudulent, my Apple Credit Card was cancelled, and the card number was replaced. Further, I enrolled in XXXX XXXX protection. Finally the Apple Card specialist told me : I have completed the disputes for you. Since your transaction is pending and hasn't cleared yet, we'll watch if it clears. If the transaction clears in the next two weeks, we'll initiate a dispute and a temporary credit will be applied to your account. If the transaction doesn't clear, it won't show up in your transactions or balance anymore. However, on XX/XX/XXXX I received an email from Apple Card Support that the dispute was opened and that they would contact the merchant for further information as the charge went through. I was informed that no additional information is required from me at the time. 

At the same time, I tried to contact XXXX about the order. For this I created an account ( this is required for the customer chat and also to make any order ) and contacted the customer chat. I was told that the reference number ( ID XXXX ) is not from XXXX, that they could not do anything about it, and that I should contact my bank. As an additional step, I contacted XXXX to cancel the package and block the delivery, however, they told me that this was impossible. 

On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  I received a XXXX  envelope ( see picture with reference number and pen for scale ) with the order I did not make. I did not sign anything to confirm the delivery. However, as I did not have any order number or contact, I was unable to send it back to XXXX or the merchant indicated on the package. So, I stored the envelope in my apartment and waited for the evidence or information from the merchant in the dispute. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received an email that the merchant had responded and that an Apple Card Specialist would review the information. And on XX/XX/XXXX I was informed that the transaction dispute investigation was completed and that the merchant charges remain on my account as The merchant provided sufficient evidence that you made the purchase. I contacted Apple Card Support to ask for the information gathered to make this decision. I received those via mail on XX/XX/XXXX. This information included the proof of delivery ( photo of the envelope done by the XXXX employee ), an email from XXXX, and an invoice from XXXX. The email from XXXX says : We do not agree with the dispute. This is not a fraud order, the amount charged to the customer is valid. All items have been delivered to the customer. The customer has not contacted us to report any fraudulent charges. As an online store, XXXX does not have physical contact with their customers, and is therefore unable to provide you with a copy of the receipt signed by them. We expect that we will not be charged back any portion of the XXXX XXXX. The problem with that is that I had contacted XXXX about the order and was told that there is no order with the reference number I had during the time of the charges ( XXXX ). On the invoice, however, is another XXXX XXXX ID XXXX and therefore they were unable to find it, claiming that I had not contacted them to report the order as fraud. The order product was described as a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Chair and XXXX ( XXXX ). Now obviously the envelope I received is not a chair or XXXX  but just two face masks. The invoice says that I have a 30 day return window which had already passed when I received this copy of the invoice. The invoice also does not show my phone number or email address. This might also be the reason for not receiving an invoice in the first place as I do not have an account at XXXX ( which is a prerequisite to order ), and they do not have my email address. Therefore, it is unclear how they could claim that I made the order. On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted Apple Support to reopen the dispute. I told them : First, I did not order the item. Second, I did not receive the item. Third, I dont have an account at the merchant. Fourth, the merchant never send me a receipt for the order that I have not made. I assume because they dont have my email address or phone number ( as visible in the invoice ). I was told : If we need any additional information from you, this will be requested via email.. Therefore, I did not submit any additional evidence at this time and waited for the outcome of the investigations. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I was informed that the transaction dispute investigation was completed and that the merchant charges remain on my account as We further investigated the dispute and reviewed any additional information that may have been provided. Based on our review, the original decision remain because there is no evidence to substantiate the claim. At this point, I had not been asked to provide any additional information or evidence. Once again, I reopened the dispute and asked how to submit my own evidence. I described to the Apple Card Specialist, that I had contacted XXXX with the reference number provided from XXXX and was told that this is not from XXXX. I submitted a series of photos ( see attachment ) with the envelope ( matching Tracking number as in the evidence submitted by XXXX ) with a pen as scale as well as the content of it. I described that this clearly did not contain a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Chair and XXXX ( XXXX ). I also emphasized that I do not have an account at XXXX, never ordered the item, and obviously never received the claimed item. I also said that I never received an invoice and was therefore unable to complain to XXXX about the fraudulent order or send it back within the XXXX policy. In addition to that I emphasized that the phone number on the envelope was incorrect and that their receipt did not show my email address or phone number. If I had actually ordered the item they should have a record of my email address and correct phone number in their system ( which they obviously do not have as I do not have an account or made the order ). I concluded : I expect a full back charge to my card as XXXX ) I did not order this item, XXXX ) did not receive this item, XXXX ) did not receive a receipt to make use of the XXXX return policy, and XXXX ) this is obviously a fraudulent order. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I was informed that the transaction dispute investigation was completed and that the merchant charges remain on my account as We further investigated the dispute and reviewed any additional information that XXXX have been provided. Based on our review, the original decision remain because there is no evidence to substantiate the claim. I contacted Apple Support to inquire about whether my evidence had been considered during the process and they said : Any evidence that you've submitted would be looked over while the case was opened. 

It is unclear to me how these obviously fraudulent charges can remain on my credit card. I hope that the issue will be resolved now that I have contacted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It seems to me that the investigations are not conducted in a fair way, and it is unclear how a financial product that is claimed to be secured with face ID and only existent in my Apple Wallet can be used for fraudulent activities that easily. I am shocked about the ignorance of the evidence I submitted and the clear violation of my customer rights. Looking at the CFPB reports this seems to be a common problem with the Apple Card which makes it even more outrageous.