Consumer complaint received 2021-12-02
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (NJ)

There is a charge of {$470.00} on my Chase XXXX Credit Card that I did not incur, dated XX/XX/XXXX. 

On that day, XX/XX/XXXX, I made a shopping trip to XXXX XXXX on XXXX  XXXX in XXXX XXXX, NJ, at which I spent {$81.00}. After paying, I erroneously left my card in the chip reader and left the store. As I was walking to my car, the cashier ran out and handed me my card, saying I had left it behind. I was embarrassed, apologized, and asked whether I should replace the card. He said No, its only been a minute. I then left. The unauthorized charge of {$470.00} was made minutes later. 

When I noted the unauthorized charge on XX/XX/XXXX, I immediately called to report it. The Chase Fraud Department representative reversed the charge. He explained to me that the card number was not cleared before the next customer was rung up and that, he said, is how I ended up with two charges on my card, one mine ( {$81.00} ) and one not ( {$470.00} ). 

The representative was upbeat, saying, I have seen this before ; in his experience, a XXXX error was the likely reason for the unauthorized charge. 

However, on XX/XX/XXXX, the charge was added back, and Chase again claimed that I was responsible for the charge of {$470.00}. They gave no specifics, writing only : You have received benefit from this transaction. I refuted this conclusion and the matter was again put under investigation. 

At this point, I referred to a feature of XXXX XXXX, which provides a timeline and map of my travel on the day of the transaction in question, XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX shows that I left the parking lot, driving in my car, at XXXX pm. ( XXXX ). This was 5 minutes after my purchase of {$81.00} and 4 minutes before the transaction for {$470.00}. I was not in the store at the time of the latter transaction ; I was driving home with the credit card in my possession. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called and spoke with Chase representative XXXX, who asked me for a police report. I filed for a report that evening ; the report was emailed to Chase Fraud Recovery on XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ). In my accompanying email, I wrote that I had used the XXXX XXXX timeline feature, and that this corroborated my statement that I was not in the store at the time of the unauthorized charge. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a call from Chase Representative XXXX, who informed me that without additional documents ( in addition to the police report ) she would deny my appeal. She indicated that I should ask for relevant security camera footage from XXXX XXXX. 

I contacted Whole Foods that same day and talked to Customer Service Representative XXXX, and the next day received a call back from her manager, XXXX, who indicated that, though they would not supply a layperson with security footage, they would supply me with a copy of my original receipt and a copy of the receipt for the customer behind you. They also said that they understood how this might have happened : If the credit card number was " still in there '' when the cashier started to ring up the next order, it would stay " in there '' until that customer 's entire order was rung up, explained XXXX. ( If the credit card number is " in there '' at the beginning of ringing up the next customers items, it will stay in there till the end ). This same explanation was provided by the first representative I contacted at Chase ( XX/XX/XXXX ), who stated this as a reason for removing the unauthorized charge. Nevertheless, I was happy to hear the explanation clearly reiterated, and asked XXXX to provide the explanation to Chase Fraud Recovery. She responded that Chase is very familiar with how XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX works and declined to put anything in writing. I picked up the receipts on Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX. 

With this new input and documentation from XXXX XXXX, I called Chase fraud recovery ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and spoke with XXXX, who seemed supportive and said he would request the case be re-opened. I will put my notes on the request, he said. I constructed a timeline document with the receipt copies, emphasizing the timestamps, and showing the XXXX XXXX documentation ; this document was emailed to Chase XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX ). In the email, I referred to the conversation with XXXX, and offered the following explanation and key to the timeline attachment : The Whole Foods receipt copies for XX/XX/XXXX are shown in the attached XXXX document, along with a copy of XXXXXXXX XXXX Timeline for my time at the store and driving home. Items shown are : ( A ) Timestamp of charge for my order of {$81.00} at XXXX pm ( Please see text box A ) ( B ) XXXX XXXX  Timeline shows that I was driving from the parking lot at XXXX pm ( Text box B ) ( C ) The route home is identified ( D ) The time arriving home at XXXX pm ( E ) Timestamp of unauthorized charge of {$470.00} at XXXX pm ( E ), 4 minutes after I left the parking lot at XXXX pm ( B ). 
The above items referencing the XXXX document show that I had left XXXX XXXX and was driving home when the unauthorized charge was made against my card. 
Please see attached documentation ( XXXX ) Chase fraud recovery acknowledged receipt of this email but never showed that they considered it. They did not accept or refute this evidence. Eventually, on XX/XX/XXXX, I phoned for a status update. Again, my claim was denied but no discussion of the evidence was offered. I asked for their reason and again was told that the transaction was conducted in the store versus virtual. They never responded in writing or in conversation to the provided evidence concerning the unauthorized transaction.