Consumer complaint received 2026-06-25 00:00:00
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
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint on behalf of my sister, XXXX XXXX, regarding Barclays ' handling of XXXX unauthorized credit card transactions totaling {$500.00} ( {$400.00} and {$100.00} ) for XXXX XXXX gift cards on XX/XX/2026. The cardholder is a XXXX woman who did not authorize, initiate, receive, redeem, or benefit from these transactions. The transactions were reported promptly, and an identity theft report has been filed. Barclays initially issued provisional credit but later reversed its decision on XX/XX/2026 after receiving information from XXXX. Barclays subsequently denied my request for reconsideration on XX/XX/2026. We filed documentation via email, fax and discussed with a Barclays dispute agent over the phone. My concern is that Barclays appears to have treated this matter as a merchant fulfillment or refund dispute rather than an unauthorized use claim. During the dispute process, Barclays repeatedly relied on XXXXXXXX XXXX position that digital gift cards are non-refundable and that the gift cards were emailed. However, whether XXXX gift cards are refundable is irrelevant if the transactions were unauthorized. Several facts support the conclusion that these transactions were fraudulent : The cardholder did not authorize the purchases. The cardholder did not receive or use the gift cards. An identity theft report has been filed on XX/XX/2026, reference number XXXX. There were additional transactions attempted on the same date ( XX/XX/XXXX ) that were later canceled by Barclays, indicating a pattern consistent with fraudulent activity. The merchant documentation contained a XXXX value that does not match the XXXX on the cardholder 's physical card. Barclays relied on evidence of email delivery but did not provide evidence establishing that the cardholder redeemed, used, or benefited from the gift cards. In addition, Barclays shared an IP address that XXXX provided that is not where XXXX XXXX lives or visits. XXXX XXXX did not receive an email to redeem gift cards. Barclays declined to reopen the investigation despite the additional information provided. I am requesting that Barclays XXXX and conduct a thorough investigation of these transactions as unauthorized use, rather than as a dispute involving a merchant 's refund policy. I am also requesting reimbursement of the disputed charges totaling {$500.00} and a written explanation of the basis for any continued denial. Barclays is taking advantage of an elderly, uneducated widow who has never purchased gift cards, always pays her bills on time and lives a very frugal existence living only on Social Security. I believe Barclays failed to adequately investigate evidence indicating unauthorized use and identity theft and instead relied on insufficient merchant documentation to deny the claim.

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