Consumer complaint received 2025-09-23 00:00:00
Product: Credit 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: NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
State: DC

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, XXXX charges totaling about {$1600.00} were posted to my XXXX XXXX credit card while traveling abroad. The charges were : * {$180.00} * {$1200.00} * {$180.00} The only purchase I explicitly authorized was XXXX small drink ( about {$10.00}, accounting for exchange rate ). I did not authorize the additional high-value charges. While I briefly stepped away, my card used for the small drink was charged several times for amounts I did not approve. When I returned, I immediately protested and stated I did not authorize them ; nevertheless, the charges posted. I did not order or consume those items. 

To be clear : ~ {$10.00} was the only authorized expense. The remaining ~ {$1600.00} across the XXXX transactions were entirely unauthorized. These are not overcharges of what I ordered they are separate, unauthorized transactions. 

The next morning, on XX/XX/XXXX, I filed an official police report abroad documenting these as fraudulent, unauthorized charges. On XX/XX/XXXX, the same day the transactions posted, I disputed them with XXXX XXXX. This demonstrates that I reported the charges promptly and within the timeliness requirement of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX policy. XXXX XXXX own website states : The XXXX XXXX policy is our commitment to get your money back for unauthorized transactions reported in a timely manner. 

I provided XXXX XXXX with : * The police report ( with English translation ) * Screenshots showing other customers reporting similar incidents at this business * Documentation of my repeated attempts to contact the business Despite this, XXXX XXXX closed my dispute, classifying the transactions as services rendered in person and stating they would only act if the merchant issued a refund or credit acknowledgment. This is erroneous. These charges were never authorized not at any time. Had they been authorized, I would not have filed a police report the next day nor disputed them immediately upon posting. 

This is not a case of buyers remorse or a billing error. If I had actually authorized the charges, there would have been no reason for me to file a police report abroad within hours and dispute the charges with my bank the very next day. 

I repeatedly asked XXXX XXXX to confirm whether the merchant or their acquiring bank submitted any response or documentation to support these charges. Each time, XXXX XXXX evaded the question and repeated the same generic statement requesting a " credit acknowledgment. '' At no point did they show that any merchant evidence existed. Under Visas rules, when a merchant fails to provide compelling evidence, the issuer must resolve the case in the cardholders favor. XXXX itself states : Visas XXXX XXXX XXXX guarantees you wont be held responsible for unauthorized transactions if you report them promptly. 

XXXX XXXX failed to act under either of the XXXX protections available to me : * XXXX XXXX 's XXXX Liability Policy They refused to treat the charges as unauthorized, despite my timely report, police documentation, and clear evidence. 

* Visa Dispute Process They did not even pursue the chargeback, instead closing the case internally before XXXX could review it. 

By misclassifying unauthorized transactions as services rendered, XXXX XXXX denied me both their own XXXX XXXX protection and Visas chargeback protections.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation