Consumer complaint received 2026-04-07 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: Sparrow Financial, Inc.
State: WV

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding a credit card dispute that was improperly handled by the issuer, resulting in ongoing inaccurate credit reporting and financial harm. On or about XX/XX/year>, I purchased a smartwatch for approximately {$230.00} {$250.00} from an online merchant ( XXXX XXXX ). The item was delivered around early XX/XX/year>. Shortly after receiving the product, I determined it was not functioning as expected and did not meet the advertised or expected features, specifically regarding health monitoring capabilities. On XXXX XXXX XXXX, I contacted the merchant to initiate a return. The merchant agreed to a return but imposed several conditions that made the return unreasonable, including requiring me to ship the product internationally to XXXX at my own expense, pay potential customs duties, and accept the possibility of a 30 % restocking fee depending on their internal inspection. More concerning, the merchant explicitly instructed me in writing to declare the value of the returned item as approximately {$20.00} when shipping it back. I understood this to be a request to falsify a customs declaration, which I refused to do. Due to these circumstances, I disputed the charge with my credit card issuer as not as described and due to unfair and unreasonable return conditions. Despite providing documentation, including the merchants written request to undervalue the item, the credit card issuer denied the dispute and sided with the merchant. Since that time, I have attempted to resolve the matter multiple times. I disputed the account with credit reporting agencies, but the creditor has continued to update the account with increasing balances, including additional fees and charges, even while the dispute remains unresolved. Over the past approximately six months, the reported balance has changed multiple times and increased beyond the original disputed amount. This has negatively impacted my credit and appears to reflect inaccurate or inconsistent reporting. Actions I have taken : - Contacted the merchant and attempted to return the item in good faith - Refused to comply with a request to falsify customs documentation - Filed a dispute with the credit card issuer - Submitted disputes with credit reporting agencies multiple times - Paid up to the amount I believed was legitimately owed, excluding the disputed portion Concerns : - The credit card issuer failed to conduct a reasonable investigation of the dispute - The issuer disregarded documented evidence of questionable and potentially unlawful merchant conduct - The creditor is reporting inconsistent and increasing balances to credit bureaus - The ongoing reporting appears inaccurate and damaging Requested resolution : - A proper reinvestigation of the dispute, including review of all submitted evidence - Correction or removal of inaccurate credit reporting related to this account - Removal of fees and charges associated with the disputed transaction - Confirmation of the accurate balance, if any, owed I am seeking a fair resolution and correction of my credit file, as well as accountability for the handling of this dispute.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation