The Advantages of Credit Cards

There are many evils associated with credit cards, but there are benefits that are hard to ignore. One benefit is having the credit card company act in your behalf to recover funds from a disputed transaction. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act the credit card company has to investigate the dispute and either take the charge off your bill or explain why it is correct. Even better, you don't have to pay the portion of the credit-card bill or related interest charges while the dispute is being investigated.

The types of blling disputes/errors covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act are:

  • Charges that list the wrong date or amount.

  • Charges for goods and services you didn't accept or weren't delivered as agreed.

  • Math errors.

  • Failure to post payments and other credits, such as returns.

  • Unauthorized charges.

Before you dispute any of issues you must first contact the retailer and try to settle the dispute. If they ignore you, or the dispute is not settled then contact the credit card company. Usually you need to have your dispute in writing to the credit card company. The address for billing disputes is different then the address to send payments. The billing dispute address can be found on the back of your monthly statement. If it cannot be found, call the credit card company's customer service for the billing dispute address. You usually only have a certain number of days to dispute the billing error so make sure you mail in your dispute before the deadline.

If contacting the credit card company doesn't resolve the dispute, you may contact the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's Customer Assistance Group. Their website is http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm and phone number is 800-613-6743.

About The Author

Christine Breen is the owner of 1stop-creditcards.com a site helping consumers find a better credit card.

kokopoko2000@yahoo.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Credit Information:

Related Articles

Bad Credit? No Credit? Yeah, Its a Problem.
Many companies use the slogan "Bad Credit? No Credit? No Problem!" The truth is that it is in fact a problem and there is no easy way to correct it. It takes a lot of time and effort to obtain credit when you do not have any and even longer to fix bad credit.
What is on Your Credit Report?
Your credit report is a very important piece of the puzzle in your financial picture. It contains a historical record of your personal and financial information including a listing of your current and past debts and the timeliness of your payments.
Balance Transfers Introduction
Credit card balance transfer involves using a credit card to pay off the amount outstanding on one or more credit/store cards. The total debt then moves to one card.
3 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score by 50 Points In Less Than 30 Days
In Less Than 30 Days. "What can you do to increase that set of three numbers on your credit report that can be so important with your financing?" I came across this question as I was surfing discussion groups the other day.
Understanding the Function of Credit
What is Credit?Credit is the backbone and the engine behind the workings of the economy. Credit simply allows individuals and companies to borrow funds in good faith and pay it back over a specified time frame.
Is Your Credit Score Costing You Money?
Most of us want a good credit report to obtain automobile financing, credit cards, and to purchase a home. But, beyond these consumer loans, your credit report can cost you in everyday living expenses.
How To Prevent Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions
What Are Possible Signs of Fraudulent Transactions see at Web Hosting Companies?Customer wants to pre-pay for a yearDomain Name Registration for 5 years or moreOrders using free email address providers like Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.Usage of multiple cards to complete order.
7 Ways To Squash Identity Theft
It is the scourge of our age: identity theft. Thieves learn an important part about your personal information, such as your credit card number, and they open accounts in your name and spend, spend, spend! Unfortunately, by the time you discover that you are a victim the damage is already done.
Maximizing Credit Card Rewards
In their quest to get you to sign up for their credit card, banks and financial institutions are coming up with more and higher incentives to entice you. Frequent flyer miles gave way to gas miles which opened the door for cash rebates and reward points to be used at 'our fine member merchants'.
How Creditors Measure Your Credit Rating
Creditors will measure your credit rating based on the following three main things.CapacityCollateralCharacterThe three "C's" show creditors your:"Capacity" or income to pay the debt"Collateral" or assets to secure the obligation"Character" shows your compliance to repay the debt1.
What Should I Do If I've Become a Victim of Identity Theft?
Identity thieves take advantage of everyday opportunities to discover your personal information and use it to commit fraud or other crimes. The good news is a victim of identity theft has more options today than ever before.
Establishing Credit - What You Need To Know Part 1
Establishing credit is one of the most important things you can do in order to add stability to your financial record and dramatically increase your ability to borrow necessary funds in order to purchase a new home, new car or even pay for college expenses. Unfortunately credit has two sides to it that consumers can exploit.
Addressing Bad Credit Card Debt
Spending HabitsSo you've just got your credit card. The first thing you need to be wary about is that a credit card is very easy to use - afterall you can shop in stores, via catalogs and online with your credit card.
Credit Cards: Pros and Cons
Sure, there are a lot of problems with credit cards, but there are a lot of good things attached to them as well. For instance, if you have a small business, fleet credit cards can keep your books in order when you issue them to drivers of company vehicles for gas and automobile repairs.
Errors on Your Credit Report: What You Should Do
There are times when you may be turned down for credit and you do not understand why. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you have been denied credit because of negative items on your credit report within 60 days of the request for credit, if you are unemployed but looking for work, are on welfare, or believe that your credit report is incorrect because of fraud.
Rate Tarts Losing Ability to Cherry Pick
A "rate tart" is someone who switches from one zero per cent introductory credit card deal to another to avoid paying interest; however they may be set to become something of the past. Recently a number of the major credit card companies, including Egg, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and MBNA have introduced transfer charges for people who want to shift their outstanding credit card balances to a new card to take advantage of a zero per cent introductory rate.
Credit Repair Services vs. Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair
Millions of Americans suffer because of bad credit these days, and almost all of these people turn to the Internet for help. In the past 5 years hundreds of 'internet-based' credit repair services have sprung up, preying on consumers in need of real help.
Manage Your Credit Wisely
Getting your first credit card is a big deal and all young people look forward to it with bated breath. We wait for years to be able to apply successfully for out own credit card.
Important Things to Know About Divorce and Credit
Joint debts remain joint debts.Both spouses signed a legally binding contract with the creditor, and a divorce decree neither amends this contract nor relieves the creditor's investment in you.
Credit Card Benefits and Drawbacks
Credit cards have both benefits and drawbacks. It is wise to consider both before applying for a credit card.