I Disputed a Charge with My Bank, and It Took 6 Months to Get My Money Back

Shopping online is convenient but could lead to headaches if you’re not buying from a reputable company.

Should a transaction go wrong, you can dispute the charge with your bank to try and get your money back.

Disputing bank charges sounds simple enough, but it’s not always an easy fix when you’re hoping for a refund.

How Bank Disputes Work

Bank disputes allow customers to challenge transactions they believe are either fraudulent or incorrect. The process varies by bank, but it typically goes something like this:

Step 1: You initiate a dispute with the bank, giving them details about the transaction, including the date, amount, and merchant name.

Step 2: The bank may ask for documentation or written evidence supporting your dispute claim.

Step 3: Once the bank has the information it needs, it will review the claim, which may include reaching out to the merchant for their side of the story.

Step 4: When the bank reaches a decision, it will send written notice to all parties involved.

Should the bank find an error or fraud or otherwise decide your claim is valid, the disputed amount is refunded to your checking account. This results in a chargeback to the merchant.

Truth In Lending regulations protect your right to dispute bank charges when you have a billing complaint or believe there’s an error. Some of the most common reasons for disputing bank charges include:

• Fraudulent transactions that you did not make
• Double charges, which can happen when a merchant charges you twice for the same transaction
• Incorrect charges that don’t match the amount on your receipt
• Purchases that weren’t delivered as agreed
• Purchases that were delivered as agreed but arrived damaged

You can’t dispute bank charges just because you were dissatisfied with the merchant’s customer service or got buyer’s remorse. There must be a valid reason for the bank to reverse the charge.

Bank Charge Dispute Timeline

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When Disputing a Bank Charge Goes Wrong

A bank dispute is typically a straightforward process, but resolving a claim can sometimes take longer than you anticipated. I found that out firsthand after disputing a bank charge.

How the Dispute Started

In September 2022, I purchased some albums online for my daughter from a merchant we’d never shopped with before.

The website looked legit, so I paid for the items using my debit card and waited for a shipping notification.

A month passed, and I still hadn’t heard anything about a possible ship date, so I emailed the merchant using the address listed on the website for an update.

The only response I received was a generic message stating that they had a backlog of orders to work through.

Fair enough, but another two weeks went by, and I tried emailing again, this time to cancel the order and request a refund.

I got the same autoreply message. I found their Facebook business page and sent them a message asking when the items would ship, but I got no reply.

I called the number listed on their website, but no one answered.

At this point, I began to worry that the company was fake because I couldn’t get a response or update.

I tried emailing them one last time to request a refund, then decided to ask my bank what I should do.

The bank suggested disputing the charge since I’d paid for the items but hadn’t received them, and nearly two months had passed. I started the dispute, and within a day, I finally heard from the merchant.

What Happened Next

Rather than starting their email by apologizing for the shipping delay, the merchant threatened to sue me to recover the chargeback fee my bank had charged them as part of the dispute.

I responded immediately by pointing out that I’d tried to contact them numerous times to verify that they would be shipping the items.

I also told them it was absurd to threaten me with a $35 fee when they took $150 from my bank account for items that never materialized.

My next move was to ask for a refund again and offer to withdraw the dispute claim.

The merchant then informed me that, miraculously, the items would be shipped that very day, so no refund would be forthcoming. By the way, I needed to tell my bank to cancel the dispute.

I contacted the bank again and sent them a copy of the email exchange. The bank advised me not to drop the dispute.

They refunded the total purchase amount to me, then reversed it without explaining why. Then they credited my account $6, not the $150 I’d spent, and said to wait and see if the items were shipped to me.

How the Dispute Ended

In November, a package arrived from the merchant. On the advice of my bank, I didn’t open it. Instead, I marked it return to sender and shipped it back with tracking so I could make sure it was delivered.

At this point, my dispute is still open. A few days later, I contacted my bank to let them know the merchant received the package.

I contacted the merchant again to see if they would refund my money since I returned the package. I was told there would be no refund since a dispute case was open.

So, I called my bank once again to ask them whether I should withdraw the dispute. They said to let them resolve the case, which could take up to 180 days from when I opened the claim.

Fast forward to March. Since filing the dispute claim, I’ve officially hit the 180-day mark and still haven’t gotten my money back.

I called the bank again, only to learn they’d essentially forgotten all about the claim.

It was still open, but it had fallen off their radar. They apologized, and the purchase amount (less than the $6 they’d already given me) was credited to my account the next day.

What I Learned From Disputing a Bank Charge

I had two main takeaways from my experience in disputing a bank charge.

• Know who you’re dealing with when shopping online.
• Follow up!

If I’d done more research on the merchant, I likely could have avoided the whole scenario since I probably wouldn’t have shopped with them anyway.

Now, I’m cautious about buying things from stores or sellers without first checking their reviews and ratings online to make sure they’re legit.

Aside from that, I’ve learned that the squeaky wheel really does get the grease. If I hadn’t followed up with the bank to check on the dispute’s status, I might never have gotten my money back.

Tips for Disputing Bank Charges

There are situations where you might need to dispute a charge to your bank account. The main reasons for disputing a bank account charge are usually fraud or errors.

Hopefully, you will never have to dispute a bank charge, but if you do, these tips can help you navigate the process as smoothly as possible.

Reach Out to the Merchant First

Assuming the merchant is legitimate, getting your money back may be as simple as asking for a refund. If you purchased items, you may need to return them first before a refund is issued.

Organize Your Information

By providing as much information as possible about the transaction, you can make the bank’s job of resolving a dispute easier.

That includes the date and amount of the transaction, the merchant’s name, and what the transaction was for. If you have any supporting documentation, such as emails or receipts, those can also help strengthen your claim.

Don’t Wait to Dispute a Claim

Your bank may require you to file a dispute within 60 days of the transaction. Waiting too long could cause you to miss this window.

Know the Bank’s Dispute Policy

My bank allowed 180 days to resolve disputes, but I never expected it to take that long. When you initiate the dispute, be sure to ask the bank when they expect to have a resolution.

Stay in Touch

The fraud department at your bank might be juggling hundreds of claims or have a limited staff, which could slow down the resolution of your claim.

Don’t be afraid to call or email to ask about your claim every couple of weeks if things seem to be at a standstill.

Your bank may offer a claim portal or dashboard online or through your mobile banking app that you can use to track your dispute status.

That can make it easier to see where you are in the dispute process.

If you notice that nothing appears to be happening with your claim, don’t hesitate to follow up by phone.

Being proactive is sometimes the best—and only—way to ensure you get your money back after a dispute.