How to reclaim unfair credit card charges

It you have been unfairly charged by your credit card, know your rights and complain. Reclaim unfair credit card charges.

10:00 19 September 2013

Steps in reclaiming unfair credit card charges:

1. Determine the total amount you’ve been charged

You may try to check your account history and see if you could acquire information about all the charges that has been made into your account.

Better yet, send a letter to the credit card provider and request for a list of all charges made into your account.

When they do not respond, send another letter to reiterate your request under the Data Protection Act and include a check of £10.

Your card provider will be given 40 days to reply. If it failed to do so, you may protest to the Information Commissioner.

2. Raise a Complaint

When the list of charges is already made available to you, review them and analyse why the charges seem unreasonable while you are experiencing a difficult time in your life.

Send a letter of complaint to your credit card provider about

• the financial problem you are in
• how they have been causing you stress
• how the charges add up to your problem
• why you feel those were extremely high considering these times of difficulties

3. Consider the response of the card provider

If at all the card provider makes an offer, determine how fair it is considering your current situation. Make a letter of reply to indicate your acceptance or to ask for a fair refund under this situation.

Every clarification they make must be replied with an honest and thorough answer and so on. When they reply with downright rejection, you may complain directly to the Financial Service.

Don’t be intimidated.

Be cautious of companies offering to help you

Instead of letting companies win the battle for you, it would be best that you do it yourself even if they are legit and authorized by the Ministry of justice. Such companies say they can help you reclaim your charges, but, they will charge you high fees about 25% to 30% of your refund from your credit card provider.