Mystery charges on credit cards - how do you deal with them?

[sweetana3]

Why call? I send a note to my CC company with a complaint and, while watching TV, send a Facebook review on the company website with the details clearly laid out. I might also send an email to the travel review sites if really mad. (note I also send complimentary reviews to the same).

I called companies a couple of times and never got anyone that could take care of the problem or got bad customer service at that end. My brother recently got ahold of Taco Bell's company site due to a unfilled credit card paid for order. Of course they told him they automatically took care of it. NOT. Dispute that charge. Then if feeling charitable, call them or not.

Note that charges can come thru on your phone bills. From $1 and up. I got one of these unauthorized charges and my phone company tried to get me to take care of it with the internet company making the charge. I made such a fuss, because they could not provice me ANY documentation of the charge, that they took it off. Found out this has happened to millions. Congress allowed the pass thru.

It is a lot like a dog that bites people. If no one ever notifies the authorities, the dog keeps biting and the problem expanding. Eventually, someone in authority says "but no one ever complained."

[jp1]

Kiind of funny but I answered their hotel "we loved you please come again" email with my complaint about the mystery charge. I received an email a little while ago saying that the $4.27 charge was an authorization to hold for incidentals and would go back to my card within 10 days of departure. We'll see.

That doesn't sound logical. $4.27 is not enough to cover incidentals. And it's a really odd amount. And it doesn't take ten days to figure out if you used the phone or ate something from the mini bar. That sounds more like a 'hopefully you'll have given up on hassling us in ten days' kind of response'

[miradoblackwarrior]

Once upon a time, I had charges like that on my credit card. Someone has your number! I strongly suggest you talk directly to your credit card company immediately! sSomeone, perhaps at the hotel, has stolen your credit card info and is getting ready to charge up a lot! Please, I've had this happen to me. Foutunatly, I was lucky Visa informrd me. Ask for a new card!
Susan

[Teacher Terry]

I dispute anything wrong-no matter how small. However, I do it online with my bank. WE had our # stolen once & something small was charged first & then flying lessons across the country.

[Simplemind]

I can't say enough about how painless it was for me to report a couple of different incidences to VISA and they were on it immediately. One of them was on my dad's credit card. He subscribed to a magazine through one of those clearing houses. TOTALLY more for the subscription than it should have been. Then the charges would reoccur for different amounts here and there. What they were doing was calling him, asking him if he like the magazine and then saying by the way, could you verify your credit card number for us. With that they would put on a charge. I have a name for them but I won't use it here. They pray on the elderly. VISA was on that one right away as well. Never a hassle with them.