Disputes and Fraud

• Disputes can arise between a merchant and account holder for a variety of reasons. These reasons can range from overcharging the account holder, charging for merchandise that wasn’t received, or charging for a monthly subscription that was previously cancelled. 
• If the transaction was never authorized or initiated by the account holder, a fraud claim may be filed.

• Do you personally know who made the transaction to your debit card, or to your account via ACH?  
  Is the transaction a result of signing up online for a “free trial,” however you used your debit card to pay for shipping or a similar charge? 
• Did you give or loan your debit card to anyone? (You cannot make a claim of any kind if you voluntarily gave your card to another person.)
  

Debit card disputes 

• You cancelled a transaction, but the merchant still charged you. For instance, you used your debit card to reserve a hotel room, and cancelled with the hotel in accordance with their cancellation guidelines, and you were still charged for the room.  
• You purchased an item using your debit card, and later returned the item to the merchant, but your card was never credited for the return.  
• You were charged an incorrect amount for a transaction, for example $400 rather than $40.  
• You have an issue with the quality of goods or services provided. 

• Contact the merchant first.
• Try to resolve the dispute directly with the merchant.  
• If after 30 days you are either unable to resolve the dispute with the merchant or they have failed to follow through with a promise to refund your charges, contact the credit union.
• Provide all documentation supporting the transaction and your attempt to first work out the dispute with the merchant (e.g. receipts, letters to/from the merchant, etc.). 

Please be aware that the credit union will only process merchant disputes greater than $50.00, per transaction. Members are fully responsible for disputes less than $50.00. 

• Fill out the Online Dispute Form and note "My order has a problem (non-fraud)" when submitting
  
• All documentation supporting the transaction and your attempt to first work out the dispute with the merchant (e.g.: receipts, letters to/from the merchant, etc.).

Fraudulent transactions 

A fraudulent transaction occurs only when you have no knowledge of who used your card and you can state with certainty that you were not aware of the transaction. 

It is critical that you notify us within two (2) business days of the date you first become aware of the fraudulent activity. Failure to notify us within two (2) business days increases your liability from $50 to $500. Failure to notify us within 60 days of when the fraudulent transaction appears on your statement means you are liable for the entire amount of the fraudulent transaction. 

• Fill out the Online Dispute Form and note "I did not authorize the transaction(s) (fraud)" when submitting
  
• Click here for information from the FTC about ID Theft
  

Errors on your account 

Certain transactions by your debit card are treated as errors and fall within the normal error resolution procedures. Examples of this would be:  

• You were charged twice for the same purchase.  
• You attempted to withdraw funds at an ATM, but for some reason the cash was not disbursed from the machine (most likely due to malfunction), but your account was debited anyway.
• What was supposed to be a credit transaction to your account was inadvertently posted as a debit transaction.