Prompts · Money & admin

Dispute a charge on your card or bank statement

Whether to go to the company or the bank first, and the message that sets out your case in one read.

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There's a charge on my statement I want to dispute.

The charge: $149.00 on September 2 from FITLIFE*ANNUAL
What happened: I signed up for a gym app free trial in August and canceled it in the app four days later. I have a screenshot of the cancellation screen. They charged me for a full year anyway.
What I've tried: Emailed their support on September 4. Got an automated reply and nothing since.
Where I live: Ohio, US

Help me with three things.

1. The order to do this in. Should I go back to the company first, or go straight to my bank or card issuer? Explain the reasoning. If the right order depends on rules in my country or on the type of card, say so and tell me what to check, rather than stating a rule you're not sure of.

2. A message to the company. Under 150 words. States the charge, what I was supposed to be charged, what I want (the refund, and by when), and what I'll do next if I don't hear back. Calm and firm, no threats I can't carry out.

3. What to tell my bank or card issuer if it comes to that. A short, factual summary I can read out on the phone or paste into their online form, in date order, with a list of the evidence I should have ready.

Don't tell me I'm certain to win. Tell me what would make my case stronger and what would weaken it, based on what I've told you.

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What you get: Whether to contact the company or your bank first, and a message ready for each.

Company first, or bank first?

That depends on where you live and what kind of card you paid with, and the rules differ enough that a confident general answer can be wrong. So the prompt asks the model to lay out its reasoning and name what you should check with your bank. A deadline it made up would do you more harm than no deadline at all.

The bank summary is in date order for a reason. Whoever picks up your dispute will read it once and quickly, and a timeline with the evidence listed underneath is the easiest thing to say yes to.

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