NFCU merchant dispute....FYI

[Lucid08]

Jay, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this, but if I remember correctly, the fraud prevention measures on the NFCU MC are not the same, nor anywhere as good as they are for their Visa card. I think this holds true with online pruchases as well as POS purchases. I dont want to speculate, but I think this might very well be the case, and the OP might need to contact MC themselves to see if he has any rights with them under fraud protection.

[Anonymous]

Jay / All,

   If they have been trying to resolve the issue with the dealer to obtain title and other docs and can't get them, isn't that what the "purchase protection" of using your CC is for?  The customer should have an advocate in their bank to tell the merchant (dealer), take care of our customer or they are going to return the scooter and we will charge back the purchase.

I have the exact same issue with NFCU right now, in that I bought a domain that was suppose to come with 30 days of support of training - it did not.  I disputed and wanted to return it to the seller for lack of support (part of the overall purchase agreement).  I have provided NFCU with e-mail strings showing the complete lack of response by the seller and copies of the contract, and their response has been "well, don't you still have the domain?" -----  YES, but I haven't received what I paid for and am not going to return it until I'm sure I will get my money back.  GEEEEEZ!  How hard is this????  The seller has not delivered EVERYTHING that was part of the sale, I can't get them to respond and am now disputing ----- so step up NFCU and help me out!

But as the other poster said, I felt like the dispute person at NFCU was batting for the merchant and not me (NFCU customer) in all of my interactions with her.

[Anonymous]

texcredit,

i agree the "purchase protection" must mean that if you purchase something, and need to return, NFCU is protecting the merchant, and sticking you with the charge......

Jay,

really....do you think NFCU should maintain the same CS, as some foreign call center, where the agents are unable to deviate from a script, and get the run around with NO, personal service.....AMEX hardly....

ALL,

i am not sure how it is in your state, but when you purchase a vehicle here, you do not get the paperwork right away, usually within a few weeks the dealer/will send title etc....

as i said before, the purchase occured in July 2008,  did not get billed till 9/2008...i told NAVY not to let the charge go through in August, cuz i did not have the paperwork yet...they put it through anyway....

[jmbfl]

The word is fraud! Any dealer that will not provide you with a title to a vehicle he sells you has committed a fraud. He sold you something he did not have the right to sell you. This is fraudulent conveyance of goods!

I would do the following:

1) Contact NFCU again and speak to somebody at a supervisory level. Explain the situation and use the word fraud! The should credit your account, demand an explanation from the merchant and if the merchant doesn't get things straightened out they should charge him back.

If that doesn't work:

2) Start calling the executive offices of NFCU. Start at the highest levels. Don't stop until you reach someone who is interested in helping you.

AND:

3) Contact the department of the TX state government that licenses dealers for the type of vehicle you purchased. TX is one of the weakest states when it comes to comsumer protection, but there is surely some lincensing body that can give this guy a good swift kick.

4) If all else fails you're going to need an attorney. You should not have to do this and I recommend it only as a last resort. It would be a small claims case, but I understand that you now live out of state and it would be difficult for you to represent yourself.

I am also wondering if you ever tried contacting the "partner" directly. If the partner is a manufacturer they may be able to help you out.

I do hope you have a bill of sale for the vehicle. Without a bill of sale you may have a bigger problem as there is no way for you to prove that you own it!

Message Edited by jmbfl on 10-13-2008 09:31 PM

[Anonymous]

I agree with jmbfl -

If you wrote a check they would ask why you didn't use a CC-

This is FRAUD- you did not get what you paid for-

I would also get on the phone with the DMV and governing bodies in Texas-

Either the dealer needs to fix this or he is gonna get a charge back-

NFCU does NOT have a right NOT to investigate this.

[jaybird201]

---

the dealer has not responded to my repeated requests for the documents...he had stated that he no longer has a business relationship with THAT partner, and is very sorry but cannot furnish me the documents.......... ...i no longer live in Texas, i moved to California, so returning the scooter is NOT an option...currently it sits in my garage unsused for its intended purpose........

---

One of the reasons I'm hesitant to agree that it's Navy Federal's or Mastercard's problem is because of the above statement. I really have no clue what your situation is as you haven't really articulated what exactly happened before you got to the point of trying to contact Navy Federal.

To answer your question about how purchasing a vehicle works in my state, when you sign the papers to purchase the vehicle, presumably at the dealership, you're sent home with a temporary registration and you are sent the title. If you are buying the vehicle where there is a transfer of titles, the previous owner signs the title of the vehicle over to you and you get it at the time of purchase. This how it is in Virginia, it most likely varies from state-to-state, but probably not by much.

If however, this is a shady dealership and they simply refuse to give you a title and registration, as mentioned above, contact Navy Federal and/or Mastercard and use the word "fraud" in your description of what happened. YMMV, so if you reach one CSR who seems incompetent, just call back and try again until you get someone who can. And try asking for a supervisor each time to make sure you're talking to someone who's knowledgeable about this sort of thing.

Was this a reputable dealer? And also, was this a new vehicle? Used? Sold by the dealer, or just sold by another individual through the dealership? All of this along with your original agreement are important.

[Anonymous]

Jmbfl,

thanks for that detailed response....i tried calling on Columbus day and of course all the back offices were closed...yes, i do have the Bill of Sale, it is the only paperowrk I have from the dealer...i have contacted an attorney for back up...found the form from TXDMV website to file a complaint about the dealer....

thanks

[Anonymous]

jumped through a lot of hoops this week, but NFCU just credited my account 1K and marked the dispute as closed

does anyone want to buy a scooter? ...LOL ............just kidding