AMEX Credit Dispute question

[Anonymous]

hello there ladies and Gentlemen,

I had a question about this dispute I made.  So I signed up for this online service where they help you learn how to start a business and are offering group messages, FB groups, and have access to someone. if I had questions, etc for 4 weeks long. I felt like this wasn't for me  I was doing the program I completed 40% of the course maybe a little bit more. but, due to my work schedule, I can't join the group video chats, and had techie problems setting up the website, etc. wasn't working (and this was under 2 weeks). The program is usually $5000 but they said if I paid in full today(01/04/2020) I'd get it for $2500. the course was 4 weeks long. I had to sign a contract and it said on there if I won the dispute I'd have to pay the price of the program plus 20%. 

Also

  I thought when looking up said transaction it was a scam due to I thought I signed up for a program and that wasn't on my credit card it was called something else and the end of this "name of the company charging me" seemed a little fishy. When looking up the address from AMEX they had google maps, street viewer, I looked on there and where "this company" said it was between a restaurant, a barbershop and then the business itself was "an estate agent". I was like this can't be correct so I filed a dispute because I thought it was a scam and I wasn't getting the full service as I was promised.  

so I filled my dispute on my credit card statement it showed up as $2500 but then once I filled the dispute it went away and back to the original amount I owed prior to signing up. so I take it I won this dispute they told me on the phone they will write me a letter in writing if I get approved or denied the dispute. but no letter yet. 

will I be in trouble the company itself hasn't said anything to me about this dispute but because it was under 15 days don't I have a right to dispute this? I wasn't happy with my service and seemed like a scam.  I assume with my account crediting me this back I won? but haven't heard anything from this company.

any advice will be appreciated I never had to dispute something but I will rather be safe than sorry if it was a scam. just curious what my options are. 

( but due to not being happy with service and wasn't getting what I was promised isn't their protection from the "fair credit act of 1975 or something" where if I'm not happy with said service I can dispute it??  so back to the contract with that (fair credit act protection thing, I read online about you covered under not being happy with a service or something like that) since from the look of my account now the $2500 charge is off my statement and credited back to my account will I have to pay this $2500 plus 20% to them from what this contract said?

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

hello there ladies and Gentlemen,

I had a question about this dispute I made.  So I signed up for this online service where they help you learn how to start a business and are offering group messages, FB groups, and have access to someone. if I had questions, etc for 4 weeks long. I felt like this wasn't for me  I was doing the program I completed 40% of the course maybe a little bit more. but, due to my work schedule, I can't join the group video chats, and had techie problems setting up the website, etc. wasn't working (and this was under 2 weeks). The program is usually $5000 but they said if I paid in full today(01/04/2020) I'd get it for $2500. the course was 4 weeks long. I had to sign a contract and it said on there if I won the dispute I'd have to pay the price of the program plus 20%. 

Also

  I thought when looking up said transaction it was a scam due to I thought I signed up for a program and that wasn't on my credit card it was called something else and the end of this "name of the company charging me" seemed a little fishy. When looking up the address from AMEX they had google maps, street viewer, I looked on there and where "this company" said it was between a restaurant, a barbershop and then the business itself was "an estate agent". I was like this can't be correct so I filed a dispute because I thought it was a scam and I wasn't getting the full service as I was promised.  

so I filled my dispute on my credit card statement it showed up as $2500 but then once I filled the dispute it went away and back to the original amount I owed prior to signing up. so I take it I won this dispute they told me on the phone they will write me a letter in writing if I get approved or denied the dispute. but no letter yet. 

will I be in trouble the company itself hasn't said anything to me about this dispute but because it was under 15 days don't I have a right to dispute this? I wasn't happy with my service and seemed like a scam.  I assume with my account crediting me this back I won? but haven't heard anything from this company.

any advice will be appreciated I never had to dispute something but I will rather be safe than sorry if it was a scam. just curious what my options are. 

( but due to not being happy with service and wasn't getting what I was promised isn't their protection from the "fair credit act of 1975 or something" where if I'm not happy with said service I can dispute it??  so back to the contract with that (fair credit act protection thing, I read online about you covered under not being happy with a service or something like that) since from the look of my account now the $2500 charge is off my statement and credited back to my account will I have to pay this $2500 plus 20% to them?

---

The protection is for if you don't get the service you were promised and charged for. Based on what you posted, you were unable to complete the course due to problems on your end. That's not on them. While you can dispute if you think you're being scammed, if it's legitimate, you'll be on the hook. Working at Best Buy, if we charged a client in the field, it didn't show up as Best Buy. It showed up as the name of the processor we contracted. People got a chance to pay us back. If they didnt, they would be taken to court.

[Anonymous]

I get where you're coming from. but with my Schedule not lining up and I can't join group calls mean I wouldn't say I'm getting full service.  but besides that, I really thought it was a scam due to the name of the transaction didn't seem right and the business I saw online google street viewer. so I disputed it and I take it I won this dispute since the card credit company (credited it back to my account). so with that being said maybe it was a scam or they just let me have my money back since it was under 15 days like most placed will let you do. mean  I never heard anything from this company from the head person I normally talk who charged me the amount.  because when I disputed something I don't know what even happens on my credit card company end how do they look into this stuff? do they contact the merchant or?

but considering I now know this isn't a scam I guess with your information it is real that it was all a misunderstanding so would you even contact the company or just not use their program anymore and leave it at that?  because the credit card I had used for said program is shut down and they sent me a brand new one due to I thought this was a fraud it didn't seem real to me.

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

It could be a scam, so it's better to be safe than sorry.  All you can do is wait for the dispute process to play out. If it's not, discuss with them about a refund, or at least a partial refund because you were unable to participate. At the worst, you have to pay them back plus 20%

[Anonymous]

well, I could always tell them it was pure accident mistaken and I thought based on what I saw was not real and if I knew I could have canceled the dispute I would have but the dispute is gone on my credit card statement said it was credited back to me so I take it the dispute is over with even though AMEX haven't seen me the letter yet. and as far as this other company haven't heard anything yet

thanks for the information.

[CreditInspired]

OP

IDK. Years ago, I filed a dispute with my NFCU CC for a Movado watch I purchased from a jeweler because  Movado wouldnt provide a warranty because the jeweler wasnt an authorized dealer. I had to have my dispute notarized. NFCU immediately credited the monies back to my CC.

However, the jeweler responded within the 30-day window that they never said they were an authorized Movado dealer and I had 30-days to respond or the credit to me would be reversed.

Lucky me, I had proof on my side because the Movado warranty card was in the box with the jeweler's stamp. I won and jeweler lost. The facts were on my side. 

So in your case, just because the funds were credited back to your CC doesn't necessarily mean it's over and done with. I think that business is just getting its ducks in a row and AmX is waiting for all the info and documentation from the business before they can give you a response via letter.  

I agree with @Brian_Earl_Spilner.  It's not the business fault that your schedule didnt line up and/or you werent happy. What matters is--did the company provide the service it promised?

Also, IMO, completing a little more than 40% of the course and then filing a dispute? IDK. It probably would have been better if you had discussed your frustration with them first. But that's in hindsight. 

And, I would be more concerned if you disputed that the company was a scam if in fact it's not a scam. It would be awful if they go after you for libel, which is altogether another story, in addition to suing for payment. Hopefully, it doesnt come to that. 

So, I think all you can do now is wait and see what action the company plans to take. 

GL2U

[Anonymous]

thanks for the information. but like I said I truly thought it was a scam or seemed a little weird. I paid for a service but it's called something else on my transaction? and when I looked up the google maps of where the business is supposed to be located it said it was estate  "something" (real estate thing) which really got me nervous so (better safe than sorry) I filed the dispute right away because if I waited too long I would have been screwed plus they had my credit card information since I had to via phone call.  mean as far as this dispute goes how long does the dispute take to get to them ( the merchant) or how will I know if they will come after me? yes, I get my scheduling isn't a reason or good enough reason to file a dispute but put that aside.  but as far as thinking it was a legit scam or form of fraud 

would it help to talk to the person who sold me the program tell them I messed up or wait to see what is happening like (talking to them at this point would be a bad idea and not tell them anything??) reason I decided not to ask them because if it was a scam I had a bad feeling it would make stuff worse.  IE another question I paid in full so they have nothing on file now but my old credit card so they can't even charge anything on that card because of it inactive now. they don't know that also I didn't know I could cancel my dispute but now that it's credit back to my account I can't even cancel it :/  P.S. as far as Libel I think as you said it was I just told the CC company I think it was fraud because it didn't look right to me  so I didn't speak badly of the company just didn't seem right its for an online business so  having a business at a real estate  building didn't seem right 

[californiaboy935]

Personally I wouldnt say anything. Amex is pretty good about investigating and getting to the bottom of shady merchants in its payment network. If this is an elaborate scam, which I belive most of these facebook get rich quick things to be. Then you shouldnt be held liable for a lapse in judgment. I'd stick to the truth of an honest accounting mistake if Amex does come back with a judgment in favor of the company. And if not then c'est la vie!

Be more carful about researching merchants in the future. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Hey so I ended up telling them because they just told me that on their end there’s no disputes or anything!! But I got credited the funds back to me. how does that work if they never got a dispute but I got my money back?! My main question is how did I get my funds back / credited to my account. but they still got paid. ??Plus now if it happens they seem like they will work with me to just pay the normal fee of 2500 vs the 2500 plus 20% because I said something rather not pay 3k or go to court for that plus more.

[Anonymous]

I don't have an answer to your question(s) but I'm curious why you would spend that sum of money on business startup advice when an organization like SCORE exists that provides the same service for free.