Barclaycard Transaction Dispute - Refused

john_l_k

Hello all. 
I'm hoping for some guidance and/or advice on what I should do next, as a transaction dispute, and section 75 claim have been refused by Barclaycard. 

I used the card for a car rental deposit, for an 8 or 9 day prepaid rental abroad, in late June of this year. 
When the charge was still showing in my account at the end of July, I instigated a transaction dispute. 

I gave B/card as much info as I could but, I did not have the rental agreement.
I'm not sure if I was ever given one, or whether it was left in the car on it's return. 

By August I was back in the country of the rental, and revisited the office and asked for a copy of the agreement. I was told it was not possible and told to email the Head Office, which I did straight after. 

Early Sept, I called the disputes team and told them I was working on getting this agreement, and the guy on the phone told me to start a section 75 claim, which I did a couple of days later. 

Since then, after many back and forth emails with the rental company, and with no rental agreement offered, they did confirm the car had been returned in good order and the deposit was released. 
I have forwarded all emails from the rental company to the dispute team, along with emails from the booking agent (who I have also asked to help), original booking voucher etc. 

17 Oct. I called disputes team again, and the guy told me they hadn't even written to the rental company yet. 

Then, I received a letter dated 21 Oct. stating I was charged for a "full insurance package". 
I had declined full insurance when I made the booking, and again at the rental desk. 

Since then, there's been lots of calls to the disputes team, and some letters declining my claim. 
The rental company, and the booking agent are not responding anymore to my request for this copy of the rental agreement. 

This last week I called the team again on Monday asking for the evidence that the rental company have supplied, ie the insurance package agreement. I also said that if they have evidence of this, they should have evidence of the rental agreent, or at least the reference number. 
The lady said that if they are allowed to send this, it will be with me by the end of this week just gone. 
Yesterday Friday, I received a letter, with no mention of anything I asked for,  just another dispute denial confirmation. 

The charge is for nearly £500, and I am stressing and losing sleep. 
I don't think B/card have managed this dispute well at all, and I definitely disagree with this charge. 

Is my next move to make a complaint, and then to escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if unresolved, or can I go to the FO already as the dispute is a kind of complaint already? 

And would complaining even make them reverse their incorrect decision? 

Already they've asked me to provide evidence that I refused the full insurance package, which is just plain impossible. They've also stated they need the agreement to confirm the deposit amount. But why if they've been told it was extra insurance? 

Thanks in advance, if you've read this far... 

born_again

john_l_k said:

Hello all. 
I'm hoping for some guidance and/or advice on what I should do next, as a transaction dispute, and section 75 claim have been refused by Barclaycard. 

I used the card for a car rental deposit, for an 8 or 9 day prepaid rental abroad, in late June of this year. 
When the charge was still showing in my account at the end of July, I instigated a transaction dispute. 

I gave B/card as much info as I could but, I did not have the rental agreement.
I'm not sure if I was ever given one, or whether it was left in the car on it's return. 

By August I was back in the country of the rental, and revisited the office and asked for a copy of the agreement. I was told it was not possible and told to email the Head Office, which I did straight after. 

Early Sept, I called the disputes team and told them I was working on getting this agreement, and the guy on the phone told me to start a section 75 claim, which I did a couple of days later. 

Since then, after many back and forth emails with the rental company, and with no rental agreement offered, they did confirm the car had been returned in good order and the deposit was released. 
I have forwarded all emails from the rental company to the dispute team, along with emails from the booking agent (who I have also asked to help), original booking voucher etc. 

17 Oct. I called disputes team again, and the guy told me they hadn't even written to the rental company yet. 

Then, I received a letter dated 21 Oct. stating I was charged for a "full insurance package". 
I had declined full insurance when I made the booking, and again at the rental desk. 

Since then, there's been lots of calls to the disputes team, and some letters declining my claim. 
The rental company, and the booking agent are not responding anymore to my request for this copy of the rental agreement. 

This last week I called the team again on Monday asking for the evidence that the rental company have supplied, ie the insurance package agreement. I also said that if they have evidence of this, they should have evidence of the rental agreent, or at least the reference number. 
The lady said that if they are allowed to send this, it will be with me by the end of this week just gone. 
Yesterday Friday, I received a letter, with no mention of anything I asked for,  just another dispute denial confirmation. 

The charge is for nearly £500, and I am stressing and losing sleep. 
I don't think B/card have managed this dispute well at all, and I definitely disagree with this charge. 

Is my next move to make a complaint, and then to escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if unresolved, or can I go to the FO already as the dispute is a kind of complaint already? 

And would complaining even make them reverse their incorrect decision? 

Already they've asked me to provide evidence that I refused the full insurance package, which is just plain impossible. They've also stated they need the agreement to confirm the deposit amount. But why if they've been told it was extra insurance? 

Thanks in advance, if you've read this far... 

Car hire pre auths can sit there for 32 days. Card regulations.

From the above it is not clear exactly what your dispute is over (The charge is for nearly £500) 
If it is for the insurance package then you will have signed for it at desk. You should have had a signed agreement & a checklist of damage on the car.
The fact you did not have/keep any paperwork is not helping you at all. As you have nothing to prove your case. Disputes are all about proof, as they go to Visa/Mastercard. Just like a court, the evidence wins a case.

Car hire cases are a nightmare, especially oversea's as any paperwork is not in English.

No S75 then as you agreed to the charge, same with a dispute.
You can complain to Barclays. Will it change decision, who knows.

If you ever have anything like this again.
Go to
https://www.ecrcs.com/
Who set a binding judgment on hire co's.
Rather than bank.👍

john_l_k

Thanks for your reply. 

The charge was supposed to be for the rental deposit, and it should have been released after the car was returned. 
At the rental desk the guy swiped my card, then told me it hadn't gone through, so swiped again.
I told this to Barclaycard many times. 
 On the call I made yesterday I asked whether I should not have made a transaction dispute in the first place, maybe I should have alerted them to a fraud instead?
The answer was "maybe".
Either way, shouldn't they have advised me this earlier on?

If they ever send this proof submitted by the rental company then it should show I didn't sign it. This is my only hope now. 

It feels like I am the one being asked to disprove things rather than the renters being asked to prove things. 

Thanks for the link to ecrcs. 
Unfortunately the company I used are not signed up to them.