How to use your bank to get your money back
If a company won’t or can’t refund you there are other options depending on how you paid.
@thecomplainingcow Why you should use a credit card for your purchases online. What protection does a credit card or d debit give you? #MoneyTipsAndTricks #Banks #Bank #DebitCard #CreditCard #Refund #refunds #crossborder
How to complain when a credit card has been used to purchase an item
Below in an excerpt from a Channel 5 episode of Scams Don’t Get Caught Out where I discuss purchasing holidays on a credit card. I regularly appear in the media talking about travel and other consumer issues you can see more at Helen Dewdney – Consumer Rights Expert & Media Commentator
Using a credit card to protect your finances
Section 75A Consumer Credit Act 1974
If you have a problem with an item you have bought or service you have received you can contact your credit card company. You may want to do this for example when the company has gone bust, is refusing to give you a refund or does not respond to communications from you. You have a right to be refunded if you make a claim within 6 years (5 in Scotland) using Section 75A of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Purchases over £100 and less than £30,000 are covered. You are covered if you pay as little as 1p but the item costs more than £100.
In 2007, a ruling by the House of Lords defined that Section 75 has no territorial limitations, therefore, cardholders who use their credit cards to make purchases abroad are protected in the same way as in the UK. So, purchases made on a credit card may also be covered under Section 75 when; goods or services are purchased from a foreign supplier whilst the cardholder is abroad, purchased from a foreign supplier for delivery to the UK, or purchased from a foreign supplier or agent who is temporarily in the UK.
From 15 July 2026 onwards, store instalment credit, PayPal Credit, and payments made via Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Section 75 is less clear cut via third-party sellers (eg, Amazon Marketplace) so far, the Financial Ombudsman has found that the debtor–creditor–supplier chain is broken.
Using your credit card through third party services
Completing a credit card transaction through a third party payment service means that the credit card provider and the seller are no longer in a direct relationship so are not equally liable. This applies therefore to services such as PayPal, Amazon Marketplace, Worldpay and Google Checkout.
In the UK, where you are entitled to specific statutory protections the credit card company is a second party to the purchase and is therefore equally liable in law if the other party defaults or goes into liquidation. However under Section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1979, the purchaser loses this legal protection if the card payment is processed via PayPal.
For an example of using the Consumer Credit Act 1979 see this post.
Chargeback can be used for banks
Purchases bought on debit cards and below £100 are not covered by the Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Chargeback, although not part of any act of law, is a voluntary scheme based on scheme rules set by card issuers such as Mastercard and Visa. Because it isn’t set in law you should use the Consumer Credit Act 1974 where possible, otherwise Chargeback can be applied for similar situations.
You will need to make the request within 120 days of the transaction date. Bear in mind that this scheme is much less well known than the Section 75 rule and so many staff might not know of it if you ring the bank. My advice therefore would always be to write.
If the bank/credit card company rejects your claim and/or you are unhappy with the process you can take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman but not to court.
Purchasing items on finance
Section 75 can be used if you have used to finance for your purchase.
@ComplainingCow Thank you for the valuable advice, am now attempting chargeback of last 5 years of expenditure!
— MiguelM (@Miguelencasa) September 25, 2014
Direct debits
View this post on Instagram
6 facts you should know about direct debits
For help in complaining when you can’t use this cover see Top 20 Tips for effective complaining.
Further help when complaining about goods and services
Top 20 Tips for complaining effectively
Complaining about goods and services – all you need to know
For information, consumer laws, advice, stories and templates GET THE BOOK! How To Complain: The ESSENTIAL Consumer Guide to Getting REFUNDS, Redress and RESULTS!
101 Habits of an Effective Complainer will help you develop skills to become better at complaining.
If you can’t wait to get the book to complain then
Purchase downloadable templates to gain redress.
2 Comments. Leave new
.We were in on holiday till 18 October with no flight home i am chrome disabled with mobilaty scooter we couldn’t get flight when we finally found one
due to family had to cut holiday short buy 5 days and cost £1000, 34 0ounds we had to get transport from London to Shireoaks Notts as most ar lines had bump the fait’s up every one sould have been got home not good enough we both 70 people stuck with no money ore no wear to stay in a foreign country it stinks the government should have got every one home we paid our taxes etc for years
Not sure how this relates to this post or what the issue is why you should have had redress – was it airline or holiday company etc at fault? See All you need to know about booking/complaining about holidays/flights as you may find the help you need there.