Fair Credit Billing Act & Rights
Fair Credit Billing Act Definition
Created in 1975, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) is a consumer protection statute that provides rights to consumers when they have disputes over their regular monthly credit card bill. Your credit card reporting agency is responsible for reporting your credit report accurately; if you want to dispute your bill, you have that right. Get more information on the FCBA here.
What Does the FCBA Cover?
- Being billed for merchandise that was never received
- Being charged twice by your credit card company for the same item, or the failure to credit a payment to your account
- Unauthorized charges made on your credit card
- Charges that list the wrong date and amount
- Mathematical errors
- Failure to send your bill to your current address (provided that the creditor receives notice of the change of address within 20 days of the billing period)
Additionally, the Fair Credit Billing act applies to “open end accounts.” These include credit cards and revolving charge accounts, like department store cards.
However, the FCBA does not cover installment contracts, like car loans or credit lines repaid on a fixed schedule.
How to Dispute Your Credit Card Bill with the Fair Credit Billing Act
The Fair Credit Billing Act contains a dispute procedure that must be followed in order to take advantage of the protections of this law. If properly done, the creditor must acknowledge your dispute in writing within 30 days of receiving it. Here is the full text of the FCBA, courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission.
If you discover inaccurate information on your credit card bill, you have the right to dispute it. Reach out to experienced FCBA attorneys today. Contact us online or call us at (888) 822-1777 for a free case review.