Q: Is it legal to charge my credit card more than the quote on website?
I recently purchased pet insurance. When I filled in my information online and all of my pets information, I was quoted $555 for the year. I elected to pay the year balance instead of the monthly payments, and pressed the 'Complete' button (the number $555 had not changed). I am reviewing my documents and notice that the amount charged to my card was $640 instead, I check my credit card and see that they indeed charged my card $640 instead of the $555. When I called the pet insurance company, they told me they had a glitch in their system and they weren't sure which price was correct, and that they would get back to me. So my question is: Is it legal to provide a quote and then charge my card differently? Can they come back and insist I pay the $640 instead of the originally quoted price? Do I have any legal options here, or am I stuck with 'just find another pet insurance company'?
A:
Sorry to hear about your trouble with this company. There seems to be a lot going on here and asking questions online is no substitute for consulting with an attorney.
To answer the narrow question, it is not legal to be charged more than you authorized for the purchase. If this company cannot explain the additional charge and will not cancel the transaction, you may contact your credit card company to reverse the charges.
Good luck with resolving the matter,
Dan
A:
You can contest the excess charges with your credit card company.
You can file a lawsuit against the insurance company for fraud, bad faith (possibly), and other consumer rights remedies. It is unclear whether this would be financially worth it. Small Claims is also an option. Consult with an attorney for a full evaluation of your rights.
A:
IMO you should send in a notice of disputed charge to your credit card company. They will not require you to pay anything while the dispute is pending, and you can work it out with the company during the time. You are in a better position to negotiate if the company does not get its money from your CC company.
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