Q: What are my rights to dispute a denied charge from a subscription service?

A: You have several important rights when dealing with unauthorized charges after canceling a subscription service. Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), you can dispute unauthorized debit card charges within 60 days of the statement containing the error, and the bank must investigate within 10 business days (or up to 45 days in some cases), providing you with their findings in writing.

If your bank denied your dispute without proper explanation, you have the right to request detailed information about their decision and submit additional evidence supporting your case. You might want to gather more compelling documentation, including screenshots of your cancellation confirmation, communications with the merchant, and your bank statements showing the pattern of charges. Remember that persistence often pays off in these situations, as banks sometimes deny legitimate claims initially, hoping customers will give up.

As a next step, if your appeal with the bank doesn't resolve the issue, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or your state's banking regulator, which often prompts banks to reconsider their decision. You might also consider sending a formal written complaint to your bank's customer service department, clearly outlining the timeline of events and referencing relevant consumer protection laws. Many people find success by escalating to higher management levels within the bank or switching to written communication rather than phone calls to create a paper trail of your dispute efforts.