In this time and age, e-commerce is gradually replacing physical store transaction as the preferred method of shopping. And with this comes the variety of online stores that sell everything under the sun. While reputable sites such as Amazon and Newegg have standard policies regarding product quality and warranty, others are not generous or clear about their policies. Do you trust the store enough to buy from them? What if you pay the money and they never ship the goods? What if you pay for one thing and they ship another? What if the goods come in broken?
Luckily, credit cards provide you with insurance against the undesirable situations.
As I mentioned in the first post of the series, you have the ability to refuse to pay for a charge on a credit card for 60 days. If the article you buy from xyz.com doesn’t get delivered to your address although the website says it did and refuses to give you a refund, you can dispute the purchase. If something you buy from eBay comes in worse than described conditions and PayPal rules against you, you can dispute the purchase. That’s one extra layer of protection that gives you the peace of mind in purchasing stuff online.
This is just one example where purchase dispute comes in handy. There is no need to worry about losing money on online purchases if you use your credit card to pay. Simply dispute the charge with the bank and provide any evidence of the purchase and the quality of the goods or services, and the burden will be on the merchant to prove that they delivered on their promise. The same applies for physical store purchases: you can get your money back if the article you buy from your local store comes dysfunctional or breaks down soon after the purchase.
I don’t usually buy from stores that I’m not familiar with, but when I do, it is tremendously reassuring to know that if something were to happen to the purchase, I know you can get my money back. I hope you feel the same.
Discover, American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and other types of credit cards all provide this benefit. And remember, always keep the receipt.
-Richard
Hiep's Finance 