We have all been faced with a billing error and need to get it straightened out as soon as possible before we end up paying for a product that we don't have or over paying on a product. There are certain steps to take before the situation gets out of control. First check out your receipt and make sure that you understand the amount you are being charged is the full amount without a rebate. Sometimes when you are buying from a local merchant a product is offered at a certain price and you paid the full price to find out that you need to send in the UPC label and receipt to receive a rebate. This is one of the simpler solutions in fixing a billing mistake.



You may have ordered a product at a certain price and received your bill to find that you are over billed or worse billed not only for your item but for an item that you did not order or receive. This type of error is not uncommon in today's market. The first thing you should do is to contact the creditor and give him the following information:

• Name

• Address

• Account Number

• Copies of the relevant sales receipts or documentations (always keep originals)

Then you should of course request a credit especially if it was taken from your charge card. Make sure to keep a copy of your letter of request attaching your originals to the letter for future references. You should also send this information by certified mail requesting a return receipt from your post office so you have proof your creditor received the information. You should go ahead and pay the undisputed to keep that amount separate from the disputed amount. The creditor should have the credit issued to you within thirty days. The creditor is required to have the error corrected within two billing cycles, which is 90 days.

Your creditor must put in writing if he agrees that there was an error in the billing, refund you or credit you the amount over charged, plus any charges to you related to the dispute. You should make sure that your account is at a zero balance when the crediting is completed or at least back to the original balance before you were charged in error. The creditor may dispute your claim and if the creditor is right then you are responsible to pay the debt plus any charges attached because of the dispute. You do have a right to ask the creditor for any documentation to prove that you owe the debt. You can dispute his dispute in writing within ten days after he makes his claim. The worst case scenario is that the creditor fails to abide by the Fair Credit Billing Act, leaving you with no choice but to sue the creditor for breaking the law.

Fixing a billing mistake takes some time. If you're serious about it, you'll want to do everything you can, which I recommend. Once the mistake is fixed, you'll feel a million times better.