Not upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

Decision detail

Summary

A charitable organisation represented by Mrs K complained that NatWest failed to raise a chargeback for a flight purchase after finding a cheaper alternative. The merchant offered a refund subject to a £300 cancellation fee, which Mrs K rejected in favour of requesting a full refund. Three separate chargeback requests were submitted between October and November 2024, with NatWest refusing to process them, citing insufficient evidence. The ombudsman found that the chargeback scheme does not cover changes of mind and that the complainant had not demonstrated compliance with the merchant's cancellation policy, making the chargeback claim unlikely to succeed. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman accepted that while there was some administrative confusion due to multiple email addresses and chargeback requests, the key issue was whether sufficient evidence was provided. The ombudsman found that the chargeback scheme does not cover changes of mind after purchase, and the complainant had not demonstrated they cancelled in line with the merchant's policy. The complainant disagreed with the merchant's cancellation fee policy, but the chargeback process is not designed to resolve such disputes. Therefore, NatWest was not obligated to raise the chargeback.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website