Disputing a Transaction
The customer calls to report an unfamiliar or incorrect charge on their statement and initiate a dispute investigation.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
transaction
A transaction is a financial exchange, like buying something with your credit card. Use it when talking about purchases or payments on your bank statement.
statement
A statement is a monthly summary of your credit card account showing all charges and balances. It's useful when discussing billing issues.
disputing
Disputing means formally challenging or questioning a charge you believe is wrong. Say this when reporting unauthorized transactions to a bank.
account number
An account number is the unique identifier for your credit card or bank account. Provide it when customer service needs to access your details.
charge
A charge is the amount of money deducted from your account for a purchase. It's commonly used in billing conversations.
affidavit
An affidavit is a sworn written statement used in disputes to confirm facts. You'll need to complete one for formal investigations.
investigation
An investigation is a formal review to check if a charge is valid. Banks use this process for disputes, which can take time.
temporary credit
Temporary credit is a provisional refund added to your account while a dispute is resolved. It's helpful to ask for this during investigations.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'm calling about a transaction on my recent credit card statement that I don't recognize.
This sentence introduces the problem clearly at the start of a call. It's useful for customer service inquiries; note the structure: 'I'm calling about [topic] that [description]' to explain your issue politely.
Can I please have your full name and account number to pull up your details?
This is a polite request for information in service roles. Use 'Can I please have [item]' for courteous asking; 'pull up' means to retrieve information from a system.
Could you please specify the transaction you're disputing, including the date and the amount?
This asks for specific details in a professional way. 'Could you please [verb]' is a polite form; it's useful when needing more info, and 'specify' means to give exact details.
I'm initiating a dispute investigation for you right now.
This confirms action being taken. 'Initiating' means starting; use this to assure customers in service scenarios. The present continuous 'I'm initiating' shows immediate action.
We'll send you an affidavit to complete, and once we receive it, the investigation typically takes 30 to 60 days.
This explains the process and timeline. 'We'll [future action]' for promises; 'once [condition], [result]' shows sequence. Useful for informing customers about procedures.
A temporary credit for the disputed amount will be applied to your account within 5-7 business days.
This reassures about a benefit during investigation. Passive voice 'will be applied' is common in formal explanations; 'within [time]' means not exceeding that period. Ask this in disputes.
Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
This is a standard closing question in service calls to check for more needs. Use it to end conversations politely; 'assist you with' means help with something specific.