US Bank review: Fraudulent charge

In early 2022, I was planning a trip to the Maldives. I searched airfare on several occasions, but did not purchase tickets. On one of those occasions I evidently used my US Bank card to put tickets on hold. Again, I did not purchase the tickets.

Eventually I did purchase tickets on Etihad Air, using my PayPal account. The transaction and posting date shown on my PayPal statement is 01 FEB 2022. My booking reference was HCSSLV. Ticket numbers were [protected] and [protected]. My eTicket receipt, issued 28 JAN 22, clearly shows payment was made via PayPal. The amount on the eTickets ($824.37 each) also matches the amount shown on my PayPal statement, $1,648.74.

Sometime later I discovered my US Bank card had two charges from Etihad Air for $748.61 each ($1,497.22 total). The transaction date was 06 JAN 22 and the posting date was 18 JAN 22. Both those dates precede the date I actually purchased the tickets. Furthermore, the amounts do not match the amounts shown on my eTicket receipt.

When I discovered the obviously erroneous charges (really a single transaction), I contacted both Etihad and US Bank. The consensus from both parties was that I should dispute the charges with US Bank, which I did. I eventually received some paperwork from US Bank asking me to explain the situation and provide details. I did that, too.

For some inexplicable reason, US Bank opened two separate cases and sent me two sets of paperwork every time they wanted additional information. This was nonsensical, since I made a single purchase (as shown on my PayPal statement), but I obliged and completed both sets each time, always returning them in the same envelope.

On 02 November 22, US Bank issued two provisional credits for $784.61 each. I assumed this would be the end of the matter, and of course it should have been. The mistake had been rectified.

Sadly, I was mistaken in that assumption, because on 03 APR 2023, US Bank reversed one (but not both) of the provisional credits, again charging my credit card $784.61. When I called to inquire why, I was told it was because I had not submitted the paperwork on time. That is patently false, since I returned requested paperwork in the same envelope, so either both sets were in time, or neither were. (Though I reiterate it makes no sense for there have been two cases in the first place, since the charges stemmed from a single alleged purchase. A purchase that was never made.) Furthermore, it is completely illogical. If the charges had been legitimate--they clearly were not, as all documentation proves--both provisional credits should have been overturned.

I have communicated with both US Bank and Etihad many times about this matter over the past months. It should have been a very simple matter to remedy. I was charged twice for one set of airline tickets. The correct charge was to my PayPal account. The charge to my US Bank card was erroneous. All documentation and every analysis make this clear. US Bank's claim I did not submit paperwork on time is merely an excuse to keep money it is not entitled to.

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