Recovering money following an error, theft or fraud
- Have you lost your bank card? Or was it stolen and did the thief clear your bank account?
- Has your account been debited without your consent?
- Did you make a payment into the wrong account?
- Or was there a problem with your online purchase, but you paid with a credit card? (charge back procedure)
ECC Belgium explains what you should do in such cases.
Your bank card is lost or stolen
Have you lost your bank card, or has it been stolen? Get it blocked immediately by contacting CardStop on 078 170 170. Contest any transactions or payments made without your approval with your bank or the credit card issuer – at the latest thirteen months after the event.
This procedure in the event of loss or theft will block any other payment and is the first step towards getting your money back:
- for all disputed transactions that took place after you reported the loss or theft.
- for disputed transactions that took place before you reported the loss or theft. This may entail an excess of maximum 50 euro, except when the third party duplicated your card, used it without physically presenting it (e.g. on the internet) or without presenting electronic identification (e.g. without pin code)
Remember: if the fraud is the result of gross negligence on your part (e.g. because your pin code was too easy), you will not be entitled to reimbursement.
Your bank account has been abused
Has your bank account been debited without your consent? Notify your bank immediately. Fraudulent transactions must be contested at the latest thirteen months after the event. It is the only way to reclaim your money.
In such cases the bank has to repay the amount of the contested transaction(s) immediately, supplemented by any interest you may have lost.
Recovering money following an error in a payment instruction
Did you use the wrong bank account number? Is the name of the beneficiary on your transfer instruction different from the name for the account number provided?
You are responsible for the information (bank account number, name, bank, etc.) you enter when making the transfer. The bank is not obliged in any way to pay you back. If the bank has not yet completed the payment it may still be able to cancel the transfer.
Has the transaction been completed? In such cases your only option is to ask for the money back from the owner of the account that was credited. Your bank may be able to help you by contacting the recipient's bank, but you may be charged for this service.
Recovering money in the event of non delivery of an online purchase by credit card
Did you make a purchase online and pay by credit card? Did the parcel not arrive? Has the seller gone bankrupt? Or have you been caught out by a fraudster? Fortunately, in such cases your card issuer will protect you. You will be entitled to claim your money back via the charge back procedure.
All you need to do is complete your card issuer’s transaction dispute form within 3 months of the transaction.
If you paid using a Visa or MasterCard, visit www.mijnkaart.be or www.macarte.be.
Did you use American Express? You need to submit your claim directly on the issuer’s website.
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