How have you handled disputed charges for an in-person sale?

[BethanyReynolds]

Iʻve been using Square for over 10 years, but this week I had my first disputed charge. A customer claims there was a duplicate charge. I don't think this is the case- my transaction show that she purchased two different things on two transactions, a few minutes apart. (These were in-person sales I made myself, and Iʻm pretty conscientious about how I handle cards and record keeping.) If I had a way to contact the customer, or if sheʻd contacted me in the first place, I think this could have been sorted out. She might have seen two charges from my business on her statement and forgotten that she made two purchases. (I sell at farmers markets in Hawaii, and the customer was probably a tourist making numerous purchases that day-easy to forget the details.)

So Iʻve challenged it, but I wonder if it would have been easier and safer for customer relations to just refund the $25 sale. Has anyone else been through this process? I provided the info that Square requested, but it sounds like it only goes to the bank, not the customer? 

[Artisanjules]

I always take the customers name, cell phone and email for every purchase. If you have a way to contact the person, you can reissue them receipts for both transactions. Good luck. 

[BethanyReynolds]

Thanks. I always offer a text or email receipt, but if customers decline, I don’t push it. I am in a tourist area (Hilo, Hawaii)- so many customers are likely  going to be one-timers and I can I understand not wanting more texts or emails. In this case, the customer is in my directory with a phone number, but I don’t know if they gave me the number and got receipts, or if Square pulled the number from another transaction. In any case, I have no way to contact them. So I hope the bank passes on my response.

[SVDPFremont · Accepted solution]

We've had it happen - both when the charges were correct and we disputed the claim and when we HAD accidently rang up an item twice and accepted the charge-back.  When we disputed the claim, we documented that the cashiers remembered the transactions and the bank accepted their statements and we won the dispute.  In both instances, we were able to reply to the customer either the apology for the duplicate transaction, or the evidence of two different purchases.  But the customer needs to enable that for you to respond (they don't always).

[BethanyReynolds]

Thanks. I hope to have a chance to reply to the customer. They are in my customer directory, but with phone number hidden and no email. I tried to send new receipts to jog their memory, but Square did not allow that. (This sale was about 10 days ago, if that matters, and I don’t know if they got a receipt at the time or declined it.)