As we wrap up the year and enter into the crazy holiday season, I want to share a few life hacks that have made things a bit easier. They will help you in 2023, 2024 and beyond!
Order your Starbucks from the grocery store
The freestanding Starbucks near my house is a mess. The last time I placed a mobile order, it took 30 MINUTES to get my latte. (I know, I know, first world problems!) Mobile orders were 25% of Starbucks’ volume in 2022; it will continue to grow into 2024, I am sure. Mobile orders sound like a great idea, but I think the ease of ordering has made the customer experience crazy. And the Starbucks employees are demanding that mobile ordering be turned off on promotional days.
So today, when I felt the hankering for a latte, I skipped my local Starbucks and went into Safeway. There was 1) not a single other person in line and 2) a $2 off coupon on my Safeway card. It literally took me 4 minutes from placing to sipping on my order. That’s a win for life hacks in my book! And I also got a chance to pick up some bananas!
How to effectively file a credit card dispute
I spent about 15 years in the credit card industry earlier in my career, so I tend to have strong opinions about how to manage a credit card. I am not afraid to file a credit card dispute when I feel it is justified. But having spent time with the hardworking people of the “chargeback and retrievals” department of several credit card businesses, I also feel an obligation to make their jobs easier. Naturally, that includes not filing unjustified credit card disputes.
I recently had to file just such a claim when an online merchant (that I had previously recommended! No longer!) I mailed them my watch for battery replacement. It took a month of no communications from them on the status, and when it was finally returned, the watch had stopped working completely.
How to get a credit card dispute resolved quickly:
- Start with the merchant, not your credit card issuer. Write an email/send a letter (keep documentation!) spelling out exactly what your issue is with the item or service and request a reasonable resolution. I just wanted a refund.
- Give them a week to respond. If they don’t, send one last email. Remind them that filing a dispute (“chargeback” in credit card lingo) will cost them money (it was more than $200 back in my day) in charges from their bank to resolve it. And that you will most likely triumph.
- If you still don’t get resolution, go to your bank. Ideally, you are a customer in good standing, you are actively using the card, and the disputed amount is a small % of your average monthly spend. And of course, you have documentation as proof that you’ve tried to work with the merchant. Open a dispute with your bank
- Your credit card issuer will open the dispute and give you a temporary credit while they either investigate the issue OR they automatically resolve the dispute in your favor (see above- you’re a good customer and the amount of the dispute is less than it’s going to cost them to investigate it.)
- Types of disputes that are more problematic, take longer, have a lower chance of getting resolved in your favor: international purchases, hotel and restaurant charges (especially if you’ve already “consumed” the item), large dollar amounts, if you are a frequent credit card disputer, if you haven’t tried to resolve it with the merchant first, if you are really in the wrong (you didn’t meet the cancellation policy you agreed to upon booking, etc.) or trying to get away from something. Trust me, they’ve seen it all!
Sometimes, online isn’t the best option
Speaking of my bad experience with online watch repair, it’s a good reminder that sometimes it’s just easier and faster to work with someone local. Dear Husband has a good local watch repair shop. Why didn’t I just choose to use it?
And there is plenty of evidence that we’d all probably spend and consume less if it weren’t so easy to shop online. Perhaps if I had to drive to Nordstrom to try on those shoes, I might think twice about the purchase! So consider using bricks and mortar options once in a while…
What life hacks would you share with the rest of us?? Add yours in the comments!
