Mony Tree Systems Is charging my credit card for $72.21 for the past two months. Mony Tree Systems with a Utah telephone no that is an answering system. Salt Lake City Utah

The first step to recovering your funds is to report the charges to your credit card company or financial institution if you used a debit card. File a case for unauthorized charges and request that they block your card. You will be required to sign a letter stating that you did not authorize this merchant to charge your account. Even if you authorized a "shipping and handling" charge for "free" information using your credit or debit card, if you did not give specific permission for continuing monthly charges, they are considered unauthorized under Government Regulation Z for credit cards or Government Regulation E for debit card. Once you file the case for unauthorized charges the credit card company must freeze all fees and put the charges on hold against repayment until the investigation of the charges is complete.

Once you have filed your case, stay in close contact with your credit ard company. If you used a debit card, the bank will normally give you a provisional credit on your account so that you do not suffer financial hardship during the investigation. Also, watch your mailbox closely for letters from the credit card company requesting more information in support of your case, or forms that you need to sign, because the timeframes allowed for the dispute process are limited to 120 days from the date of the charge to complete a chargeback to the merchant.

If you receive a letter stating that you have received a credit to your account for the fraudulent charges, don't be fooled into believing that is the end. The merchant is allowed 45 days to respond to your dispute. If a response is received by the merchant, the credit card company will send you another form to sign and copies of any documents the merchant sent in support of their claim so that you can review the information. If you receive a letter like that, DO NOT WAIT to respond. Normally you will only be given 10 days to file your response. If you don't file your response within the time specified on the letter, you will lose all rights to continue your claim. This is a protection extended to the merchant in order to protect them from customers that decide "I bought it, but I don't want to pay for it".

I hope you find this information helpful. I work for a company that processes credit card disputes and I see this same situation all to often. I find it terribly sad that so many businesses today have poor and deceptive practices, designed to take the hard earned money of unsuspecting victims. Just, please, above all else remember to be nice to your banker or credit card co. representitive--they work for you and they are your advocate and not your enemy. Besides, you might be talking to me!

Good luck and best wishes.