Well, I thought that I’d seen it all or at least enough to allow me to consider myself a rather aware or in tune individual. Up until the past couple of months I would have stood behind a position that my use of my VISA credit card was as safe as my money in the bank. This morning that theory came thundering down around me during a rude and unacceptable conversation with Ms. (name withheld), Charge Back Officer at VISA CANADA.

With a great deal of ground to cover it seems most logical to start back at the beginning, some four months ago when I hired Closet Re-organizer, a local Toronto company that specializes (or that’s what they tell you) in closet systems, Murphy beds, and custom design and installation of dens.

When it became apparent that they did not have a clue about quality workmanship and were installing “on the fly”, I started regretting having allowed myself to be “sold” by their slick talking front man (“Henry Ziefman“) who repeatedly “guaranteed” me that “I would love the finished product”.

When the first attempt fell decidedly short (the doors on the filing cabinets did not fit the drawers, the shelves in the cabinet behind the LCD TV would not insert as the hinges for the door blocked them, the wire monster protruding from the front of the unit looked more like an octopus than an upscale dual workstation that I had designed (to mention but a few of the deficiencies in their work).

When I called Henry, the verbal juice continued to flow and he assured me over and over again that I would “love the outcome”. I found in my business dealings over the years that overselling usually is a front for something and as I pondered what I saw as a definite “oversell” I decided to call my credit card company and make sure nothing unlawful had transpired (bazaar at that might prove to be).

It is difficult to express the deep sense of regret that I felt to hear the answer come over the phone that a company called “Closet Re-Organizer” had in fact run an additional unauthorized $3,490 charge against my card. VISA had called me when Closet Re-Organizer was given my authority to charge 50% of the job on my credit card and I felt comforted to know that they were that “on the job”. I confirmed that I had in fact authorized this charge and commended them on their thoroughness and actually informed them in a humorous way that I would not be responsible for any “Unauthorized” charges.

Realizing that they had gotten away with the unauthorized charge the personality of Closet Re-Organizer’s changed drastically becoming rude and abusive telling me that they “will get around to trying to fix their deficient work when they could”! They didn’t show up again until weeks after having stolen my money (pushing a second unauthorized charge onto my credit card is stealing”! Speaking with the VISA representatives within hours of the unauthorized charge I was reassured by their representative that unauthorized charges would be reversed. I rested on this promise.

Every few weeks for almost four months we would follow up on VISA only to be told that the International VISA was investigating the claim however, not once did I receive an unsolicited contact from VISA. I did not see any legitimate effort to protect their client or to recoup the funds. Letting a thief get away with the goods for months certainly did not constitute protection or fulfilling the mandate represented to me by VISA.

As VISA took whatever initiatives that they did take (I’m not sure as they have yet, after four months, to let me know that they have done anything) Closet Re-Organizer did contact me promising to replace the faulty doors (we couldn’t open one without opening the other thereby defeating the very purpose of two doors) and to be co-operative I allowed them back into my home to try to remedy the mess they had made.

They couldn’t come up with a scenario to fix the mess they had made. The loveseat/couch was 3 inches too high and resulted in a useless sitting area to watch television and the wire monster that they left in the front of the work station was hideous! The missing shelves in the shelving unit (missing because the hinges on the door restricted any shelving rendering the entire unit functionally useless) left me with a non-functioning and useless den. They did not put the dimmer into the lighting mechanism so when you try to watch television you are either in total darkness or under hot hallogen lights. Does any of this sound professional or knowledgeable on Closet Re-Organizer’s part?

More importantly, does this sound like the deal that you understood you had with your credit card company. I had specifically been told by VISA when I agreed to use their credit card (over Master Card and others). I was specifically told that “I would not be responsible for any proveable unauthorized charges”.

I have repeatedly asked VISA to send me what authorization they have on this transaction but they refuse to give me a truthful answer (that they have NONE) yet here we are four months after almost $4,000 was flagrantly stolen from me (VISA insisted I pay them or pay the interest until the dispute was settled which I did) apparently with full support and approval of VISA.

When I tried to have the representative qualify their position they became rude and antagonistic ultimately hanging the telephone up in my (client) ear after blatantly refusing to disclose the address and contact information for VISA’s executive offices and/or lawyer offices sufficient to allow me to serve a petition for damages.

It struck me as extremely bazaar to have them not only take the ridiculous position on the matter that they had chosen to take when I am their customer/client and the merchant whom they have protected for over four months is proveably a thief.

This experience in inexcusable, inappropriate and outright wrong. It is obvious that this is the policy with VISA in spite of their representations to their clients about security. Obviously there is NO security with a VISA card. I have spoken with American Express (my other credit card supplier) who have told me that had this incident occurred using their card that I definitely would not be exposed to this type of fiasco.

My strategy from here on is quite clear. I will sue Closet Re-Organizer in civil (Small Claims) court for the entire job which is wholly deficient and functionless and sue VISA in small claims court for having allowed an unauthorized charge to be processed in spite of immediate notification of fraud and then pandering with the merchant for months while misleading me to believe that my credit card company was actually working on my behalf to remedy a theft of my money by using my credit card.

Stay tuned. I have asked VISA to respond and explain it’s conduct in this. They have been granted sufficient editorial space free of charge to bring us all up to date so tune in shortly. I’m sure you are as interested in the outcome as am I.