FNB Refuses to Assist With a Card Dispute After I Followed Their Instructions.

FNB Refuses to Assist With a Card Dispute After I Followed Their Instructions. I am extremely disappointed with how FNB has handled my card dispute.

I disputed a $39.95 charge from TheBestPDF after discovering that a $0.95 purchase I made for a one-time document service had resulted in a recurring subscription that I did not knowingly agree to.

I contacted the merchant first, as FNB instructed. The merchant confirmed that the subscription was cancelled and told me that they were unable to process my refund because their payment system was failing, and specifically instructed me to contact my bank.

I then contacted FNB Card ***** & Disputes. FNB initially told me that because I recognised the merchant, this was a dispute rather than *****. I asked FNB to clarify the distinction, and FNB explained in writing that a dispute applies when the customer recognises the transaction but has an issue with the merchant or how the transaction was processed. They specifically listed a merchant not processing a promised refund as an example of a dispute.

I then supp**** the merchant correspondence and cancellation confirmation, exactly as FNB requested.

Despite this, after weeks of correspondence and multiple follow-ups, FNB ultimately told me:

“The Bank is unable to intervene on your behalf as the debit instruction / agreement is between you and the supplier.”

This is extremely frustrating and contradictory. I followed the process FNB gave me, contacted the merchant, obtained the requested documentation and provided it to FNB — yet FNB has now simply refused to assist.

The merchant has already cancelled the subscription and confirmed that no further charges will be made. The remaining issue is the $39.95 charge, which the merchant says they cannot refund because of a problem with their payment system.

I am asking FNB to properly investigate and process my dispute instead of simply sending me back to a merchant who has already told me to approach my bank.

FNB reference: ***