Is a chargeback appropriate when a company cancels and then later un-cancels a service?

Question

So here's the situation:

• I reserved two spaces on a bus tour
• Three days before the tour departs I am emailed to notify me the trip has been cancelled. I am given the option to either rebook a day earlier or have my money refunded
• I exchange some emails with the company to ask questions about the new potential booking, I had not agreed to rebook at this time
• I decide to cancel my reservation and send an email back to the company informing them of such
• I make alternate plans and reservations at another company
• Half an hour after I confirm to cancel I recieve an email informing me the trip is no longer cancelled, they claim there was a problem with the hotel before

My question is, is this a valid reason to file a chargeback on my credit card? I feel that I should be able to receive a refund as I had already been cancelled on by the company and confirmed before they revoked their decision but I'm not sure. It may be relevant that this is taking place in Canada.

Edit: One piece of additional info: I have already talked to them over the phone and they insist they haven't charged me yet, and I will not be charged. When I informed them I had in fact been charged they agreed it would be reversed. So I have tried to resolve the issue and I don't have any confidence they will reverse the charge as it has not been done yet. They are difficult to communicate which makes the whole process more difficult.

Answer 1

I have already talked to them over the phone and they insist they haven't charged me yet, and I will not be charged. When I informed them I had in fact been charged they agreed it would be reversed. So I have tried to resolve the issue and I don't have any confidence they will reverse the charge as it has not been done yet. They are difficult to communicate which makes the whole process more difficult.

Your best next step is to call the credit card company and share this story. I believe the likely result is that the credit card company will initiate a charge back.

My question is, is this a valid reason to file a chargeback on my credit card?

Yes. If you attempted to work it out with the vendor and it is not working out, this is an appropriate time to initiate a charge back.

Answer 2

Are you sure the payment has actually posted and isn't sitting in a pre-auth status?

If it is, it'll fall off in a few days and they're probably telling the truth.

If not, and it has fully posted to your account, I agree with the others. It's very appropriate to initiate a chargeback. You can provide documentation showing they confirmed a cancellation, further, you can show proof that they had no intent of charging you.

Good luck!