If a charge labeled “Idle Rich Pub Dallas TX” has appeared on your credit or debit card statement, it is almost certainly tied to a Dallas Irish pub that closed on January 23, 2018, or to one of its still-operating sister pubs billing under the same descriptor.1D Magazine. After 14 Years Idle Rich Pub Closes Its Doors With a Traditional Irish Wake Because the pub itself has been shut for years, a charge under its name today is worth investigating and, if you can’t account for it, disputing.
What the Charge Probably Is
Three explanations cover almost every case.
The most common is a shared billing descriptor. The Idle Rich Pub was owned by Feargal McKinney, who also owns The Old Monk, Blackfriar Pub, and The Skellig in Dallas.2Dallas Observer. Feargal McKinney Owner of the Old Monk and Blackfriar on the Magic of an Old Irish Whiskey When related merchant accounts share back-end payment processing, a visit to one venue can post under another venue’s name.3AltoPay. Chargebacks on a Closed Merchant Account
A second possibility is a delayed post from an old transaction, though that becomes unlikely more than a short time after the January 2018 closure.
The third is unauthorized use of your card. A charge from a business you’ve never visited, or one that pre-dates or post-dates any visit you could have made, is a red flag.
One thing the charge is not: it is not coming from the current occupant of 2614 McKinney Avenue. A nightclub called One Sette opened in that space in late September 2018 under separate ownership and would not bill as Idle Rich.4Dallas Morning News. Mayor of Uptown Mike Napoli Has a Stake in New Nightclub Where Idle Rich Pub Once Stood
Check the Sister Pubs Before You Dispute
Before calling your bank, think back on whether you or anyone with authorized access to your card may have been at The Old Monk, Blackfriar Pub, or The Skellig around the date of the charge. All three are still operating under the same ownership as the former Idle Rich, and a tab at any of them could plausibly surface on your statement under the Idle Rich name because of how the group’s payment processing is configured. Matching the dollar amount to a receipt or a night out is often enough to close the question.
How to Dispute the Charge With Your Card Issuer
If you’re confident the charge doesn’t belong to you, contact the card issuer. On a credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act caps your liability for unauthorized charges at $50, and many issuers go further with zero-liability policies.5FTC. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
To preserve your full rights under the FCBA, send a written dispute to the billing inquiries address on your statement within 60 days of the statement date on which the charge first appeared. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days, or two billing cycles.6FTC. What to Do if Youre Billed for Things You Never Got or You Get Unordered Products While the investigation runs, you don’t have to pay the disputed amount or any related finance charges, and the issuer cannot report you as delinquent on it.5FTC. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Debit cards are different. The FCBA doesn’t cover them, but your bank will have its own fraud-dispute process, and the sooner you report, the better your position tends to be.6FTC. What to Do if Youre Billed for Things You Never Got or You Get Unordered Products
If the Issuer Won’t Resolve It
If your issuer’s response doesn’t settle the matter, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online or at (855) 411-2372.7CFPB. How Can I Get a Refund on a Product or Service I Purchased With My Credit Card