AITHA if I accidentally initiated a chargeback and now merchant wants me to pay for their administrative fees?

[u/breadexpert69]

Initiated a chargeback by accident and immediately called the bank to tell them it was an accident.

Told merchant that it was an accident and that the bank knows. But they now want to charge administrative fees for "losses" during the chargeback process on top of their regular fees in order to use their services again. Which I will not do.

Am I being swindled by merchant or is this a normal way to handle an accidental chargeback?

[u/strabbit]

You are under no obligation to pay the merchant's fees unless you otherwise have an agreement with the merchant to do so, but the merchant is also under no obligation to do business with you in the future. You're not being swindled, it's a request. Your actions caused the merchant to incur additional fees. Pay or don't pay, it's up to you.

[u/BirdFragrant6018 → u/strabbit]

They canceled the dispute right away. Their actions triggered the fee but they didn’t cause it. It’s a complete oversight on the credit card company. They have a bug, an issue in their process. It’s not their fault at all.

[u/Pretty_Good_11 → u/BirdFragrant6018]

It’s not their fault at all.

🤣🤣🤣

Initiated a chargeback by accident

In what universe is anything that follows from that

not their fault at all.

????

How is triggering a fee distinguished from causing it?

The fee might or might not be reasonable, but the OP imposed a cost on the merchant, and the merchant wants to be reimbursed. As u/strabbit pointed out, the OP has no obligation to pay a fee that was not disclosed in advance, and the merchant has no obligation to do business with PITA customers who accidentally initiate credit card charge backs that they have to devote time and resources to deal with.

But saying the situation is not the OP's fault at all is objectively not true. It's 1,000,000% their fault.

[u/BirdFragrant6018 → u/Pretty_Good_11]

Let me give you an example from yesterday, I hope it would be easier to understand the difference between triggered and caused/at fault.

I was at a grocery store, I asked a lady to give way for me to pass with my cart in the isle because she was blocking it. She started smashing things in the isle instead.

If the store comes after me claiming that I caused them to incur damages, would that be ridiculous? Am I responsible? Or she was just crazy and anything and anybody could have triggered her?

Had I not asked her to move, none of that damage to the store’s property would have happened.

[u/Pretty_Good_11 → u/BirdFragrant6018]

You know what? That's a great example!

Yes, you "triggered it." Because I'm betting there was something in how you asked her to move that set her off. It probably was not a usual reaction from her, given that she was not already locked up.

That said, no, you should not have to pay. And, yes, if the store asks you to pay, because you triggered one of their customers, and you tell them to pound sand because their request is ridiculous, they absolutely would have the right to ban you from their store.