On Your Side: DART annual pass purchase refunded

DALLAS - Earlier this week, FOX 4 shared a viewer’s frustration when he lost his nearly $1,000 annual DART pass and the transit agency would not replace it or refund his money.

While Jeff Pearce couldn’t get the solution he wanted from DART, thanks to some advice from consumer reporter Steve Noviello, he now has his money back.

DART’s official position is that it is not responsible for lost or stolen passes. But, Steve found that’s a policy that isn’t disclosed to consumers until after they make their non-refundable purchase.

For Jeff, that meant he was out the nearly $1,000 he paid for his annual pass when it was lost.

The good news is that he paid with a credit card. He couldn’t dispute the charge as fraud since he did in fact make it but Steve suggested that he call his credit card company and ask if it has a return protection benefit.

Return protections extend the return life of an item or creates a return policy where perhaps none existed before. The benefit is included for free on many cards. Most consumers likely don’t even realize they have it.

In this case, DART had no return policy but Jeff’s card did. His $960 purchase was credited back to his account.

Steve said it’s another reminder that sometimes it pays to use plastic. Consumers should just remember to pay their balance in full so they’re not subject to interest charges.

To find the hidden perks of a credit card like return protection, price matching or even insurance for things like a broken iPhone screen, look in the card member agreement or call the customer service number on the back of the card.