A record number of disputes between consumers and credit card companies were taken to the ombudsman last year, driven by a surge in people trying to recoup their cash after something went wrong with a purchase. A 10% annual rise in the total number of credit card complaints during financial year 2011/12 was recorded by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), amounting to 19,183, the largest figure since records began in 2001. The watchdog said much of the increase was due to a rise in consumers trying to claim back money they had spent on their credit cards, under a rule which protects people if a purchase they make is not up to scratch. Around a quarter of the credit card disputes in 2011/12 involved section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which gives consumers legal protection when people use credit to buy goods or services. The figure also included complaints about other issues such as interest rates and charges. Under the Act, if goods do not arrive or they are not up to acceptable standards, people could be entitled to their money back from the firm that provided them with the credit.....Read more here