When you have finally found the credit card offer that suits you best, you sign the credit card application. That means you accept all term and conditions of the plastic you have chosen. You may think that now credit card company has the upper hand in all situations related to using your card, but that's not always so.

You have your rights too! Remember that you are protected by Fair Credit Billing Act, this act was created especially for the credit card users, so that they could solve some major credit problems.

Let's start with billing disputes, they happen all the time. For example, you have paid for the item that you have never received or the item that you have received was defective, what should you do? According to the Fair Credit Billing Act, you have to take the following steps in order to dispute such charges:

• Contact in writing your credit card issuer, like Visa or MasterCard within 60 days starting from the date you received the bill for the disputed item. Make sure that you mention all your personal details (such as your name and account number) and don't forget to mention all details about disputed item and what actions should be taken.

• Before you send the letter, make a copy of it, as well as copies of all supporting documentation for your own record. You really want to make sure that your letter will be received, so it will be wise to use a mailing method that gives you the proof of delivery. The issuer must contact you within 30 days after the date they received your dispute and let you know all about the actions that will be taken. During the time of the investigation, you are not obliged to pay for this item. If you win the dispute, you will be free not to pay, if not, then you will be required to pay as it is outlined in your cardholder agreement.

Unauthorized charges is another major problem even of best credit cards. Your responsibility for unauthorized charges is limited to $50. But, unfortunately, they can be as high as thousands of dollars, so $50 is not a big price to pay if you are a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft.

What if you cannot pay off your credit card debt? In the past credit card users used to receive phone calls from the debt collectors, who used to threaten them in order to collect the debt. Fortunately, it is not this way now. According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the debtors cannot be treated this way anymore. It doesn't mean that you are free not to repay your debt; that means that you simply must be treated fairly!

For further information you can contact your credit card company and ask them any questions concerning you legal rights.

When you have chosen the right credit card offer, remember that your rights are protected by law, don't hesitate to take actions when you feel that you are right!

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