I had one successful dispute experience in which I get reversal of charges for poor service in a Miami downtown hotel. It is important to keep everything documented and be ready to support your claim.

Issuers must follow rules for promptly addressing a credit card dispute. You'll get a statement outlining their rules for correcting billing errors when you open an account and at least once a year. In fact, many issuers include a summary of these rights on your bills.

If you find a mistake on your bill, you can dispute the charge and withhold payment on that amount while the charge is being investigated. The error might be a charge for the wrong amount, for something you didn't accept, or for an item that wasn't delivered as agreed. Of course, you still have to pay any part of the bill that's not in dispute, including finance and other charges.

Write to the creditor at the address indicated on your statement for "billing inquiries." Include your name, address, account number, and a description of the error.

Send your letter soon. It must reach the creditor within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was mailed to you.

The creditor must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days of receipt, unless the problem has been resolved. At the latest, the dispute must be resolved within two billing cycles, but not more than 90 days.

In order to dispute a charge for unsatisfactory goods or services, you must:

have made the purchase in your home state or within 100 miles of your current billing address. The charge must be for more than $50. (These limitations don't apply if the seller also is the card issuer or if a special business relationship exists between the seller and the card issuer.) and,

First make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute with the seller. No special procedures are required to do so.

If these conditions don't apply, you may want to consider filing an action in small claims court.