A charge from BotBox Inc on your credit or debit card statement comes from a Delaware-incorporated software company that sold a chatbot and messaging automation platform to small and medium-sized businesses. The Better Business Bureau now lists the company as out of business, so a charge appearing today almost always means a subscription is still cycling on a card that was never unlinked.1Better Business Bureau. BotBox Inc Because reaching the merchant directly may no longer be possible, the practical fix is a chargeback through your card issuer.
What BotBox Inc Sold
BotBox offered tools for building chatbots on websites, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, with pricing that started at $49 per month and sign-ups handled at botboxpro.com.2SourceForge. BotBox The BBB opened its file on the company in April 2022 and currently marks it “out of business — known or suspected”; it was never BBB-accredited and carries no rating.1Better Business Bureau. BotBox Inc If you don’t recognize the charge, think about whether anyone with access to the card may have trialed a chatbot service for a business, side project, or client site.
How to Stop the Charge and Get a Refund
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises contacting the seller first, and asking the card company for a chargeback when the seller can’t be reached or won’t resolve the problem.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Can I Get a Refund on a Product or Service I Purchased With My Credit Card With BotBox apparently defunct, go straight to your issuer.
To preserve your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act, send a written dispute letter to your card issuer’s billing inquiry address, not the payment address, within 60 days of the statement that shows the charge. Include your name, account number, and a description of the problem, and send it by certified mail with a return receipt. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90, and you don’t have to pay the disputed amount while that plays out.4Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Then shut off any future hit. Ask your issuer to block the merchant, or request a new card number if the recurring charge is pinned to the one on file. While you’re in your account, scan for other subscriptions you’ve forgotten.
Where to File a Complaint
- FTC: file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The agency uses complaints to track patterns and build cases against companies that keep billing after cancellation.5Federal Trade Commission. Tried to Cancel a Service and Couldn’t? Learn Steps to Take
- CFPB: if your card issuer mishandles the dispute, submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov or call (855) 411-2372.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Can I Get a Refund on a Product or Service I Purchased With My Credit Card
- Delaware Attorney General: BotBox was incorporated in Delaware, so the state’s Consumer Protection Unit may take a complaint through the Department of Justice’s online form.6Delaware Department of Justice. Consumers and Investors
Your Rights Under Federal Law
The Fair Credit Billing Act caps personal liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50 when they’re reported within 60 days of the statement date, and many issuers waive that amount under zero-liability policies.4Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Subscription billing rules have also tightened. The FTC’s updated Negative Option Rule, effective January 2025 with a May 2025 compliance deadline, requires companies with recurring subscriptions to disclose material terms before taking billing information, obtain unambiguous consent to recurring charges, and offer a cancellation process at least as simple as the sign-up.7Federal Register. Rule Concerning Recurring Subscriptions and Other Negative Option Programs A company that kept charging after a cancellation attempt would be out of compliance.
If It Looks Like Fraud, Not a Forgotten Subscription
If you believe someone used your card without permission, call your issuer right away and consider placing a fraud alert with Equifax (1-800-525-6285), Experian (1-888-397-3742), or TransUnion (1-800-680-7289). Identity theft can be reported at IdentityTheft.gov.8Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud