A “cheapestees” or “cheap tees” line on your credit or debit card statement is almost certainly a purchase from CheapesTees.com, a wholesale and custom t-shirt company based in Burlingame, California and legally registered as Giant Marketing, LLC.1Better Business Bureau. Cheapestees.com Business Profile If you don’t remember placing an order, the most common explanations are an authorized user on your account, a custom order whose proof you approved days or weeks earlier (the company doesn’t charge until proof approval), or, less often, fraudulent use of your card number.2CheapesTees. Frequently Asked Questions
Who CheapesTees Is
CheapesTees sells blank and custom-printed t-shirts, mostly in bulk, through cheapestees.com. All transactions run in U.S. dollars and the company ships only within the United States.3CheapesTees. Terms of Service On your statement the merchant may appear under a shortened form of the brand name or under the parent entity, Giant Marketing, LLC, which is one reason the charge can look unfamiliar even when it’s legitimate.1Better Business Bureau. Cheapestees.com Business Profile
Why the Charge May Not Look Familiar
A few scenarios explain most surprise charges from this merchant.
- Someone else on your account placed the order. A spouse, family member, or employee with an authorized card may have ordered shirts without mentioning it.
- The billing descriptor doesn’t match the storefront. Card statements often show a parent-company name or a truncated version of the business name rather than the one on the website.
- A custom order was approved and charged later. CheapesTees captures your payment details at checkout but doesn’t actually run the card until you approve the design proof, so the charge can post well after you placed the order.2CheapesTees. Frequently Asked Questions
- The charge is genuinely unauthorized. Fraudsters sometimes run small or mid-sized purchases through legitimate online retailers to confirm that a stolen card number is active before attempting larger fraud.4Mastercard. Card Testing Fraud Explained
Check These Things Before Disputing
Search your email, including spam and promotions folders, for an order confirmation from CheapesTees or Giant Marketing. Ask any authorized users on the card whether they placed an order. Searching the exact descriptor text from your statement online often confirms the merchant’s real identity within a few minutes.5Discover. What Is This Charge on My Credit Card
If you think the order might be yours and you want to confirm its status directly, CheapesTees has a tracking portal at orders.cheapestees.com and a customer service line at 800-758-1299, open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.2CheapesTees. Frequently Asked Questions
How to Dispute the Charge
Once you’ve ruled out an authorized purchase, contact your card issuer. Most banks let you start a dispute through their mobile app, their website, or the number on the back of the card.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Dispute a Charge on My Credit Card Bill Many issuers also allow you to lock the card temporarily so no new charges can post while you investigate.7Citi. How to Report Credit Card Fraud
If It Was a Credit Card
The Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute unauthorized charges and other billing errors in writing. Your notice must reach the issuer within 60 days of the date the statement containing the charge was sent to you, and it has to go to the issuer’s billing inquiries address, not the payment address. Include your name, account number, and a description of the charge; certified mail with a return receipt creates proof of delivery.8Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
The issuer has to acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days and resolve it within 90. While the investigation is open, you don’t have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges, and the issuer can’t report that amount as delinquent.8Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges Federal law caps your personal liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50, and most major issuers extend that further through zero-liability policies.7Citi. How to Report Credit Card Fraud
If It Was a Debit Card
Debit card timing matters much more. Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E, reporting the unauthorized transaction within two business days of discovering it limits your liability to $50. Wait longer than two days but report within 60 days of the statement, and the cap rises to $500. After 60 days, your liability for additional unauthorized transfers can be unlimited if the bank shows timely notice would have prevented them.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation E, Section 1005.6 Report fast.
If Your Bank Won’t Resolve It
You can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by phone at (855) 411-2372; companies generally respond within 15 days.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint If you suspect your card information was stolen for broader identity theft, the FTC directs consumers to IdentityTheft.gov for a personalized recovery plan, and to ReportFraud.ftc.gov to report the fraud itself.11Federal Trade Commission. Weird Charges on Your Credit Card Statement
One Note on the Merchant’s Chargeback Clause
CheapesTees’ terms of service say customers agree not to initiate a chargeback unless the company authorizes one in writing, and that any costs the company incurs from a chargeback will be passed on to the customer.3CheapesTees. Terms of Service Clauses like that are common in merchant terms, but they do not override your federal rights to dispute an unauthorized or erroneous charge with your card issuer.