By Christopher Elliott | Problem Solved

Q: I’ve been a loyal Target customer for years and I use my Target Circle Debit Card regularly, which offers a 5 percent discount when I buy at Target. One day, I tried to make a purchase on Target.com, only to find that my card had been declined. When I logged into my account, it said my card was closed. I immediately called Target and a representative told me the closure was due to inactivity. This didn’t make sense because I’d used the card multiple times that month.

I pressed the issue. Target claimed I had requested the closure. This was completely untrue.

Target offered no solid explanation for why my card was closed, only that they would investigate and send me a resolution by mail within a few business days. However, I never received anything in the mail except a generic form letter saying my account was closed, and the issue hasn’t been resolved.

I emailed Target, explaining that I never asked for my card to be closed and that I was worried someone might have closed it without my consent. I also pointed out that my daughter needed diapers, and I didn’t want to pay an additional 5 percent just because of Target’s error.

What should I do now? I don’t want to apply for a new card and have my credit checked again when this was their mistake. How can I get them to reopen my account and make up for the 5 percent discount I missed out on? — Martha Norrick, Brooklyn, NY

A: Target should have promptly addressed your issue by explaining the reason for your account closure or by reopening it and apologizing. And even though the government regulators — the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — have been fired, there are still laws that apply to your situation. A company offering a financial product like a debit card must act in good faith and handle disputes promptly. You were within your rights to expect Target to fully investigate and resolve the issue without throwing additional roadblocks in your way.

Unfortunately, when companies only offer help over the phone and refuse to communicate in writing, it can be difficult to hold them accountable. In your case, the delay in responding, along with their refusal to follow up as promised, constituted a customer service failure. Target could have provided a written response, explaining what happened and reassuring you that the situation was being addressed.

I usually recommend creating a paper trail, but Target appears to have provided most of its responses by phone. You can always appeal any rejection to one of the executive contacts I’ve published on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. (Here’s a link to the Target contacts.)

It’s highly unusual for a company to close your card without giving you a reason. And when you get several reasons for the closure, then you know something is amiss. I see that you pressed your case, and Target replied to you with a series of form responses. No wonder you tried to call. You weren’t getting a straight answer.

I was able to contact Target on your behalf. Target told you that it closed your account “in error.” It reopened your account and refunded you the 5 percent discount on the purchases you had made.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/