I would have taken Air Canada to court though, assuming all the facts are true. A small claims court would have definitely supported them.
I once called in to make a price protection benefit claim (would refund the price difference of a purchase). The agent assured me it was done and I find out later all they did was create a chargeback and I got refunded the entire price because the merchant didn't respond to it.
The dispute resolution system seems like it gets no investment or attention from any stakeholder, a merchant could easily get DOSd by spam disputes if some sort of consumer protest were organized. That’s how overpowered of a consumer tool it is.
You are correct about credit card companies, but for whatever reason, Chase has different incentives.
Did you use the magic phrase: “I need to issue a chargeback. They charged my card for services not rendered. I called their number to contest it and they did not issue a refund.”
That (or “they charged my card but did not send the product”) has worked 100% of the time for me. I’ve never provided documentation beyond that.
Chase has a strong financial incentive to issue the chargeback (Air Canada ends up paying Chase a fine), and it’s no sweat off Chase’s back if Air Canada sues you.
Card issuers have no incentive to investigate further, and (in my experience) never ask for further documentation.