IDF Reservist Trapped in Bureaucratic Loop Over Fighter Card Refund Error
An IDF reservist mistakenly received a 3,510 NIS refund on his Fighter digital wallet. His attempts to return the funds to an Eilat hotel led to a month and a half of customer service runarounds by Cal.
An IDF reservist who mistakenly received a refund of 3,510 NIS on his Fighter digital card found himself trapped in a bureaucratic loop while trying to return the money to the business.
Fighter is a rechargeable digital wallet created by the Ministry of Defense, the IDF Personnel Directorate, and the Cal credit card company, designed to provide benefits and grants to combat reservists.
A Mistake at the Front Desk
The incident began during the reservist's stay at a hotel in Eilat.
The reservist explained:
"I arrived at the hotel on July 18. I paid with my private credit card (244 NIS + 3,229 NIS) and then remembered that I had my Fighter card, which I could use. I asked for a refund so I could pay with the Fighter card, but the clerk mistakenly refunded the 3,510 NIS to the Fighter card instead of my private credit card. Once we realized the mistake, he refunded my private card, and I paid with the Fighter card."
However, the accidental refund sent to the Fighter card became frozen in the system. While the transaction appeared in the history, the funds were unavailable for use, and the card balance showed only 7 NIS when he attempted to transfer the money back to the hotel.
Dozens of Unresolved Calls
Over the following weeks, the reservist made dozens of calls to Cal's dedicated Fighter hotline but received contradictory answers.
At various points, representatives told him the money would automatically return to the hotel, that it would be credited to his card, or even that the transaction was "suspected of fraud." He was also told that only one person handles communications with the Ministry of Defense, meaning the issue could take up to three months to resolve.
The reservist added:
"For weeks, I waited on the line for nearly an hour, only for calls to disconnect. After a month, I managed to speak with a call center manager who confirmed it was a technical glitch in Cal's system. I asked for written confirmation to show the hotel, but they refused to provide it."
Throughout the ordeal, the hotel management remained patient, but the reservist was reluctant to pay them out of pocket without a guarantee from Cal that they would not double-charge him later.
Resolution After Media Intervention
Following an inquiry by ynet, the funds were finally returned to the hotel, ending the reservist's six-week ordeal.
Cal issued the following response:
"Cal deeply appreciates and embraces IDF reservists, viewing the management of the Fighter card project as a national mission of the highest order. This was an exceptional, isolated case resulting from a chain of refunds and charges initiated by the business. We regret that the service provided in this instance did not meet our standards. The case will be thoroughly investigated to prevent recurrence."
