Good afternoon and thank you for posting on the Final Fantasy XIV Technical Support Forums.

You should find the direct chat option in the key bindings (usually this is set to 'Enter' by default). Do you have it bound to something else?

You may also want to try deleting the locally-saved data folder (located My Documents > My Games > Final Fantasy XIV). Make sure to back up this folder just in case it doesn't resolve the issue.

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!