Large Scale Central

When is a Crime not a Crime?

General Discussion
#1

When its on your Credit Card!!!

Ok so I tripped into the home port about 2100 Saturday night…

Got up Sunday morning…intended on ordering some decals and assorted goodies…double checked the credit card balance…Huh…Whut tha Frack? Whass dis charge for $29.95 made on the 13th…where was I the 13th…ohh yeah…Alabama…I didn;t make this…what is it anyways?

Ring up Customer service…Frack…they’re on West Coast Time…Frack…

Wait…wait…

more wait…

Try again…“Hello Customer service…”

Welp…Jr Mr. Answer the phone on Sunday tells me that its from some sort of Dr Something or other for some sort of software I ordered…

Me: Uhhhh Nope…I was gone this is a fradulent charge…What do we need to do about this?

Jr Mr Phone Snotstick: Uhhhhhhh…Hmmmmm Well its not really a charge its just an authorization on your account…you need to wait 10 days to see if it becomes a charge…

Me: Wrong answer…This is a fradulent charge…We are going to take care of this today…

Jr Mr Phone Snotstick: You can’t…

Me: Wrong answer, lemme talk to the Supervisor…

Hold please…CLICK

Call Ended

Me:FRACK!

Dial Dial Dial

Jr Mr. Phone Snotstick proceeds to argue with me over weather or not I hung up( I was mildly amazed that I got the SAME Snotstick and that they actually knew who I was! He obviously broke a rule of the Customer Harassement Guild)…I HAD felt like overlooking that little detail; You DID hang up…“Whatever snotstick…supervisor NOW!!!”

Sr. Ms Phone Snotstick: How can I help you?

Like she doesn’t know…

Once I proceed to explain said situation…and my displeasure at being hung up on…and the general attitude of Jr. Mr Snotstick…Suddenly she seems to know all about it…

Sr Ms, Phone Snotstick: Well theres nothing really we can do…its an authorization not a charge, you should wait and see if it becomes a charge…

Me: 'Scuse me? You are holding $29.95 out of my available credit, that I cannot utilize Correct?

Sr. Ms Phone Snotstick: Yes

Me: And that is not a charge how?

(Long involved back and forth conversation where Ms Snotstick and I end up chasing her tail in circles of leagalese…)

You will have to contact Fraud…They aren’t open today…

Ok You have a direct line to them?

No just call Customer Harassment…

Fast Foreward to Today!

Customer Harassment…how can I help you?

SIGH…here we go again…

So now…the “Authorization” has become a “Charge” (still no closer on figuring out the difference)
Not only that…theres NEW charges in the system…a Service station in New Jersey on the 15th

Brand new MR Phone Snotstick: “Have you talked with these merchants to dispute these charges?”
Me: “I don’t know who these merchants are or how to contact them!”
Mr Phone Snotstick:“Oh you need to speak to Lost and Fraud”

Ya think?

I finally get put through “Emergency” where they once again start from ZERO…“Oh you need to talk to Fraud and Lost”

ARRRRRGH!!!

Starting over…Amicable young lady…seems brighter than most…prolly why she’s not answering the Phone on Sundays…Only had to repeat the statement “I haven’t used the card since I made the last payment on it” Three times before she came to the logical conclusion that anything charged after that was Fradulent…By golly she’s so sharp she determined that the last charge I had made was in the First part of May! Wow…

SuperSharpAccountFraud Person: Please hold for further instructions…
Me: M’kay

RECORDING: We have finished documenting your attempt to rectify being butt tagged, for further information please contact Customer HArassment…

I need a drink…

#2

Sheesh Bart!

That sounds like my story with PayPal, but I didn’t document it that minutely!

Have a coffee (with a brandy) and … have you got a blackboard??? … good … write three times “Incompetence is a transmittable disease and spreading rapidly!”

#3

Just be thankful that the customer service wasn’t in Bombay…:frowning:

There is a difference between an “authorization” and a “charge”. The “authorization” holds the money aside but does not transfer it to the person requesting the “authorization”. This “authorization” hold can last from 3 to 30 days. A charge actually pays the other person/company the requested amount. Where I see it a lot on my credit cards is when I order something the seller will place an authorization for the amount on my card and when they get confirmation of delivery then it’s converted to a charge and they get paid. It works like an escrow account and as long as it’s in the “authorization” status there is little the bank or credit card company can do. It sucks but that’s a fact of life.

Any time you have what looks like an unauthorized charge on your account you should go straight to fraud prevention rather than customer service.

#4

It’s time to transfer the balance to another card… Not that that would do anything, all these cards are owned by Bank of Amerika, anyway.

(spelling intentional)

#5

Had a similar occurance on my Visa card last sept while we were in Oregon. Tried to use it a few times and “No-Go.” Fortunatly it was through my local credit union and and when I got home I checked my account statement on-line and found a bunch of purchases were made by someone who had gotten my credit card numbers and finally had reached the limit (which isn’t that high on that card). The credit union was very helpful and sent me a procedure to go through for reporting Credit Card fraud, closed out that particular card, and issued me a new one. I had to file a police report, get a copy of said report and send it along with my statement which had the fraudulent charges highlighted, to the Credit Union. Got my new card in the mail a week later. A few weeks after that, the fraudulent charges were dropped from my account and I’ve never heard another word about it.

About a month ago I got a notice from Mastercard saying that a merchant that I’ve dealt with had had his credit card security compromised and they closed out that particular card and issued me a new one. What I can say is I’ve not had the horror story that Bart has had to deal with.

#6

Sorry to hear of your misfortune Bart. Hope things work out OK.

Twice now, in unfamiliar gas stations on the road I have been asked to leave my card with the cashier while I pump. NO WAY. It’s to simple for them to gather up all of the data to use the card fraudelently in only a minute or so while you aren’t looking. It’s pay-at-the-pump or cash unless I know the dealer.

I’m also suspicious of places that require the 3 digit code from the back. That system is really only serves to protect the merchant. If you have the number, expiration, name and 3 digit code from any card it is very easy to mail order for delivery anywhere. I do it all the time at work with muy boss’s card.

JR

#7

I don’t even know why companies have customer service depts.
They never satisfy. They don’t even know if they are afoot or on horseback!

I call it “customer No service!”

j

#8

John, that’s what we get because nobody is willing to raise hell about it or boycott the businesses that provide the crappy customer service…including Microsoft and their crappy Indian customer service.