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Post by Crusty Ruffles on Jun 8, 2012 19:44:11 GMT -5
Yikes.
The most i've ever seen is $1. That's insane.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Jun 8, 2012 19:46:14 GMT -5
you swiped the card a twice, an automatic payment method will charge both times it's swiped, no business i know would allow you "i'll be back to pay you tomorrow". now if there is a mandatory temporary charge on useage of the card that should be advertised when you got it. I only swiped the card twice because the machine froze. Of course they wouldn't let me pay them tomorrow, I wanted to pay then. I wasn't trying anything crazy. I just wanted gas but instead of gas, I got my money taken away for 10 hours. All of my money at once. And no gas. What if I had to get to work? Or had a date? Or had to buy medicine? How can they just, without my consent or any warning, "hold" all of my money? Why did they have to take my money to keep me from stealing gas? That's like walmart taking everybody's wallet at the door to prevent shoplifting...it makes no darn sense.
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boolz
AC Slater
Wooooo 1 post
Posts: 164
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Post by boolz on Jun 8, 2012 23:35:39 GMT -5
... why are you using a prepaid card to buy gas? Wouldn't cash be a better option anyway? I mean you clearly have the money, you put it on the card. Why not just keep cash.
I've used prepaid cards for online transactions, but I usually go buy the card, use it at toss it.
I'm confused on the whole deal. I do know when the wife and I moved from Southern California to North Carolina we used the debit card a lot to buy gas. Frequently the pump would shut off at 50$ because that's all the gas station would 'ghost charge'.
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THE Baldy Kendrick
Dennis Stamp
may be an ursaring, may not.
I hear dem shoutin'.
Posts: 3,895
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Post by THE Baldy Kendrick on Jun 8, 2012 23:37:57 GMT -5
you swiped the card a twice, an automatic payment method will charge both times it's swiped, no business i know would allow you "i'll be back to pay you tomorrow". now if there is a mandatory temporary charge on useage of the card that should be advertised when you got it. I only swiped the card twice because the machine froze. Of course they wouldn't let me pay them tomorrow, I wanted to pay then. I wasn't trying anything crazy. I just wanted gas but instead of gas, I got my money taken away for 10 hours. All of my money at once. And no gas. What if I had to get to work? Or had a date? Or had to buy medicine? How can they just, without my consent or any warning, "hold" all of my money? Why did they have to take my money to keep me from stealing gas? That's like walmart taking everybody's wallet at the door to prevent shoplifting...it makes no darn sense. The bank doesn't tell customers about holds because holds are completely controlled by the stores, not the bank. When a charge comes in on a card, all the card issuer can say is yes, there's enough to cover the amount you're asking for, or no, there's not. When you swipe the card at the pump, the pump asks the card company if the card can cover the amount. Since you're doing it before the gas is being pumped, it has no idea how much gas you are going to pump, so it has to ask for a number big enough to cover the purchase under the most expensive circumstances.
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Post by Mayonnaise on Jun 9, 2012 0:21:24 GMT -5
I only swiped the card twice because the machine froze. Of course they wouldn't let me pay them tomorrow, I wanted to pay then. I wasn't trying anything crazy. I just wanted gas but instead of gas, I got my money taken away for 10 hours. All of my money at once. And no gas. What if I had to get to work? Or had a date? Or had to buy medicine? How can they just, without my consent or any warning, "hold" all of my money? Why did they have to take my money to keep me from stealing gas? That's like walmart taking everybody's wallet at the door to prevent shoplifting...it makes no darn sense. The bank doesn't tell customers about holds because holds are completely controlled by the stores, not the bank. When a charge comes in on a card, all the card issuer can say is yes, there's enough to cover the amount you're asking for, or no, there's not. When you swipe the card at the pump, the pump asks the card company if the card can cover the amount. Since you're doing it before the gas is being pumped, it has no idea how much gas you are going to pump, so it has to ask for a number big enough to cover the purchase under the most expensive circumstances. Yeah, to protect themselves from drive offs most places place holds on cards for the cutoff price of the pump, which is $100 in most places, because they do not know the exact amount you are getting. Around here all the pumps have notices on them that a hold can be placed on a card and those funds made unavailable for a time period, if you don't want to take that chance, pre-pay. Hotels, rental companies and the like all do the same, they just have the luxury of knowing the amount you are spending before hand which gas stations don't.
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Post by "I'm Batman..." on Jun 9, 2012 0:31:33 GMT -5
They usually just charge $1.
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Post by OldDirtyBernie on Jun 9, 2012 2:57:54 GMT -5
I thought this was common knowledge. All you have to do, while still being able to use your card, is go inside and tell the clerk how much gas you want and go pump. All gas stations are different, but I've never seen one only charge $1. I've seen charges from $30-75. The reasoning behind the hold has been explained, and I really don't think it's all that unreasonable being as they are a business and should protect themselves from losing money.
I'll give you that information about this should be posted at the pump, and I've even seen a few local Shell stations doing this. THIS is one of the very reasons I think there should be dedicated Credit Education courses in High School.
Also, why swipe the card a second time after it had been declined? If my credit card says declined for ANY reason, I immediately call the company for an explanation. They provide this and I either know what is going on or the situation is remedied.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Jun 9, 2012 6:33:11 GMT -5
^^ I didn't swipe after it was declined. Let me run you through it a little more clearly.
I swiped my card. When I went to put in my PIN, the machine froze. I cancelled the transaction and swiped it again. Same deal. I went inside to pay, that's when it was declined.
I get that they are trying to protect themselves from drive offs but that was beyond protecting themselves. I mean, the manager called flash foods corporate. Corporate was just like "yea, he'll get his money back at midnight". All I wanted was some god damn gas. It shouldn't matter what type of card I'm using, when I try to purchase a product, I expect to A.) receive it and B.) not be mother f***ing strong armed into poverty for the rest of the day.
I'll definitely not be shopping there anymore. f*** those guys. And I wont be using the pay at the pump feature any more.
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Post by Mr. Self-Destruct on Jun 9, 2012 6:40:18 GMT -5
Don't like the way a company protects themselves from losing out on money due to drive offs and pre-paid card scams?
Then get a bank card from a real bank, protected by a real bank.
In the meantime, don't complain when two different companies can't drop everything and work together to fix your problem.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Jun 9, 2012 7:00:16 GMT -5
^^ thats so cute and pretentious. I've had a bank card, and I wasted hundreds on NSF charges. The problem here wasn't Visa. The problem is the gas station freezing my assets for no reason. Why did tgey need to hold my money if they refused to give me the f***ing gas? Once they were aware that they had my money, why didn't they return it? Why did they make me wait?
I didn't even calk Visa. They've always been helpful in the past.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Jun 9, 2012 7:07:24 GMT -5
I'm getting really annoyed by the "this is your fault" attitudes. It wasn't. I did something reasonable, and it's really annoying that so many users are trying to make me sound retarded in this situation. Holy hell, I've been using debit cards and prepaid debit cards foe years. I've never just had my money froze because i tried to buy gas. I'm sorry, that's just unacceptable to me.
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Post by Zombie Mod is not a ghoul. on Jun 9, 2012 8:33:35 GMT -5
no one has said it's your fault, most responses have explained why the money was held
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Post by Kash Flagg on Jun 9, 2012 8:48:10 GMT -5
It's how they protect themselves from people driving off without paying whne they aren't paying cash. They hold an amount that'd be realistic to pay ($100 a tank may seem like a lot, but I know people who drove large vehicles that had that much gas to pump in when it was at it's most expensive), and then refund you back after the charge goes through. It really is just smart business sense for the most part, it just makes it dicey when using prepaid cards for gas. This is the exact reason right here. You have to prepay now because too many assholes were driving off, and I know that for the most part if the cashier turns it on, THEY have to pay for it. You act like they're singling you out when that's not the case at all. It sucks they have to do that, I agree. But they can't override things because you "get gas there all the time". It just doesn't work that way. If anything, blame all the scumbag dickheads who thinks it's best to make poor minimum wage people pay for their gas.
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Post by Kash Flagg on Jun 9, 2012 8:50:37 GMT -5
And they do post notices about a fee taken out (although it doesn't say how much). There are Flash Foods here too.
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Sc
Don Corleone
Must think of something witty to put here...
Posts: 1,417
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Post by Sc on Jun 9, 2012 10:29:13 GMT -5
no one has said it's your fault, most responses have explained why the money was held Yeah but why was the gas withheld? They took his money without giving him anything in return.
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Jun 9, 2012 12:35:59 GMT -5
I've never had this happen to me before (I don't even drive), but based on what people here are describing, it sounds like an automated process that they have no control over. It's perfectly justified when you consider why it's in place, but there's obviously potential to screw over honest people, which you unfortunately found out today. And more than likely, they're not authorized to reimburse you on the spot because of people who could try and take advantage of it, regardless of how dire your circumstances are. It sucks and it's unfair to you, absolutely, but these policies aren't always fair to everyone.
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Post by VenomFang on Jun 9, 2012 13:04:22 GMT -5
I cant even get half a tank full for 20$. What a freakin joke things are these days.
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The OP
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
changed his name
Posts: 15,785
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Post by The OP on Jun 9, 2012 13:25:28 GMT -5
I'm getting really annoyed by the "this is your fault" attitudes. It wasn't. I did something reasonable, and it's really annoying that so many users are trying to make me sound retarded in this situation. Holy hell, I've been using debit cards and prepaid debit cards foe years. I've never just had my money froze because i tried to buy gas. I'm sorry, that's just unacceptable to me. I agree with you. I understand that companies have to protect themselves, but holding a customer's money and not providing service is beyond the scope of what I would consider reasonable. You always assume some level of risk in business and that should be on them, not you.
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Post by Kash Flagg on Jun 9, 2012 13:28:16 GMT -5
I've never had this happen to me before (I don't even drive), but based on what people here are describing, it sounds like an automated process that they have no control over. It's perfectly justified when you consider why it's in place, but there's obviously potential to screw over honest people, which you unfortunately found out today. And more than likely, they're not authorized to reimburse you on the spot because of people who could try and take advantage of it, regardless of how dire your circumstances are. It sucks and it's unfair to you, absolutely, but these policies aren't always fair to everyone. Exactly.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Jun 9, 2012 13:41:37 GMT -5
Okay like...they actually got that $100 off my card. That transaction didn't get declined. It was being "held" to make sure I didn't run off without paying for my gas...so why didn't they let me get my f***ing gas? They were just holding the money for no reason. They knew they had my money, there was never any doubt over that.
This is not so much a policy problem as it is a problem with their system. They said it happened because the credit card machine malfunctioned. See, a GOOD company would have apologized for the inconvenience, made sure I got my gas and my money back, and got me the f*** out of there. These people were just like "you'll get your money back at midnight, sorry but them's the breaks". That's beyond an unfair policy, that's a dick move.
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