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  • Charge card catastorphy and how I'm thwarted again.

    I was just reminded of this instance, what occured about a month ago. It's very simple, the credit card machine totally fucked up the batch submission, and then asploded. After calling the credit card company and confirming that they indeed didn't get any information from the machine before the asplosion, I concluded that I would have to submit everything by telephone. So, I gathered up the seventy receipts and got to work. Unfortunately, that day a record number of six paranoid, distrustful, idiots got it into their heads that I was a thieving sonnavabitch and scratched out their goddamned credit card numbers.

    So the next morning I got in early and hauled out the telephone directory, and looked up the paranoid idiots whom I can only imagine were cowering in their closets in fear of identity theft when they heard the telephone ring. With much difficulty, I explained the situation to them, making sure to point out how much trouble they caused by scratching out their numbers. As I expected, they all had pretty much no idea how credit card transactions work, so the process I was describing was quite alien to them. Surprisingly, I managed to convince three of them to read to me their credit card numbers. Remember how paranoid and suspicious these people are. One didn't answer, and the other was unlisted as many people are nowadays. A lot of people don't have landlines anymore. Those two only bought eight bucks worth of food between them, so I didn't venture any further.

    The sixth man, however, bought nearly ninety dollars worth of food, and I dealt with him personally when he made the transaction in the first place. I was hoping he'd recognize my strange voice and wouldn't think I was a "phisher" as he may have put it in his paranoid delusions. Unfortunately, he could not be convinced and the call ended after a long rant about the state of the world today, how unsafe his precious personal information is, accusations of theivery, threats to inform the authorities, threats to inform the media, and a lengthy commendation of his own wiles in outsmarting me. I cannot remember the precise exchange, but I'm positive you've heard it all before. Boss-man calls him too, gets nowhere. Police tell us there's nothing they can do. Boss-man goes to his house, guy calls the police, who seemed more than eager to do something that time. So, we eat the loss of $93.50.

    And the guy has the nerve to come back a week later. I tell him to get out, he says he's never coming back again, a la "you can't fire me I quit."

    Sigh, why are my stories always so anti-clamatic? I'm depressed now.
    You're not doing me a favor by eating here. I'm doing you a favor by feeding you.

  • #2
    Wow, that sucks big time.. you must be using old credit card terminals or something? Although I can see why people would be nervous in giving out their credit card information over the phone, when they think they've already paid for the food they bought.
    My Myspace, add me!

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    • #3
      Sorry, but I don't think I'd be willing to give out that info over the phone either when someone just called out of the blue like that. I won't give personal info over the phone unless I initiate the call. I would, however, check my account online to see if the charge went through and then come down to the restaurant and speak with the manager to verify it was legit.
      I don't go in for ancient wisdom
      I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
      It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

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      • #4
        I remember when I worked at Blcokbuster, people had to give us a credit card number in order to get an account (so in case they kept their movies forever, we could charge them). Many people were incensed we asked for credit card numbers, they made a huge fuss about giving them, yet the majority of these people would fill out the (optional!) line for social security number. Yes, they freaked out about us possibly stealing their money while blithely handing us the information we needed to STEAL THEIR LIVES.

        >sigh<
        https://www.facebook.com/authorpatriciacorrell/

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        • #5
          Yeah, that does suck big time. But I certainly wouldn't be giving out my credit card number over the phone.

          If the transaction worked at the store, then that is it as far as I'm concerned. Maybe your business needs to upgrade the merchant terminals or switch banks.

          These days, it pays to be a little paranoid, especially with identity theft being so common and so easy to do.
          Total surrender
          Your touch is so tender
          Your skin is like water on a burning beach
          And it brings me relief
          "Nails in My Feet" - Crowded House

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          • #6
            I, too, would not want to give out that credit card information over the phone. However, I would have asked if I could come in to the store to do so in person, as that gives me a better guarantee that I am giving my number to the correct party.

            But then, I wouldn't have scratched out my card number in the first place.
            "Enough expository banter. It's time we fight like men. And ladies. And ladies who dress like men. For Gilgamesh...IT'S MORPHING TIME!"
            - Gilgamesh, Final Fantasy V

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            • #7
              It's worth noting I know most of my customers by name, including these guys. I wasn't exactly calling out of the blue, I was calling the morning after the transaction occured. Getting them to come back in to run their cards again was my objective, but the first three volunteered their numbers, which I found surprising. I tried to convince to last guy to just come in and let me run his card, but he refused, and when he came in a week later, we told him to get out after he confirmed the charge for his food last week never went through and he refused to pay for it.

              We aren't using a credit card terminal per se, we're using Dinerware. Which effed everything up.
              You're not doing me a favor by eating here. I'm doing you a favor by feeding you.

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              • #8
                Yeah.... he sucked.... i thought he just didnt wanna give it over the phone... but he didnt wanna re-run his card when he KNEW it didnt go through????

                ASSHAT!!!

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                • #9
                  I can't believe the cops didn't want to do anything about it. Well, I can believe it. Lemme rephrase: I don't WANT to believe. That's theft, especially after he cofirmed it didn't go through. The hell. And I'd have no problem coming down to re-run the transaction, but to be paranoid enough to scratch out the number, but to then give it out over the phone? People like that make me wanna curl up in the fetal position and pray for an apocalypse.
                  Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

                  http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Sofar View Post
                    the first three volunteered their numbers, which I found surprising.
                    Surprising? More like astounding!

                    These people scratched out their credit card numbers on a restaurant receipt, and then turned around the very next day and voluntarily gave out their number to someone who phoned them.

                    People are idiots. They overestimate the threat of identity theft from safe transactions like paying a restaurant tab or shopping online, and then completely underestimate the threat posed by their own damned stupidity. Amazing.

                    If you have to ask, it's probably better posted at www.fratching.com

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                    • #11
                      I never let them scratch out the number. I've had people try and one acquaintance debated it with me. If they insist I tell them all I have to do is a merchant re-print which gives me the duplicate with the full number, staple it to the reciept they signed and I'm covered so why even bother.

                      "You'd feel a Hell of a lot better if you'd just rip into the occasional customer."
                      ~Clerks

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                      • #12
                        I too wouldn't give out my CC # over the phone. There was a story locally around here in the news where some guy got into a pizza stores delivery system. He called back everyone that got delivery that day and paid with a CC. He told them the system messed up, and need to run their card again. He got away with a LOT of numbers.

                        Still, if you have a signed receipt, couldn't you just contact his credit card company directly? Or send him a bill/to collections? Im not sure how that would work.

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                        • #13
                          I can't believe that the cops won't go after him for theft.

                          He has admitted that he knows he didn't actually pay for the goods, so that is absolutely theft, no matter how you look at it.

                          If it were me, I'd take him to small claims just to make him miserable for essentially stealing $90 worth of goods. Just on general principle.

                          ^-.-^
                          Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                          • #14
                            Quoth Sofar View Post
                            It's worth noting I know most of my customers by name, including these guys. I wasn't exactly calling out of the blue, I was calling the morning after the transaction occured. Getting them to come back in to run their cards again was my objective, but the first three volunteered their numbers, which I found surprising. I tried to convince to last guy to just come in and let me run his card, but he refused, and when he came in a week later, we told him to get out after he confirmed the charge for his food last week never went through and he refused to pay for it.
                            Ah, well in that case, he's just a jerk. A paranoid jerk. And the three who offered up their numbers willingly, after scratching them out in the store, are kind of dumb, whether or not they knew you. The first rule of thumb I've heard for protecting yourself from identity theft and the like is to only give out your card number over the phone if you were the one to initiate the call.

                            Not that you were phishing or anything. I'm just saying that their willingness to do that could get them in trouble in the future.
                            "Enough expository banter. It's time we fight like men. And ladies. And ladies who dress like men. For Gilgamesh...IT'S MORPHING TIME!"
                            - Gilgamesh, Final Fantasy V

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                            • #15
                              Quoth mrtauntaun View Post
                              Still, if you have a signed receipt, couldn't you just contact his credit card company directly?
                              Not without an account number, which he had already scratched out.
                              Everything will be ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end.

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