Debit not credit!

[pltkcelestial18]

So I work at grocery store with gas pumps out front and every Tuesday I generally stop by to fill up before heading to school 3 hrs away (I had been going to school in East Texas, wanted a change so moved in with my sister, who lives in the DFW area, over the summer and got a job, and when school started back, I work Friday thru Monday and go back to east texas tuesday thru thursday), so this happened while I was off.

I gave the attendant a 100 and was just going to fill up and when I went back to get my change there was a lady in front of me wanting to put 25 on one of the pumps and she wanted to pay with a card and wanted it run as debit. I remember wondering to myself why she just didn't pay at the pump, but figured it might have not been working. So the attendant swipes it and hands her a receipt to sign. The customer gets all huffy and starts chewing the attendant out because she wanted the card ran as debit, not credit, but the attendant can't change it because it's already been done. The lady starts mumbling under her breath about how the attendant should be paying attention.
I, standing behind her, said "It was just an accident, people make mistakes"
SC: So? She *referring to the attendant* should have been listening and ran it as debit.
Me: Yea but she's only human. People do make mistakes.
SC: look this is between me and her! it doesn't involve you! she should have been listening.
Me: All I'm saying is it was just a mistake. People make mistakes.
SC *kinda sorta apologizing*: look. I'm sorry but my dad just died and I'm having a bad day.

I didn't say anything after that cause I did feel kinda bad but I remember thinking that it still didn't give her the right to chew someone out for running your debit card as a credit card. You're still gonna get charged either way. It did make me feel kinda good to call someone out on their rudeness, especially where I work.

[bainsidhe]

Lady didn't need to be rude and I sympathize with the clerk, but some banks charge a fee to use their card. I remember a friend being upset because a cashier ran her card wrong and not only was my friend charged a fee by her bank, but suddenly she couldn't get cash back on her purchase. Makes me wonder if it was something similar.

[PepperElf]

That doesn't excuse people from being cunts.

i mean as far as she knows.... what if the cashier had a death in the family too?

[Beki710]

This is like my boyfriend always says, it's never really what the cashier has done, something else is going on in the SCs life and they are just waiting for something else to go wrong so they can vent.
Good for you for calling her out. More people should.

[pltkcelestial18]

Lady didn't need to be rude and I sympathize with the clerk, but some banks charge a fee to use their card. I remember a friend being upset because a cashier ran her card wrong and not only was my friend charged a fee by her bank, but suddenly she couldn't get cash back on her purchase. Makes me wonder if it was something similar.

After telling this story to some friends, I was informed of fees and such that could possibly apply so I do understand being upset about it being run as credit, but still it wasn't like the cashier did it on purpose and I doubt all banks are like that. She wasn't asking for cash back either or anything. And unless the pump messed up and not taking credit/debit cards, she could have just as easily used the card at the pump.

I think she was just upset from the death in the family and wanted to take it out on someone.

[PepperElf]

I think she was just upset from the death in the family and wanted to take it out on someone.

This.


because it's easy to take it out on people you assume are paid to be punching bags

[Moosenogger]

In our store we don't have the ability to run a debit card as a debit - we can only run cards through as credit cards. Never had anyone complain before.

Since the woman didn't mention fees, I think she was just being a bitch. If she didn't get charged a fee for using credit, then what's the difference? It comes out of your account, either way.

[dragon_wings]

Since the woman didn't mention fees, I think she was just being a bitch. If she didn't get charged a fee for using credit, then what's the difference? It comes out of your account, either way.

The only reason I run my debit card as debit 99% of the time is cause the hold put on my card. I live paycheck to paycheck and occasionally I've gone to spend money but can't cause a debit as credit hasn't cleared. Or I overwithdraw.

[Moosenogger]

The only reason I run my debit card as debit 99% of the time is cause the hold put on my card. I live paycheck to paycheck and occasionally I've gone to spend money but can't cause a debit as credit hasn't cleared. Or I overwithdraw.

Hm, by hold do you mean that it takes a few days to clear from your account? Or is it like when the bank puts a hold on a credit charge just to make sure the money is available (which I know happens sometimes when buying gas)?

I ended up ordering my bank to opt me out of the ability to overdraft. I'd rather be momentarily embarrassed at the cash register than end up paying the bank $35 for a $5 loan.

[dragon_wings]

Hm, by hold do you mean that it takes a few days to clear from your account? Or is it like when the bank puts a hold on a credit charge just to make sure the money is available (which I know happens sometimes when buying gas)?

Takes a few day to clear from my account.
At least once a month once I get paid I pay my phone bill, buy my bus pass, pay my part of the Comcast bill and used to pay my credit card bill (thank to my parents paying off my credit card I don't have that issue, just $25 a paycheck).

[pltkcelestial18]

In our store we don't have the ability to run a debit card as a debit - we can only run cards through as credit cards. Never had anyone complain before.

A fast food restaurant I used to work at was the same way. There was no option, it was just run as a credit card. I've known other fast food places, and just other places in general, that are like that.

[smileyeagle1021]

wanting to put 25 on one of the pumps and she wanted to pay with a card and wanted it run as debit. .

And unless the pump messed up and not taking credit/debit cards, she could have just as easily used the card at the pump.
.

Not to justify the SCs behavior, but no, she couldn't have paid at the pump even if it was working, the key in that is the $25. Gas pumps by default authorize for $50, so if all she can afford because all she has is $25, then when she swipes her card at the pump it will decline.
It's very small print, but every pump (at least in Utah and Nevada, I'm not familiar with the other states) is required to have a disclosure on how much they authorize for when the card is used at the pump, and that applies for debit holds as well as credit card authorizations, and they all are $50.

That being said, that still isn't justification to get bitchy with someone for making an honest mistake that in all likelihood isn't going to end up costing you extra money.

[BrenDAnn]

smiley, the pumps at work have those stickers as well, notifying people of the possible hold on their accounts. As for the credit/debit thing at the counter, that's why we always ask "Credit or debit?" when handed a card. Still, though, there was no reason for her to tear into the clerk like that. I sympathize with the loss of a loved one, really, but there are better ways to get out your frustration than taking it out on the poor person that is stuck behind the register all day.

[PepperElf]

i never looked although on one of my debit cards, if the amount is under $100 left on the card, there's one pump at the kroger by work that will just tell me how much I'm authorized to spend.

[bankworking]

If she wanted it run as debit, she might not have been able to do it at the pump. Some pumps only do credit.

On the authorization amount, the bank does have some control over the amount of the pre-authorization hold. While some banks will put the full $50 or $75 that the purchase could be on hold, my own bank always runs gas station pre-auth's through as a dollar hold. Bad because of the potential overdraft, but if you have your account set to decline overdraft on debit cards (and if you don't, WHY not?) we don't charge a fee if the higher actual of the gas amount puts you over. Most of our customers seem to prefer it that way to putting the full potential amount on hold.