....and how my cousin saved the day. Sometimes it is good to really know the manager and pull that "card".
A few Fridays ago, I was double charged at McDonalds. I always go through the drive thru. It didn't post to my account until Saturday, I saw that and said "Oh hell no!" and I couldn't call my bank's corporate number until Monday.
So that Monday, I called the corporate branch and explained that I'd only went there once that day, and I just wanted my $5 refunded.
(Those of you that think $5 is nothing to fight about.....first of all, that could be lunch money or something important for someone. Either way, it's my money and I don't want to lose it forever over a false charge)
Corporate said to go to a local branch and have them fill out a dispute form, which I did. The girl at the bank even said "Oh my, I better check my balance when I get home, I go to that McDonalds all the time!" and she said that within 7-10 days the amount should post back to my account.
Well, it got to be 7-10 days and nothing. I happened to get the mail this morning and saw a letter from my bank. A letter that said that upon investigating, there was indeed two charges from that McDonalds on that day, but the time stamps were 30 minutes apart and (don't ask how they claim to know this, it was a DRIVE thru, no pin # or ID required) my card had been present and authorized to use, so they were seen as valid charges and I was not going to be refunded. Oh, but they hoped that the time difference explained the double charge.
Yes. Because everyone who eats McDonalds twice in ONE day goes back within a HALF HOUR LATER and buys the exact same thing ALL over again.
After reading that, then I started freaking that maybe an employee wrote down my number and ordered themselves lunch with it, the exact same thing, so that it wouldn't look suspicious. No, I remember what I buy, and that I rarely eat McDonalds twice a day, let alone twice in one weekend.
I tried calling corporate again. The rep gave me the same answer as the letter and said that I needed to take it up with McDonalds if I wanted my money back, the charges were "valid".
I called my mom because I was about to break down (I know, over $5, but I HATE being insinuated that I'm a liar or a scammer) and she reminded me that my cousin is a branch manager for the banks that we are customers with, and to give her a call and explain.
So I calmed down first, then called up my cousin. She sounded pretty disgusted that they didn't believe me and they were refusing to give me back $5.
She said she'd call me back. When she did, she said that she did manage to get through to corporate and that I would be getting my money back and not have to deal with McDonalds. She said that they had gotten snippy with her about my charges being "valid" and that this was an issue now wit McDonalds, not the bank, and my cousin said "I told them, really, over $5? This is my cousin, so I know her first of all, second of all, I see on her account that almost every single Friday for the past couple of years she has gone to that same McDonalds every Friday. There is no way she went there twice in a half hour or got the exact same thing twice in a half hour." She did say that if this had been a more substantial amount (like electronics or other merchandise) they probably wouldn't have budged, but she got through to them thankfully.
I'm sure some of you are probably going to think I'm sucky because I pulled the "family" or "I know the manager" card, but it had to be done. I did not want to deal with McDonalds corporate. The last thing I want is a robot phone rep trying to kiss my butt and try to get me to back off at the same time, and I didn't want to lose it and insinuate that maybe it's possible someone stole my information. At the same time, it may have all been a huge mistake, and I know with how poorly huge corporations treat employees, I don't want to see anyone lose their job or get in serious trouble. That would not be worth it.
I'm so glad we got this figured out, but I don't trust McDonalds anymore. I did go there last Friday and paid with my debit card again, just to see if it would happen again. It didn't. But since it has happened once and it takes getting a hold of my cousin to argue with corporate to get $5 back.....I wonder if I should just pay in cash, or from this point on GO INSIDE since they have pin pads and no one else has to touch my card.....or just never go there again. The last seems a bit extreme, it could have ALL been a dumb mistake, but it also could have been a dishonest employee. Or a bad computer glitch.
A few Fridays ago, I was double charged at McDonalds. I always go through the drive thru. It didn't post to my account until Saturday, I saw that and said "Oh hell no!" and I couldn't call my bank's corporate number until Monday.
So that Monday, I called the corporate branch and explained that I'd only went there once that day, and I just wanted my $5 refunded.
(Those of you that think $5 is nothing to fight about.....first of all, that could be lunch money or something important for someone. Either way, it's my money and I don't want to lose it forever over a false charge)
Corporate said to go to a local branch and have them fill out a dispute form, which I did. The girl at the bank even said "Oh my, I better check my balance when I get home, I go to that McDonalds all the time!" and she said that within 7-10 days the amount should post back to my account.
Well, it got to be 7-10 days and nothing. I happened to get the mail this morning and saw a letter from my bank. A letter that said that upon investigating, there was indeed two charges from that McDonalds on that day, but the time stamps were 30 minutes apart and (don't ask how they claim to know this, it was a DRIVE thru, no pin # or ID required) my card had been present and authorized to use, so they were seen as valid charges and I was not going to be refunded. Oh, but they hoped that the time difference explained the double charge.
Yes. Because everyone who eats McDonalds twice in ONE day goes back within a HALF HOUR LATER and buys the exact same thing ALL over again.
After reading that, then I started freaking that maybe an employee wrote down my number and ordered themselves lunch with it, the exact same thing, so that it wouldn't look suspicious. No, I remember what I buy, and that I rarely eat McDonalds twice a day, let alone twice in one weekend.
I tried calling corporate again. The rep gave me the same answer as the letter and said that I needed to take it up with McDonalds if I wanted my money back, the charges were "valid".
I called my mom because I was about to break down (I know, over $5, but I HATE being insinuated that I'm a liar or a scammer) and she reminded me that my cousin is a branch manager for the banks that we are customers with, and to give her a call and explain.
So I calmed down first, then called up my cousin. She sounded pretty disgusted that they didn't believe me and they were refusing to give me back $5.
She said she'd call me back. When she did, she said that she did manage to get through to corporate and that I would be getting my money back and not have to deal with McDonalds. She said that they had gotten snippy with her about my charges being "valid" and that this was an issue now wit McDonalds, not the bank, and my cousin said "I told them, really, over $5? This is my cousin, so I know her first of all, second of all, I see on her account that almost every single Friday for the past couple of years she has gone to that same McDonalds every Friday. There is no way she went there twice in a half hour or got the exact same thing twice in a half hour." She did say that if this had been a more substantial amount (like electronics or other merchandise) they probably wouldn't have budged, but she got through to them thankfully.
I'm sure some of you are probably going to think I'm sucky because I pulled the "family" or "I know the manager" card, but it had to be done. I did not want to deal with McDonalds corporate. The last thing I want is a robot phone rep trying to kiss my butt and try to get me to back off at the same time, and I didn't want to lose it and insinuate that maybe it's possible someone stole my information. At the same time, it may have all been a huge mistake, and I know with how poorly huge corporations treat employees, I don't want to see anyone lose their job or get in serious trouble. That would not be worth it.
I'm so glad we got this figured out, but I don't trust McDonalds anymore. I did go there last Friday and paid with my debit card again, just to see if it would happen again. It didn't. But since it has happened once and it takes getting a hold of my cousin to argue with corporate to get $5 back.....I wonder if I should just pay in cash, or from this point on GO INSIDE since they have pin pads and no one else has to touch my card.....or just never go there again. The last seems a bit extreme, it could have ALL been a dumb mistake, but it also could have been a dishonest employee. Or a bad computer glitch.
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