You need the card itself, ma'am

[Sedorna]

Well, this was quite interesting. As a reminder, I work as a cashier in a grocery store, and I had this very interesting transaction.

Me:
SC: Sucky Customer
M: Manager
OC: Other Cashier

So, the SC came into my line and I rang up her order with, at first, no problem.

SC: I want to pay for this half cash, and half with my card.

So saying, she gave me half the money and I entered the amount into the computer. So far, so good.

SC: The card hasn't arrived in the mail yet, but here's the number and expiration date.

She then tried to hand me a piece of paper with some numbers written on it. I didn't even touch it, of course.

Me: I can't take that.

SC: Why not?

Me: Because there's no way to prove that it's your card.

SC: I told you, it hasn't arrived in the mail yet. I go to Nifty Neat Bank.

Now, Nifty Neat Bank (not its real name) is not affiliated with The Grocery Store. They rent out space inside the store, but they're not a part of the store. She repeated that she belonged to Nifty Neat bank, and I rang my bell for the manager. I knew I would probably have to cancel the order. The manager came over, and I explained the situation.

M: We can't accept this.

SC: I can't believe it! This has never happened to me before.

Me: We could save the order, if you want. (There was a line building up, and I didn't want to waste any more time with her.) I refunded the money the SC had given me, and the manager used the key to save the order. I then started on the next order, thanking the next customer for being so patient during the delay. The SC was speaking on the phone, so I overheard part of the conversation.

SC: I can't believe the stupid store won't take my money! No, those idiots just won't take it. I have never had this problem ever before at any other store. I can't believe they're doing this. Hey--<that said to me>--How much is the total?

Me: Let's see, you gave me $70 and there was $68 left, so that would be--

SC: (impatiently) How much is it, exactly?

Well, missie, I'm trying to help you. I smiled most politely and said,

Me: I don't remember the exact total. M would know.

SC: I asked you how much it was.

Me: M has the transaction information. (When we save an order, it prints out a saved order receipt, which M took with her.)

OC: Go see M at the customer service desk, over there.

Finally, with that, the SC left me, continuing to gripe on her cell phone about how unreasonable the store was.

[Dave1982]

Is this person for real? God, WHY THE HELL dont' people understand the concept of credit card fraud and the steps you (both the retailer and the consumer) NEED to take to prevent it? I'll bet you anything that was a stolen card number.

This is the thing I do not miss about cashiering. People are such MORONS when it comes to credit cards. AAAAHH!!!!!! (Sorry, remembering the guy who threw his ID at me - twice - because he didn't understand that a card needs to be signed).

I need to take a deep breath........

[rerant]

My store offers its own credit card, which people are constantly leaving at home and assuming they can do all their shopping then hand me some arbitrary piece of ID in place of that card.

In order to use a credit card anywhere but online or over the phone you need the card, not what looks to me as 16 randomly selected numbers and an expiration date.

This is the thing I do not miss about cashiering. People are such MORONS when it comes to credit cards. AAAAHH!!!!!! (Sorry, remembering the guy who threw his ID at me - twice - because he didn't understand that a card needs to be signed).

I now make people sign their cards. I didn't before but now if someone doesn't sign their card in front of me I tell hem I will not accept it, even with ID.
Then I whip out my trusty Visa agreement that states FROM VISA that cards are INVALID unless signed.
I am eternally grateful that Visa sent us those. Granted it doesn't help me when it comes to other card companies, but Visa is the most used card so it works 9/10 times.

What's even better is the woman who pitched a fit about not wanting to sign our store's credit card. She said she didn't have to, an that "please see ID" was sufficient. No.
But being that it was my store's card I felt I had a bit of extra leverage with telling her to sign it.
I said flat out, basically repeating my manager verbatim, "If the card is not signed then the card is no good, and if the card is no good then we don't accept it. Period."
Princess signed her card.

[bainsidhe]

Ooooh, what so-called mystery stores accepted her "not received in the mail" card. Think of all the fun stuff I could purchase with someone else's credit. Whee!

[Imogene]

Had a customer go through FES H's line the other day, and tried to pay with a check, which, as I might've stated previously, requires a driver's license... This woman had a photocopy of her driver's license, H took a long look at it, then said, "I can't take this."
"Why not?"
"It's a photocopy. I need the original here, in my hand, to complete a check transaction."

[Rapscallion]

Now, Nifty Neat Bank (not it's real name)

Not its real name, but it ought to be. I'd bank there for the debit card alone!

Rapscallion

[Bright_Star]

I've had happen to me at Wal-Mart already. Thinking that because they had the credit card number written out on a piece of paper that it somehow is supposed to be ok. AND when I explained why I couldn't accept it then they acted like someone just ran over their feet.
I call that "trying to pull a fast one".

[retaildrone]

Someone at my store did this just the other day. Sorry, but a slip of paper with the number ain't gonna cut it!

[Javarod]

My store offers its own credit card, which people are constantly leaving at home and assuming they can do all their shopping then hand me some arbitrary piece of ID in place of that card.

In a way I can sorta understand not understanding needing the card. While its a much different animal, I do much of my grocery shopping at Fry's, and I don't bother to bring the card, I just enter my phone number into the pad and it comes up. Obviously with a credit card you'd want more protection than something as simple as a phone number, but it could be done I suppose.

[HereWeGo]

Finally, with that, the SC left me, continuing to gripe on her cell phone about how unreasonable the store was.

I love when they do that. One woman whipped out her cell phone JUST to call her friend and complain in front of me, "You'll never believe what I'm doing. Bagging my OWN groceries, in a grocery store! If I wanted to do this I'd get a job here!"

Cry me a river. (It's a bag-your-own store. We don't have baggers.)

[smileyeagle1021]

the other variation is on the phone people who think they have their card memorized then get upset when it doesn't go through... not my fault you're too stupid not to have the card in front of you.

my other variation on the theme was when i was a cashier and a debit card would decline and people would bring over atm reciepts showing they had money, it's like, don't know why it says that nor do i care, your bank declined the transaction, take it up with them, now let me get back to my job.

[Stormraven]

As far as signing the backs of cards goes, IIRC, about 10-15 years ago, it was suggested as a security procedure that people not sign, replacing it with 'ask for ID'.

Obviously, that suggestion is no longer valid, but I can see that some people - the type who don't read, for example - would still think otherwise.

[Ljt09863]

i have a question....unless she was getting her card replaced, if she hadn't received her card yet, how would she know the numbers and expiration date? even when you get your card replaced, i thought they changed the numbers on it so you cant use both cards. i could be wrong about that, but i just don't understand how she would know the nuimbers already.

with the "please see ID" on back of credit cards, i actually like that. i know you are supposed to sign your name, but it is easy to learn how to sign somebodies name, and when you have to see ID....well...it gets harder to forge that. not impossible, but harder.

i doin't understand the ones who say,"oh i don't sign my card, because then if it gets stolen they can't copy my signature!" im sorry, but that is the worst logic you can use! i had a customer use that line once, and i said,"well, thats true they couldn't copy your signature, but they would just have to sign your name the way they would do it, and the signature would always match..." the customer just got a dumbfounded look and said,"oh...i never thought of that..can i borrow a pen?" and signed their card right there.

i also hate the policy my company has. any purchase under $25, and we don't need a signature. any theif would need to keep his purchase under $25 to get away with it. until the card was cancelled, that is.

[Sedorna]

Is this person for real? God, WHY THE HELL dont' people understand the concept of credit card fraud and the steps you (both the retailer and the consumer) NEED to take to prevent it? I'll bet you anything that was a stolen card number.

I know. Either it was a stolen card and she thought I'd actually be stupid enough to just take it, or she is completely ignorant about the ways of the world. Either way, I weep for humanity.

As far as signing the backs of cards goes, IIRC, about 10-15 years ago, it was suggested as a security procedure that people not sign, replacing it with 'ask for ID'.

Personally, I both sign my card and put "ask for id". Honestly, just putting ask for id isn't all that secure.

True story. One day, I had finished part of my shift and left for break. Not two minutes into my break, I was paged downstairs. I wondered what was up, and went down. When I arrived there, the manager on duty told me that they had found my credit card and handed it to me.

Sure enough, the credit card said Sedorna Lastname, all spelled just as I spell it. Now, my first name is a somewhat uncommon version of a rather common name, and very few people have the same combination of first and last name that I do. However, the card was an American Express card. I do not have any American Express cards. In other words, somebody with the exact same name as me had left their card. The card was unsigned and didn't even have ask for id. But so what if it had had ask for id? With just that, I could have shown my id and it would have been a match. With signing, the signature would not match.

Since it wasn't my card, I, of course, immediately handed it back.

[purplecat41877]

if she hadn't received her card yet, how would she know the numbers and expiration date? even when you get your card replaced, i thought they changed the numbers on it so you cant use both cards.

I believe it depends on your bank or the bank the card is from. When I got my replacement debit card the last 4 digits were different but when I got my replacement credit card a couple years back the numbers were the same but the expiration date was different.