Next time, check with your wife first!

[EmilyRose1982]

So we're in the middle of an after school rush, nothing major, when this bent-over old man ambles up to the front counter. I'm at the bar making drinks, so I don't hear what he says to my coworker. But, the next thing I know, CW is motioning to me:

CW: Well, this is our manager on duty...
Old Man looks me up and down.
I look at his fist, in which he's clutching a Visa bill. Great.
Me: Yes, our store manager is gone for the day, but I am the manager on duty. What can I help you with?
OM: I want someone to explain this $40 charge to me and take it off my Visa bill!
Me: Ok...can I take a look?
OM shoves the bill at me, and my eyes dart to the highlighted lines, of which there are three or four. He's on quite the mission. I see one line that says Caribou Coffee, but the store number is not ours, nor is the amount $40.
Me: Sir, this doesn't say $40--
OM: That's the wrong line! It's HERE! *points at the correct line which isn't highlighted
It does indeed say our store number and $40. Before I can get another word in, OM breaks in, almost yelling at me..
OM: Who spends $40 at a coffee shop?!? What would someone buy for that much?!?!?
Me: Gift cards.
OM: WHAT?? *apparently he's half deaf too, sigh
Me: GIFT CARDS!
OM: *anger deflating* Oh, let me call my wife and check with her...
Me: *thinking* OMG why didn't you do that in the FIRST PLACE?!? *headdesk*

I return to the rush on the bar, ignoring the old man as he calls his wife. Five minutes later, he comes back over to the counter.

OM: Yeah that was it! She bought gift cards!
Me: Ok good! *forcing a smile*

Seriously, you want to dispute a charge on your card, you should check with your spouse first to see if THEY made the purchase!!!

[hawkchick11]

We get that a lot, husband gets the credit card statement and they wonder why there is a $500 charge from our department store on there. They call us and freak out saying there is fraudulent activity on their credit card, 'give me my money back!!'.

When you look up the transaction with the credit card and ask if their is another authorized user on the card, the husband says wife's name and boom, thats who ordered it.

Always check with the wife before freaking out!

[bhskittykatt]

This is exactly why Hubby and I keep our accounts separate. Growing up, too many times I saw my dad tell my mom (who balances the checkbook) "Oops, forgot to tell you I took out some money last week." I didn't want to deal with that hassle (and knowing Hubby, he manages his finances just about as well as Dad does!). With my own account, I know all the activity that's going on in my account. Also, if I need to buy a surprise V-day gift, it's easier to keep it a secret! Shhh!

[Dave1982]

And even if it WAS a fraudulent charge, did he seriously think it could be dealt with at the store level? A credit card statement in no way constitutes a receipt, nor does it prove in and of itself that anything is really amiss. This is something he'd need to call his CC company about, and then they'd handle it with your home office.

[EmilyRose1982]

And even if it WAS a fraudulent charge, did he seriously think it could be dealt with at the store level? A credit card statement in no way constitutes a receipt, nor does it prove in and of itself that anything is really amiss. This is something he'd need to call his CC company about, and then they'd handle it with your home office.

That's exactly what I would have told him, had his wife NOT purchased gift cards.

I was kind of hoping to look him in the eye and say, too bad, so sad. Go deal with Visa and leave me alone!

[Kristev]

It could have been a scam. He may as well known she bought those cards, but wanted the money back anyway.

[Andara Bledin]

Actually, if you think there's been a mistake, the first place to talk to is the place whose number is on the charge.

If that doesn't pan out, then you call your card provider.

You don't want your company getting a lot of bad chargebacks because your customers are idiots.

^-.-^

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I had a customer last Friday evening while working on register whose credit card declined.

Before I could even tell him the reason it declined (insufficient funds) he swiped his card on the pinpad again and tried a second time. Same message came up on the screen.

That's when I leaned over the counter and told him quietly about the message saying insufficient funds due to either a) the card already being over the limit or b) too little balance left on the card to cover the entire amount.

He was kinda stumped for a second, then his face changed like a light bulb went off. "Oh, that's right. My wife had to pay for textbooks."

I told him I understood . . . textbooks are horrendously expensive and can put you over the limit quicker than you can realize (had a sister in college and I'm sure her nursing textbooks were outrageous at best.)

Luckily he was pretty cool about the whole thing . . . he did have cash so he ended up having to use that instead.

But if you're not sure, play it safe and check with your better half first.

[Kristev]

Thank goodness for cash. People may not like it, but it can be a real lifesaver.

God, I remember when I was a kid in California. A moderate earthquake knocked electrical power down, so the debit card machine wasn't working at the supermarket. Luckily, Mother was one of the few people who had bothered to bring cash.