You know how to avoid situations like this? Use cash. Don't EVER use a debit card. For ANYTHING. Unless it's a life or death emergency.
I remember my two daughters had an issue with a debit card. Each had added gas to their car and used a debit card for payment. For some strange reason the machine placed a hold on an extra $100 or so. Why? No one seems able to answer that question. Eventually the "hold" was removed, but neither had access to that money until that happened.
How can something like that be legal? That is pure theft right there.
Almost all gas stations put a "hold" on a preset amount of cash when you use a credit/debit card to buy gas. Currently many stations are setting the hold at $175 dollars. It's a corporate policy to insure that they get paid. If they didn't then someone with crappy credit could buy a hundred dollars worth of gas and then go to the store and make a huge purchase. If the store purchase gets presented to the card company first and it puts you over your credit limit the gas station may not get paid. So they put that hold on as soon as you present the card even before actually pumping the gas. It's just another way modern credit/finance systems work. So yes....paying cash prevents a lot of headaches. With a debit card the money leaves you checking account almost immediately and you have to fight to get it back if there is a problem. So don't use debit....use a Credit Card where you have
ReplyDeletea lot more rights and resources to dispute purchase issues.
No debit for me.
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ReplyDeleteA local Mexican food restaurant in the RGV would charge 15% gratuity even on orders 'to go' if one use a card. Even with cash, the cashier would ask for a tip when the order was picked up.
ReplyDeleteWe had 8 of us at a local mexican place last monday. Their automatic gratuity was 20%. With 8 of us I didn't mind, and we did get good service. But tipping for just a pickup order? I don't think so tim.
DeleteThe week before 5 of us went to Red Robin. The total bill for that was more than for the 8 of us. They also had an automatic 20% tip, but I lowered it to 15%.
I always pay restaurant bills in cash. That way the waiter/waitress gets the tip in cash immediately and does not depent on the manager giving the him/her correct amount.
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