Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On July 2nd, approx 730 pm. I went to one of the locations to pay for fireworks. At the time of purchase I used my debit card but the store said it was not going through because it was lagging. Asked if I could pay cash which I did in the amount of $430? The next week my bank was also charged the $430. I reached out to ***** who is the store owner and she said she would have the manager reach out to me. The manager called and she was suppose to find the receipt and get back to me. I never heard back from her and contacted ***** again via email about trying to recover my funds. After going back and forth for two months. She feels that charge was legitimate. There seems to be confusion because not only was my debit card charged, I also paid the same exact amount in cash. They said there is a receipt of the debit purchase with my signature. They showed me that receipt and its not my signature. Also it's weird that a debit receipt that's pin based would have a signature. I think the store has some dishonest employees. And took advantage

  Business response

  09/06/2022

  Mr. ****** called the main office on July 6th and spoke to *****, who is in charge of all credit transactions.  He stated that he had been charged twice for merchandise and wanted a refund.  She checked the reports and he was only charged one time.  He wnted to speak to the operator at the store so we had ***** call and speak to him.  She gave us the following statement:  I called Mr. ****** on July 6th at 9:30 am and left a message for him since there was no answer.  Mr. ****** returned my call at 9:40 am and I explained tohim the reason for my call.  I informed him I was the ******* store operator and that the main office had contacted me regarding his concerns about being double charged.  He stated his debit card had been declined when he visited the store, and that he had to leave to go get cash from the ATM and that he returned and paid for the merchandise cash.  I askedhim if he had the copy of the receipt from the credit card machine stating it was declined because it was our practice to provide customers with a receipt anytime we ran their car, declined or approved.  He stated he hadn't received anything.  I informed Mr. ****** that I was looking at his receipt dated July 1st with his signature on it.  He sounded surprised and asked "you have a receipt, with my signiture on it?"  I explained to him that I was looking at a receipt for the amount of $431.34 dated Jyly 1st with pin approval and with a signature.  He sated that was impossible because his card had a $400 limit.  I asked him why he would present us with a card that only had a $400 limit, when his total was over that amount.  He still sounded like he was in disbelief and repeated that is was impossible because his card had a $400 limit.  I again informed him that i was looking at his receipt with a signature.  He then said it couln't be his signature because he never went inside the store. His brother went into the store and he waited in the car.  I informed Mr. ****** that this season we ID'd all customers who paid with credit/debut card,  I asked if his brother had used his card without his permission becuase we could file charges on him.  He said no, that his brother had his permission to use the card.  I asked for his brother's name, and he stated it was ******  I explained to Mr. ****** that even if we had missed ID'ing his brother because this was a new process to us, why would he lend him his debit card and not tell him htat ti had a $400 limit?  I again informed him that I was looking at a receipt for his purchase of $431.34 approved via his pin number.  H asked if he could receive a copy of the signed receipt I was looking at and I told him yes.  I asked him if he could text me a picture of his ID, as well, and he stated he was drivng in fromt he field and his wallet was in his office.  He said he would text it to me when he got back to the office, which he never did.  I didn't text him a copy of receipt either.

  ***** on August 23:  I spoke to Mr. ****** on August 23rd at 12:09p.m.  I informed him who I was an dasked how I could help him.  He stated that I had told you (*****) that he had gone to the ATM and that I had lied.  He stated he didn'nt go to the ATM because he had cash on-hand.  I explained to him that when we visited on Jyly 6t, he had told me that he left to go get cash fromt he ATM.  He started to get frustrated with me because he said I was twisting his words.  He said he never left ot get money form the ATM because he had cas on-hand.  I told him I was confused and asked him "then you never left the store"?  He stated very frustrated with me that he had left he store but not to the ATM becuae he had cash at the house.  I explained to him that having cash "on-hand" was not the same as having to leave th sstore to go get cash.  I also mentioned to him that he had told me that his card only had a $400 limit and again he stated that this whold situation was starting to really frustrate him because I kept twisting his words.  He stated he tole me me "thought"he had a $400 limit but had since checked with his bank and he actually had a $1500 limit.  He stated he was not trying to pull a scam and wasn';t lying about any of this because he had $80,000 in his bank account.  He just eanted to get his money back because he had topay twice for the fireworks.  I ecplained to him our processes again:  (1)  this season was our first season to ID all customers who paid with card, (2) we provide the card receipts to all customers, whether card was decline or processed.  (3)  All processed receipts are signed by the customer. Mr. ****** stated that the signature on the receipt was not his signature.  He also stated that he didn't know how we had verified his ID because he hadn't had an ID since late April or early May and still had not replaced it.  I apologized and tole gim I really didn';t know what else to tell him bexaue we had thesame process for all customers.  He stated that he didnt' know if the card had been declined or maybe the machine had just stalled because he used to help his mom with her business and thier credit card machine was slow because it was a phone line.  He asked if we had issures iwth our machine running slow, and I told him our machines were not connected to phone lines, andthey didn't run slow.  He said he didn't know, but he was told that his card had not gone through even though his bank account was showing 'pending' for the amo9unt.  He stated he was told the pending amount would drop within a couple of days.  I explained to him that when you use your debit card and an amount is showing 'pending' it means that transaction when through and that amount is being held.  He stated he didn't know but that is what he was told an dhe just needed to get this issure resolved.  I agin apoligized and told him that I didn't know what else to tell him, but that I would let you (*****) know that I did visit with him.  He stated okay and we ended the conversation.

  ***** states:  On August 2 I received an email and he still wants the $431.34 back.  Now he says that he paid cash for the merchandise.  I informed him that I had a receipt that shows it was a debit verified bypin and a signature on the receipt.  I have seversl emails form him regarding this issue and then I had ***** contact him again after his phone call on August 23.  Now his story has changed from the first time that she talked to him and also changed with what I was told by him.  I contacted the processing company and have been told that it was only tried one time and it went through then.  I have tried to explain to him that I have a receipt that shows he used his debit card and verified everything with a pin so I cannot give him the money back.  All of the *****'s receipts have signatures.   

  We try to be very fair and if there is any question of a customer getting charged incorrectly, we will work with them.  We do not see a problem with this transaction.Tell us why here...

  Customer response

  09/06/2022

  Complaint: 17765505
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have recorded conversations that contradicts some of this information being said and adding in additional verbiage on my behalf that was not stated by me. I've been having to work with two different people and the person running the stand keeps informing her manager of things I said that arnt true. This is why I wanted to deal directly with the manager. Everything I explained to *****, she said she would pass along my information to the person running the stand. The one running the stand states other information or is misleading. Ex. She states I was surprised by them having a signature of my receipt. If I sounded surprised which is her take, it's because I never signed anything and to this day never heard of a debit purchase receipt being signed only a credit card receipt. On top of all this, I haven't had my ID card since may which I informed ***** of this as well. How can I send a copy of the audio recordings from our conversations for review? 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

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