Are signatures required for a credit card purchase?? Update, post 10

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My mother has messed up--moving the Key West...setting up home temporarily at a campground--and they don't take checks.

Okay--yes, she messed up.

So I am trying to work with the campground and they refuse to take a credit card over the phone b/c we are not physically present to sign the receipt.

Ummm--our bank is in Texas and my hubby is in Virginia. They are telling me that it is very very easy to wire money--well yeah--if everyone is in the same freakin' place it may be.

I take calls for a shopping channel--people have made $2K and higher purchases with no signature.

Hubby has bought things over the phone with no signature.

And they are just totally unwilling to do this and I just don't get it. I even offered some signatures by fax machine.

So mom is sitting in paradise up the creek without a paddle while hubby is unreachable at the moment and I can't just go and fork over $2K without discussing it with him first.

I just don't get why she doesn't check this things ahead of time.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I always pre-pay for my lodgings before going on vacation - with a credit card (and sometimes it is indeed in excess of $2K). They don't seem to mind if I'm not there in person and my credit card company sure doesn't!

 

[gris gris]

Anytime you order something on line or on the phone you don't sign a receipt. I think the campground is being unreasonable. Would they rather have her leave and lose the $2K?

Also in some stores now you don't sign your receipt, nor do you sign when you pay at the pump for gas!

 

[mickeyboat]

Some vendors choose not to make sales with cards without a signature because they are charged a higher service charge if they do not physically scan/imprint the card. This must be the campground's policy.

Do they accept paypal? Can you FedEx a bank check or money order?

Denae

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm not sure about the money order.

They charge deposits without any trouble.

 

[trip]

Does she have a debit card for her checking account? They should take that.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Let's call a spade a spade--I just realized my mother is trying to float a check (didn't realize in my first post--as hard to think clearly when someone just asks you for $$$$). So unfortunately the debit transaction will not work and since she will not be physically present the day that it will work--they won't accept that either.

I am just boiling over on this. We have bailed her out before for need. Hubby is not convinced this is a genuine need (like a broken down car in the middle of nowhere). Just a result of pi$$ poor planning.

They moved their stuff down early b/c they have 2 vehicles and a motorcycle plus I would assume a u-haul when they transfer down possessions. Their home closes next week. She just failed to fully check everything out ahead of time. So not only do they not take checks--but they charge extra for multiple vehicles.

We have our own mortage payment--hubby has his rent up in DC to pay. The only place that we have money is our vacation fund for Hawaii and in all honesty I am just not interested in my mother "floating me" a postdated check.

So I am steamed that I am placed in this position b/c I am darned if I do and darned if I don't.

I did get the scoop from the bank on how to do everything and honestly it is all very very complicated to accomplish in the next 3 days when I have to pack up to go be with hubby for the summer. (we bank with USAA and really never anticipate to be placed in a position such as this so it has NEVER been an issue with us before. Heck--we have closed on car loans and home mortgages without ever a problem of them being in TExas and us being in Florida).

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

a good ol' fashioned double post (server is busy )

 

[Microcell]

I take a hard line on this, but I think mom might have to grow up and figure this out on her own. It does not sound like you can help anyway, unless you want to go to Key West and be there to sign the slip!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

UPDATE: Well mom figured out how to paddle the creek.

While on base this morning getting herself all situated with things she had to do over there--she discovered they had a campground (Didn't come up in any of her research) and they only charge $16 per night. So she has one more night at the uncooperative campground at $100 per night (her monthly rate was much cheaper but a lot more expensive than the base), then she has a one months stay in the Keys for less than $500 while they house hunt.

We told her no and she said she wasn't mad--my sister was ready to help her and that help was not needed.