Bad end to a vacation at All Star Sports (long)

[DCDisney]

hearing a story likes this really makes me glad I use my CC mostly, and NEVER have Cash (usually like $20), and try not to use my Debit card more than I have to...

I agree. I always use my credit card and pay in full so I get points and have records for years to come. Those annual records have been really helpful for taxes and with a medical practice that tries to overbill us many months after the fact.

We still have just plain ATM cards with no debit charge. Every 6 months our bank tries to send us ATM/debit cards and we just cut them up.

Since we started doing the DDP I have been very careful about checking and saving receipts at WDW because we always catch something usually $5-15 and while the first year of DDP they would trust you since then they want receipts and lots of details about the transaction even though ultimately it was very clearly their mistake.

Yvonne

 

[disneyfanfamily]

Okay...
Firstly, let me say to the OP - so sorry about that! $500 is ALOT of money.

Secondly. We are heading out there in 10 days (yeah!). We have apx. $1900 in either gift cards or Disney dollars. What is the best way to alleviate anything like this happening. Have our gift cards applied to our room keys? I suppose ask for receipts for EVERYTHING and check on our balance everyday through concierge??

We just had our CC # stolen a couple months ago. We do NOT want to deal with that again (however we were not held responsible for the spendings).

We thought about carrying the gift cards/Disney dollars around with us, but that is ALOT of bulk.

Angela

 

[graygables]

If there is no signed receipt, you really have very little to worry about. We recently stayed at a Marriott on points, but had over $400 charged to our account. It was simply a matter of calling the CC company, filling out the form they sent along with my confirmation of a points stay, and the charge was removed.

Important lesson: make sure you have a valid receipt for each and every purchase, despite your level of vacation excitement.

 

[maryjl]

Several months ago I made a reservation at a national chain hotel using my cc to hold. My husband paid at the hotel in cash upon check in. About 10 days later I was online checking my cc statement and found three charges to that hotel on my card. One for the night we stayed, and two others for after we checked out! I called my cc company and they were able to give me transaction numbers and times that these charges were made. The security dept. for the hotel did an investigation. I do not know what happened but i did get all the charges removed with no problem. Your cc company can tell exactly when the charges were made if the Cm did charge the tickets to your cc instead of crediting the drawer with the cash.

 

[estherhead]

The tricky thing about this, OP, is that people lie. Just like the girl lied to you, I'm sure Disney gets lied to all the time by customers. I know in my business I'm lied to constantly. The old, "The check is in the mail" line. What I've discovered is facts speak very loudly. As others have mentioned, produce dates, names, exact amounts, send it certified, call daily, file a police report, etc. I know where I work this would get our attention quickly.

Disney has made it's name on customer service. If you make a fuss with facts, they will know that you are NOT the liar in the story & will make it right. Otherwise I think you are justified in saying Disney will not get your business.

We had similar issues with a cruise line & though I thouroughly enjoyed them, we've not been back with them. $500 is just tooooooo much money!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I just spoke with my credit card company - they advised it will be difficult to fight as there is no cash receipt. She did indicate that she has requested all of the info from Disney already. They (VISA) can not have the security tapes pulled, she advised that she thought only law enforcement can do that. She did suggest that I contact the Florida Attorney General and the BBB.

Thanks for all your suggestions - I'll keep you updated. And please always remember to get a CORRECT receipt. This may turn out to be an expensive lesson for us.

do not bother with the BBB. They are for the business now. They business pays to enter them.. and they will support the business... so don't waste anytime or long distance calls with them..

 

[Texas Rob]

Not to be disagreeable, but i had a dispute with an apartment complex that they settled for me.

I guess it just depends on your experience or local BBB. I do hope this turns out good regardless.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

However, having worked in retail for a while, the owners of the store I worked for constantly stressed to us that no matter what we charged to a customers card, if the customer disputed that charge, we could not legally hold them to that charge unless we were able to produce a signed receipt for that charge...

I also have a retail business and whte they are saying IS correct. You need to contact your credit card compnay and (here is the phrase) "initiate a chargeback." They will send you paperwork to fill out; it is not complicated. Be concise, and non-emotional. Usually the procedure is for them to credit your account until the fully resolve the matter.

I know you are upset, and I would be too, but I doubt the CM just pocketed the money. I would write it off to human error and POOR customer service. Please do send a letter to guest services and the resort manager. Again, factual, non ranting letters work best.

working in a store and working in a resort are a little different. You can call and do a credit card dep over the phone for your room without your signature. You can order all your tickets and give your credit card number & never sign.. they are all legal and binding transactions. You cannot call many retail stores and just give your card without having to sign when you get in there. They are a different type of transaction...do you see what I am saying. I am not saying what happened was right or anything.. I am just saying, you do not always have to have a signed rec't for a credit card purchase.... it all depends on the company... haven't you ever ordered via the net? You never sign your rec't

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Not to be disagreeable, but i had a dispute with an apartment complex that they settled for me.

I guess it just depends on your experience or local BBB. I do hope this turns out good regardless.

In Fl? I know here where I am, they do nothing for you. They will only reccomend the ones that "buy" into them too...
I know it depends on local.. and I'm thinking all of Fl should be the same. I live in Fl and OP needs t contact FL's...Orlando... but you are correct, it depends on your BBB.. in NY when I lived there, they were good.. here they aren't......and that was my mistake, I should have stated that.."here" they aren't that good...sorry....

 

[BeenDISedTwice]

Is setting up charging on your "key to the world" card at WDW different from DCL? When we went in 2001 we did 3 days at WDW and then 4 on DCL using the same "key to the world" cards. We never set up a CC on our cards but after we got on the boat we used the cards to pay for drinks at the bar, shopping, etc., as well as on castaway cay. On the last night we got printouts of charges to our individual room accounts. Mine was separate from my DB and DSIL, even though we shared a cabin. We then had to go down and settle up before leaving the ship. I would think it would be the same for the resort as well as the boat: even without a cc on file it is still possible to charge with the "key to the world" card and then you are made to settle up on checkout?

 

[tasha99]

do not bother with the BBB. They are for the business now. They business pays to enter them.. and they will support the business... so don't waste anytime or long distance calls with them..

I've had nothing but success with BBB. All three of the complaints I've made with them ended up with the business apologizing and making it right (first complaint resulted in a $12 refund, second complaint got me permission to reschedule my GRE in English Lit, and the third complaint resulted in a $75 refund from Verizon).

 

[mika911]

I haven't read every page yet, but I find credit card companies can really help. Wish you all the best!

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

I have had luck with the BBB and did all the filing online. It was so easy and did not take up too much of my time at all. I would recommend the BBB to anyone. It can't hurt. I started at their official web site and went from there.

I did win the complaint I filed with the BBB against a cell phone company. Apparently cell phone companies have many complaints filed against them with the BBB, because the BBB has a special section just for cell phone company complaints. It was only a matter of $35 and the cell phone company fought me tooth and nail and would not budge, so I filed an online complaint with the BBB. I did not think I would win. The cell phone company finally gave me my $35 worth of minutes back ONLY because of the BBB. They did lie to the BBB and tell them I was NOT a Gold Member, but that they would give me the $35 to finalize the case (translation: to get the BBB off their backs).

Give it a try!
tink

 

[lorasmom]

I had to use the BBB here in Florida (tampa market), and had success. Doesn't hurt to try!

Good luck, OP!

 

[kcminnie]

Last time I checked the Orlando BBB website Disney had an unfavorable rating with them. It seems they don't respond or resolve complaints with them. I think it also said they were not a member of the BBB.

 

[Ragetti]

I'm really sorry to hear about your problem. I hope it gets fixed.

All I can add, is that doing a transaction of that size in cash is not a good idea. Too easy to get ripped off.

Use a credit card and ALWAYS check your receipt.

Again, I am so sorry for your touble. What a way to ruin a vacation!

 

[n2mm]

I thought I'd stop in to see if this problem got resolved! I would love to see a happy ending to this problem. OP, keep us updated please.

 

[Chrisypoo]

do not bother with the BBB. They are for the business now. They business pays to enter them.. and they will support the business... so don't waste anytime or long distance calls with them..

I work for a national credit card company and if we receive a BBB complaint it is pushed ahead of everything else to get resolved, and we bend over backwards to settle the matter.

Maybe some areas/businesses are not like that, but it would hurt to try.

But if you haven't contacted the Orlando police, I would file a report and push to classify it as stolen property...technically the CM did take your money and got nothing in return. If nothing else than to get those surveillance tapes.

 

[goodferry]

As someone who hates credit cards and prefers to pay cash for EVERYTHING, this story makes me sick to my stomach. Hopefully you get a satisfactory resolution to the matter. I would definitely contact someone higher up at Disney, the BBB, the police and your credit card company. I would also contact the Florida State Attorney General's Office. We once had an issue with Highmark Blue Cross and it took contacting the Attorney General's office in PA to get anything done. Please let us know how this turns out for you.

 

[canron]

thiat happened to us off grounds for tickets on i drive ,,he swiped the card and then said it was rejected..so he needed the card back..but it went throgh..it took days to get it fixed..we had to get the fraud dept at the back to look at it..we got it back but i was scaired the whole time..it took days to fix,,,