Be Aware of purchases on DisneyStore.com

[MommyJKM]

So I've ordered from DisneyStore.com many times and today I got a message from my bank that my account was authorized then charged the same day.
So my order of $48.26 was "authorized" and held by Disney and my bank

Then DisneyStore charged me $49.35 - the amount with tax. So they are actually holding $95 of my money for 5-7 business days.

I called to say I've never seen this and was told it's because my package was shipped on the same day as my order, so they usually apply the "Authorized" amount but because the order was done so fast, they did both.

When I asked where on the DisneyStore website in the Shipping Info it says that, she directed me to the Disclaimer section at the very bottom.

I'm extremely disappointed and will only shop at our brick and mortar store from now on.
Just a heads-up for anyone that orders with their debit card not credit card. If I had ordered the day before I would have overdrawn my account as I made a large withdrawl and wasn't depositing again until today.

It's a pretty awful practice and unfair!

 

[lorijohnhill]

It seems like they should be able to reverse the authorized amount since they then charged you for your order. It doesn't make any sense that they could hold the authorized amount for 5-7 days after they charge you. That is certainly not a good business practice.

 

[MommyJKM]

Had to have my bank call them WHILE I was on the phone...a wasted hour of my life. And they still argued that I should have read the Disclaimer. DONE with them.

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, that sounds like poor business practice for sure.

I got an email from them today that they have been "unable to obtain payment" for my recent order. So I look through my email history and see it was for an order last November! There has been no communication from them on this. I have no idea if there was really an issue or not. I have zero interest in investing any time in figuring this out.

Meanwhile, I had a CRT ADR scheduled for our upcoming trip. I found a better time so scheduled it. It's closing in on a week now that I have waited for the refund on the original ADR. (This is an expensive and totally prepaid meal). Still nothing. I guess I now get to invest time in calling them over that.

 

[bcla]

It's a credit card authorization hold to make sure that you can pay for the full amount. This is a standard practice in the industry - "an authorization hold and settlement". They're basically getting authorization for the entire transaction amount before the price they actually charge gets settled. I've had online purchases where it was later determined that they couldn't fulfill the entire order and I was only charged for the items that shipped. Sometimes they wait on certain items and ship what they have in stock, and the charges reflect the shipped items.

They're not actually getting any money from it although it can mess people up if close to a credit limit. If this is unacceptable, then don't use pay at the pump credit cards or even paying at the cashier unless you specify a specific amount. Even then they'll probably be placing a hold and then settling it later after charging it separately. You should see what happens when you present your credit card at a hotel.

The hold will disappear in a few days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_hold

 

[Gisele]

Like maaaan.....I got totally lost here. What the?
Glad I am not in finance. I would probably end up getting an aneurysm. Lol X 3 .......

 

[MommyJKM]

It's a credit card authorization hold to make sure that you can pay for the full amount. This is a standard practice in the industry - "an authorization hold and settlement". They're basically getting authorization for the entire transaction amount before the price they actually charge gets settled. I've had online purchases where it was later determined that they couldn't fulfill the entire order and I was only charged for the items that shipped. Sometimes they wait on certain items and ship what they have in stock, and the charges reflect the shipped items.

They're not actually getting any money from it although it can mess people up if close to a credit limit. If this is unacceptable, then don't use pay at the pump credit cards or even paying at the cashier unless you specify a specific amount. Even then they'll probably be placing a hold and then settling it later after charging it separately. You should see what happens when you present your credit card at a hotel.

The hold will disappear in a few days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_hold

I know how authorizations work. I stay at hotels often. I've NEVER EVER had an online store charge me an authorization THEN the same amount again (plus the tax differential which I understand) within hours. I just got a call from a Supervisor who admitted it's not common. I'm still mad and done.

It's not a fair practice to charge people twice - yet call it a "hold" that "drops off" if you're going to hold it for 5 days.Even with my bank on a 3-way call DisneyStore argued to release the funds tomorrow.

OP, that sounds like poor business practice for sure.

I got an email from them today that they have been "unable to obtain payment" for my recent order. So I look through my email history and see it was for an order last November! There has been no communication from them on this. I have no idea if there was really an issue or not. I have zero interest in investing any time in figuring this out.

Meanwhile, I had a CRT ADR scheduled for our upcoming trip. I found a better time so scheduled it. It's closing in on a week now that I have waited for the refund on the original ADR. (This is an expensive and totally prepaid meal). Still nothing. I guess I now get to invest time in calling them over that.

I once got 3 backpacks for my daughter at different times but had only ordered and paid for one. They told me I could "pay for the extras" if I wanted.

 

[StarGirl11]

OP, that sounds like poor business practice for sure.

I got an email from them today that they have been "unable to obtain payment" for my recent order. So I look through my email history and see it was for an order last November! There has been no communication from them on this. I have no idea if there was really an issue or not. I have zero interest in investing any time in figuring this out.

Meanwhile, I had a CRT ADR scheduled for our upcoming trip. I found a better time so scheduled it. It's closing in on a week now that I have waited for the refund on the original ADR. (This is an expensive and totally prepaid meal). Still nothing. I guess I now get to invest time in calling them over that.

Unrelated to the OP but we had to get a refund through Disney once last fall. And we were told it could take up to the next billing cycle (in our case the next month) before the refund came through. I think it came through sooner than that but I don't know with 100 percent certainty. But either way give it until then. Not sure why it takes that long just remembering what we were told by the Cast Member at the time.

 

[mom2rtk]

Unrelated to the OP but we had to get a refund through Disney once last fall. And we were told it could take up to the next billing cycle (in our case the next month) before the refund came through. I think it came through sooner than that but I don't know with 100 percent certainty. But either way give it until then. Not sure why it takes that long just remembering what we were told by the Cast Member at the time.

That wouldn't surprise me. But I'm not going to wait that long. I paid by debit card and prefer not to be so heavily invested in a random dinner in June. I think I'll probably have to give them a call.

 

[bcla]

I know how authorizations work. I stay at hotels often. I've NEVER EVER had an online store charge me an authorization THEN the same amount again (plus the tax differential which I understand) within hours. I just got a call from a Supervisor who admitted it's not common. I'm still mad and done.

It's not a fair practice to charge people twice - yet call it a "hold" that "drops off" if you're going to hold it for 5 days.Even with my bank on a 3-way call DisneyStore argued to release the funds tomorrow.

They're upfront about it and they're not making any money off of the authorization. Perhaps you're unhappy about the practice, but their terms indicate that this can happen. For the most part these are automated processes. OTOH - a $100 authorization that gets wiped out in a week wouldn't bother me since I never get close to maxing out my credit card limit.

http://aimg.disneystore.com/content/global/guest_services11/disclaimer.html

Credit Card / Debit Card Authorizations
Once you place an order at DisneyStore.com, your credit or debit card will be authorized for the approximate amount of your purchase. Your card will not actually be charged until the order is shipped. Although an authorization may prevent additional purchases on your card, authorizations are not billed to your account, and DisneyStore.com does not collect any funds from an authorization. In cases where the authorization remains on your card, please contact your financial institution. The removal process and timelines may vary, and are determined by your bank.

If your order is sent in multiple cartons, your actual charges may also be segmented to match each shipment, even with a single authorization.