This one is lengthy, but at this point I really need to get the word out to my fellow DIS members!
On July 18 I booked a 5 day, 4 night December 2007 trip to Walt Disney World. I went online to disney.com and got the phone number off of there after I made my selection about where I wanted to go. I put down the $200 required deposit. I used a debit card that has a VISA logo on it for the transaction. The representative told me that this would be fine. She did not mention any holds or extra fees for using a debit card. The payment went through fine, however when I went to use my debit card the next day for an emergency, I was declined access to the funds. I called up my bank immediately to find out what was happening (thinking that it was their fault) I was informed that my checking account had been frozen due to an unauthorized $1,000 hold that Disney put on my account. I was stuck on the side of the road needing a tow truck and could not access my funds!!! I immediately called Disney to find out why they did this and they denied that their company did such a thing. After being on the phone for over an hour with Disney and being transferred from representative to representative we finally reached Denae. Denae is a very nasty woman who made us feel as if we were making this up and trying to take advantage of Disney. We were made to feel dishonest or that we were making this up. She told us to provide proof that Disney did the hold. So, the next day we went to our bank and received a letter from them stating that Disney did put the $1,000 hold on our bank account for 24 hours. Our bank stated that this was called a "Prestigious Property Code" and each code stands for a hold amount. Our account was coded with a "B" which representated $1,000 hold. My bank said that this information is written in Disney's "parameters". So, for the $200 transaction, I needed to have over $1,200 in my account in order to have access to any funds. But the hold is only for 24 hours, so most people do not realize that the hold is being done unless they go to use their card. The Disney reps that we talk to claimed to know every single one of their parameters for each of the several companies that process their transactions. They denied that they would ever put a hold on someones account. Now our debit card is linked to our checking account and because of that we put almost everything into savings and just keep what we need in checking. Kind of as a safeguard in case the card is lost or stolen. I was never told about this hold or I would have made sure that I planned around it as I did for my second payment. The next payment that I made to Disney was $500 on 09-06-07. Again a hold was placed. This time, however, I prepared and withdrew money from my account the day before I made the payment to insure that I would have some funds. On 09-20-07 I tried to make a $300 payment. My payment was kicked back! I tried 5 times to make the payment online and each time I was told there was a problem. I called in and talked to a representative and she took my information and told me that my card was declined. I asked her about the hold and she said that that was not possible. I again called my bank and they said that I had more than enough to cover the $300 payment, of course I already knew this. After some research they saw that Disney was again doing the $1,000 hold. My husband called Disney again and again we were told the same thing. Disney doesn't do holds. We are currently awaiting for someone to do something to make this right. We have been forwarded to Manager to Manager. No one wants to help or do anything to make this right. No one wants to take responsiblity or acknowledge that this is happening. We have spent countless hours on the phone with Disney trying to get answers. Now, we are just trying to give them money and their own system is kicking it back! Now, it is even more than just the $1,000 hold issue. We are treated horribly when we call. The representatives have been rude and aggressive. They raise their voices to talk over you instead of listening to the problem. We have even been yelled at! So, now the issue is no longer the hold, but the customer service. We are at the end of our rope with them and they have taken this magical wonderful vacation and have turned it into a nightmare. On September 25th we gave them 48 hours to get back to us since they are telling us that it is being researched. Well, it's way past that, so I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Due to the hours of being on the phone with Disney, the rude treatment, the lying about the $1,000 hold, the freezing of my bank account for when I needed it the most, the embarrassment of having my card declined in front of the tow truck driver....I've just about had it!
I just wanted you guys to be aware when you are making your reservations that this could happen to you! And if any of you know any Disney executives that care how their company is perceived, please forward this to them. I seem to be getting no where.
Thanks for reading!
On July 18 I booked a 5 day, 4 night December 2007 trip to Walt Disney World. I went online to disney.com and got the phone number off of there after I made my selection about where I wanted to go. I put down the $200 required deposit. I used a debit card that has a VISA logo on it for the transaction. The representative told me that this would be fine. She did not mention any holds or extra fees for using a debit card. The payment went through fine, however when I went to use my debit card the next day for an emergency, I was declined access to the funds. I called up my bank immediately to find out what was happening (thinking that it was their fault) I was informed that my checking account had been frozen due to an unauthorized $1,000 hold that Disney put on my account. I was stuck on the side of the road needing a tow truck and could not access my funds!!! I immediately called Disney to find out why they did this and they denied that their company did such a thing. After being on the phone for over an hour with Disney and being transferred from representative to representative we finally reached Denae. Denae is a very nasty woman who made us feel as if we were making this up and trying to take advantage of Disney. We were made to feel dishonest or that we were making this up. She told us to provide proof that Disney did the hold. So, the next day we went to our bank and received a letter from them stating that Disney did put the $1,000 hold on our bank account for 24 hours. Our bank stated that this was called a "Prestigious Property Code" and each code stands for a hold amount. Our account was coded with a "B" which representated $1,000 hold. My bank said that this information is written in Disney's "parameters". So, for the $200 transaction, I needed to have over $1,200 in my account in order to have access to any funds. But the hold is only for 24 hours, so most people do not realize that the hold is being done unless they go to use their card. The Disney reps that we talk to claimed to know every single one of their parameters for each of the several companies that process their transactions. They denied that they would ever put a hold on someones account. Now our debit card is linked to our checking account and because of that we put almost everything into savings and just keep what we need in checking. Kind of as a safeguard in case the card is lost or stolen. I was never told about this hold or I would have made sure that I planned around it as I did for my second payment. The next payment that I made to Disney was $500 on 09-06-07. Again a hold was placed. This time, however, I prepared and withdrew money from my account the day before I made the payment to insure that I would have some funds. On 09-20-07 I tried to make a $300 payment. My payment was kicked back! I tried 5 times to make the payment online and each time I was told there was a problem. I called in and talked to a representative and she took my information and told me that my card was declined. I asked her about the hold and she said that that was not possible. I again called my bank and they said that I had more than enough to cover the $300 payment, of course I already knew this. After some research they saw that Disney was again doing the $1,000 hold. My husband called Disney again and again we were told the same thing. Disney doesn't do holds. We are currently awaiting for someone to do something to make this right. We have been forwarded to Manager to Manager. No one wants to help or do anything to make this right. No one wants to take responsiblity or acknowledge that this is happening. We have spent countless hours on the phone with Disney trying to get answers. Now, we are just trying to give them money and their own system is kicking it back! Now, it is even more than just the $1,000 hold issue. We are treated horribly when we call. The representatives have been rude and aggressive. They raise their voices to talk over you instead of listening to the problem. We have even been yelled at! So, now the issue is no longer the hold, but the customer service. We are at the end of our rope with them and they have taken this magical wonderful vacation and have turned it into a nightmare. On September 25th we gave them 48 hours to get back to us since they are telling us that it is being researched. Well, it's way past that, so I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Due to the hours of being on the phone with Disney, the rude treatment, the lying about the $1,000 hold, the freezing of my bank account for when I needed it the most, the embarrassment of having my card declined in front of the tow truck driver....I've just about had it!
I just wanted you guys to be aware when you are making your reservations that this could happen to you! And if any of you know any Disney executives that care how their company is perceived, please forward this to them. I seem to be getting no where.
Thanks for reading!
I am so sorry you did. I should also say I do not own any flat cc's I only have debit cards but usually run them as credit if given the oppurtunity.
