Tis the season for credit card warnings

[Poohnatic]

Hi, all!

I'm a manager in retail and ask that you all keep some things in mind as you go about your holiday shopping:

1. Please don't ask a cashier to take a credit card that you personally have not signed. Especially in this day and age of identity theft. If it is your spouse's, parent's, bosses or friend's card, we can't take it. We can only compare the signature on the card to the charge slip you sign...if they don't match, we can't take it.

2. Please don't yell at the cashier for not taking a credit card that you personally haven't signed. Just as you can say "it's my husbands card and I use it all the time", so could the lady who has stolen your husband's wallet. I don't know you from Adam, so how am I going to know who your husband is?

3. If you are an authorized user, ask the credit card company to issue you your own card. By the same token, get one for your son or daughter if you occasionally give them charging privleges. You can keep the card and hand it out when you allow them to make a purchase (don't forget to get it back!). A note from mom or dad could be written by a friend, and as such, we don't accept them.

4. We merchants want you to buy from us, but we also want to protect YOU from fraudulent use of your card AND keep our prices down. If we get a chargeback because we didn't follow the proper card acceptance steps, we have to recoup the money somehow.

5. If you don't sign your card, please write 'ASK FOR ID'. Anyone can pick up your unsigned card and sign it.

If you're scratching your head that I had to write this, THANK YOU! That means you care about credit card safety!

Have a happy holiday, and no surprises in those credit card statements!

Suzanne

 

[Serena]

And please don't get mad at us when it doesn't go through, or checks for that matter.

 

[kejoda]

I don't sign my cards. When I use one they have to see my drivers liscense. Its written on my card so there is never any problems. Also if I spend more than 200 on my Discover they have to call it in. Its something that I have set up with them for several years and the are just wonderful about it.

 

[Serena]

Kejoda, make sure you write "Check ID" on it if you don't sign it. Anyone could get ahold of it and sign your name and use it.

 

[Poohnatic]

Kejoda,

That's great that you do that. We LOVE when people write 'ask for ID' and always do at my store. Many people tell us that we're the only ones that ask, which is sad.

Suzanne

 

[Serena]

I've got people grateful I ask, and then some people get insulted. go figure

 

[kejoda]

They won't be insulted once someone steals the card and uses it. Take it from someone that learned the hard way.

 

[Poohnatic]

bump

 

[snoopy]

Actually, good advice would be for people not to yell at cashiers or store clerks for ANY reason. I hate to see people do that, but it always gives me a good indication of what type of person they are. I dated a guy for about 10 minutes while in college, until I saw the way he screamed at a store clerk, I broke up with him that night. Ick.

Thanks for the reminder, Poohnatic. I'm always so pleased when the cashier asks for additional identification, it makes me feel secure should I ever lose my CC.

 

[KathyFP]

I have been a victim of ID fraud. I am very careful. I don't sign my cards so they have to ask for ID.