Credit Card Declined...who You Gonna Call?

[genburk]

I have had a few credit cards declined. The first few times it happened it was someone at the show, and I felt fairly comfortable calling them personally and letting them know it was declined.

Now I have an outside order, someone I have never seen or talked to, and their credit card declined. I feel like I should still be the one to handle it and make the call, but I feel less comfortable with it.

My upline does not tell the host any problems like this, and I understand the reason - don't embarrass the guest anymore than needed.

What would you do?

 

[Flamingo]

I would let the host know you have a question with the order and ask her to have the customer give you a call. You don't need to let her know the details. Mabey ask if she is a good friend or not. Ask if it is a debt card, they can enter the card manually at HO and then it's no big deal. I had 3 declined on my pty last week for just that reason. Good luck. Don't be embarrassed it's really no big deal.

 

[letscook04]

I would call that person. First of all did you read her CC# correctly? Just tell her that you just want to make sure that her CC# is right and let her tell you the CC# again, if it is correct ask her if she has another CC to give you because the one she gave you was declined.

If you can't get a hold of her then call the host. Make sure that the host does not give her the order until you get payment.

 

[Flamingo]

The host can't give her the order because the party is on hold till the CC issue is resolved. They wont ship till then. Again ask if it is a Debt or not. It is a common problem HO told me...

 

[DebbieJ]

This is not an issue for the host. Call the customer directly.

 

[LisaAnn]

I've had this happen a few times, and I've always called HO to verify the card number before calling the customer, in case I made a mistake entering the numbers (this did happen to me and I'm so glad I did...saved a bit of embarrassment). I've always kept in between the customer and myself, unless I couldn't contact them and it was holding the party up.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

Do not call the customer until you call HO & ask them to run it as a debit. Many times that all it is. PP will not accept the cc # if tou type it in wrong it will say invalid CC #
If they run it manually & it's still declined then call the customer.
Teresa

 

[nikked]

My most common mistake is in the expiration date, which PP does not validate. Probably 90% of the time, it's the expiration date (at least for me).

HTH!

 

[soccermama]

Another thing that happens with cards is that their bank puts a hold on it due to "unusual spending".... this has happened twice to me (once to my boyfriend's credit card when he was buying pots & pans!!!! It was in June and really helped my sales that month!!!!)

And then again with a show I just submitted this week. I called the customer to check numbers, etc and then asked her to call her bank, and explained that because it was a large purchase (almost $400) that her bank may have put a hold because of the high amount... that's what it was. Called HO and it went right through.

I also would not mention it to the host unless I could not contact the customer (and this was not a customer at the show... she was ordering through her sister's show, and lives in another state).

 

[Chef Kearns]

Do not call the customer until you call HO & ask them to run it as a debit. Many times that all it is. PP will not accept the cc # if tou type it in wrong it will say invalid CC #
If they run it manually & it's still declined then call the customer.
Teresa

You could easily transpose a set of numbers. It has happened! There are a few numbers on every card that are identifiers then there are numbers that are specific to the person. That's how they know it is Jane Doe's card and not Susie Smith's. If you transpose or muddle up the personal numbers it would still get accepted by PP, but not the bank.

 

[pkd09]

I do not tell the customer the card has been rejected. I usually tell them the number is not being accepted and that maybe I wrote the number down wrong or put down the wrong expiration date. I repeat the card number and expiration date back to them. If it is the same I just say that this has happened before with HO and ask if they would like to try another card. Most of them give me another card number to try (sign that they knew other card was maxed out). I have had very positive response from this approach. I never want to embarass customers.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I only contact the host if I failed to get contact information from the guest or if the guest is not responding.

If it is contact information that I need, I tell the host that the number must have been entered wrong and I need to call the guest to verify it.

If it is non-response, I tell the host that I am unable to get ahold of the guest and that the credit card info I have appears invalid. I make sure to tell the host that the whole show is on hold until this is resolved.

99.9% of the time the guest is totally embarrassed about it. I always say, "not to worry, it happens to all of us. For all we know it could be a bank mistake." I try never to judge.

I do have a many time host who has had several cards and checks bounce. I know that about her and we even "laugh" about it. She is very honest and always makes good her debt. We don't do checks at all anymore though. She is either card or cash now.

 

[SillyChef]

I would call the guest personally and clarify that the card numbers are correct. Then if you have the correct numbers I would just let her know what is going on and that we need to get another card, or form of payment. Make sure that they know that it is common and that she isn't the first nor will be the last.