Credit Card Fraud Strikes Again: My Guests' Experiences

[ChefZee]

So with almost every show I've had the last 3 months there is always at least one declined credit card. It's gotten to the point where I dread submitting cause I know I'll get that email them BAM, there it is. One time, it was just the system. I entered her same exact credit card info 3 times...third time the charm. The last two times, within a week was due to credit card fraud and my guests having to cancel their cards. WHAT THE HECK?! I feel so bad for my guests dealing with that and it's happening way too frequently for comfort.

Just had to share. Nothing I can do about any of it, I suppose.

 

[vanscootin]

I'm fustrated too... I submitted 2 shows last night, got the emails that they were recieved... go on cc to check it out... 1 show isn't even there and the other is on hold... but there is no declined card... I've never had this happen before. What does that even mean?

 

[pchockeymom]

There is a light at the end of the tunnel (from what I understand). When the new system is in place, I believe it will do an immediate c.c. confirmation, on the spot. So if there are any issues you'll know before you leave the show! I hope I'm understanding this correctly. It's one of the things I picked up on at spring launch.

 

[jwpamp]

hmmm...reminds me of Dave Ramsey -- Cash is King!

 

[Tracy99]

There is a light at the end of the tunnel (from what I understand). When the new system is in place, I believe it will do an immediate c.c. confirmation, on the spot. So if there are any issues you'll know before you leave the show! I hope I'm understanding this correctly. It's one of the things I picked up on at spring launch.

I thought that was going to be the case but I am still not sure. It seemed that way at one point at launch but then it sounded like they would be run when you submitted the show. Just that you would know before the show is marked submitted. My biggest issue has been w on line orders. People either enter things wrong or something changes between when they ordered and when the show closes. I really wish they would authorize everything immediately. Yes it would mean a second charge if you called them to thank them and they added things to their order but I hate calling someone I have never met in person to tell them their credit card was declined. I always worry they will think I am a scam or something.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

There is a light at the end of the tunnel (from what I understand). When the new system is in place, I believe it will do an immediate c.c. confirmation, on the spot. So if there are any issues you'll know before you leave the show! I hope I'm understanding this correctly. It's one of the things I picked up on at spring launch.

I don't think this is the case. Especially if you are using an app - it won't be actually on your web page until you open it and sync. At least that is my understanding...the app is more like P3 - where it stores the info, but it doesn't take the place of the web page and submitting the info.

 

[esavvymom]

I thought that was going to be the case but I am still not sure. It seemed that way at one point at launch but then it sounded like they would be run when you submitted the show. Just that you would know before the show is marked submitted. My biggest issue has been w on line orders. People either enter things wrong or something changes between when they ordered and when the show closes. I really wish they would authorize everything immediately. Yes it would mean a second charge if you called them to thank them and they added things to their order but I hate calling someone I have never met in person to tell them their credit card was declined. I always worry they will think I am a scam or something.

I wouldnt worry....they KNOW. Especially if they stink at bookkeeping and spend money after the show, without paying attention to their records. It is shocking to me how many people just go by what the online account says is in the bank instead of actoring in what is OUT and not yet cleared.

 

[vanscootin]

Now I'm mad... my 2 shows that were submitted... one they said they never got... I have the email that says they did.... then my second one, the one that is on hold... I apprently didn't put a past host number on the past hosts order and put a 60% off item on it... well P3 would have given me a red dot if I hadn't.... so now my shows that I submitted will not count for points or feb sales.

 

[maldvs]

Now I'm mad... my 2 shows that were submitted... one they said they never got... I have the email that says they did.... then my second one, the one that is on hold... I apprently didn't put a past host number on the past hosts order and put a 60% off item on it... well P3 would have given me a red dot if I hadn't.... so now my shows that I submitted will not count for points or feb sales.

Oh no! That stinks for sure!! I'm sorry that happened to you. I would be totally pizzed.

 

[Amanda_RI]

I wouldnt worry....they KNOW. Especially if they stink at bookkeeping and spend money after the show, without paying attention to their records. It is shocking to me how many people just go by what the online account says is in the bank instead of actoring in what is OUT and not yet cleared.

Forget going by the bank "available balance"--I've had people just say, "Oh, I spent the money--I thought it was going to come out as soon as I gave you the card #!" Balancing a checkbook is a lost art. Sigh.

Now I'm mad... my 2 shows that were submitted... one they said they never got... I have the email that says they did.... then my second one, the one that is on hold... I apprently didn't put a past host number on the past hosts order and put a 60% off item on it... well P3 would have given me a red dot if I hadn't.... so now my shows that I submitted will not count for points or feb sales.

Don't you usually have a day or two to resolve those things? Guess I have to go back and read some fine print!

 

[cincychef]

Now I'm mad... my 2 shows that were submitted... one they said they never got... I have the email that says they did.... then my second one, the one that is on hold... I apprently didn't put a past host number on the past hosts order and put a 60% off item on it... well P3 would have given me a red dot if I hadn't.... so now my shows that I submitted will not count for points or feb sales.

The one hold will count if you get it resolved by 10pm ct tonight. IF you have an email or a date time stamp for the 2nd one saying that it was received it should count too. Keep that email!

 

[maldvs]

Don't you usually have a day or two to resolve those things? Guess I have to go back and read some fine print!

Only the credit card issues I believe but if it just flat out didn't get the order, then I think it's lost.

I still find it odd that you got the confirmation email but HO still didn't get it. I almost feel like they should somehow still give you the double points. For all you knew, it took it!

 

[monicag]

I submitted a show earlier in February on a Thursday evening and it went on hold but there were not declined credit cards.....I called HO on Friday morning at 7 and the lady said it showed the CC's didn't go through....she supposedly put them through......told me to call back at 9 am if I didn't see it remove from hold on the status.....it didn't get removed so I called back at 9 am. The next rep told me she would call me back in 10 minutes.....never did.....so I called back an hour later. That rep said she wasn't sure what the problem was and was sending it to someone else. This went on for a while. I called at 2 and they said still trying to figure out what happened. At 5 pm I called back because no call backs and it wasn't resolved. This is Friday and I know nothing will be done over the weekend. We wasted a whole day to get this order shipped out and to my host who was leaving the end of the next week for vacation. The last rep I talked to at 5 pm wasn't very happy with me and I wasn't very happy with her. I waited Monday until 11 am and still no call backs and no resolution. I got an awesome rep who helped me......she kept me on hold and called the person that it had been transferred to.....told her some info that I gave her.....came back and said she would call me back before the end of the day. 10 minutes later she called me back and said the one of the credit cards had not gone through.....gave her the # again and it went through. She called me back a half-an-hour later and told me everything was definitely fixed. I sent an e-mail to HO about her because she was very helpful!!!!I say all this to say that sometimes the programs in HO do not work very well. I never once got a declined credit card e-mail and it never showed up where you can go look for it. And I know I aggravated some of the reps, but I'm trying to provide good customer service to my hosts and I felt like some of the reps weren't helping me do that. If you say you are going to call someone back in 10 minutes.....do it. At least let me know that you aren't sure what 's going on......but I never did get that courtesy.Anyhow, I hope this new system works better than this old one has in regards to the credit cards!

 

[wadesgirl]

Now I'm mad... my 2 shows that were submitted... one they said they never got... I have the email that says they did.... then my second one, the one that is on hold... I apprently didn't put a past host number on the past hosts order and put a 60% off item on it... well P3 would have given me a red dot if I hadn't.... so now my shows that I submitted will not count for points or feb sales.

If you got an email it should have been time stamped in P3. Scroll to the right in the box that shows all your shows. It will show if and when it was submitted. The other one they should be able to handle on their end since it was submitted and it didn't give you an error (it should have given you an error). Try to call back and talk to someone else (even a supervisor).

 

[vanscootin]

If you got an email it should have been time stamped in P3. Scroll to the right in the box that shows all your shows. It will show if and when it was submitted. The other one they should be able to handle on their end since it was submitted and it didn't give you an error (it should have given you an error). Try to call back and talk to someone else (even a supervisor).

I told them the time stamp... they said it just hasn't loaded in their system yet... what ever, I guess it will get there when it get there.

As for the other one, after being passed around, the lady I was talking to said she was going to fix it and when she went to do that (her math skills were way off and told me that it was going to change the host rewards) we did basic math on the phone together and she still didn't get it. So as she says she is fixing it, it won't let her. She puts me on hold... again... then comes back and says that someone else already fixed and that it was hard because they have multiple people working on the same things. So she told me the hold was lifted, but that hasn't updated either.

 

[wadesgirl]

I told them the time stamp... they said it just hasn't loaded in their system yet... what ever, I guess it will get there when it get there.

As for the other one, after being passed around, the lady I was talking to said she was going to fix it and when she went to do that (her math skills were way off and told me that it was going to change the host rewards) we did basic math on the phone together and she still didn't get it. So as she says she is fixing it, it won't let her. She puts me on hold... again... then comes back and says that someone else already fixed and that it was hard because they have multiple people working on the same things. So she told me the hold was lifted, but that hasn't updated either.

Some times at the end of the month it takes a while for things to process. As long as P3 is showing a time stamp as last night, it should count.

The hold on the other show will take a while too.

 

[vanscootin]

Some times at the end of the month it takes a while for things to process. As long as P3 is showing a time stamp as last night, it should count.

The hold on the other show will take a while too.

Thank you... it's nice be reassurred when I get worked up....

 

[byrd1956]

so I'm having this too. a host from May kept saying she was getting more orders... did not happen... drove over an hr. to close last Thurs and got is submitted by midnight... a declined cc.... tried again, in case I put # in wrong....nope....called, e-mailed, called.... then contacted host saying show was on hold & I needed to her from lady to resolve something w/her order..... lady on vaca....so this morn I hear from her and she says she thought the show I was going to send the show in a long time ago....now she does not have the $ in the account....I told her show was suppose to close a week after the party but I had to wait until the host was ready, as she though she was getting more orders.... customer needs me to wait til tomorrow or next day so she can go to bank & put $ in...or she could give cash to host & I could drive an hr. to pick it up.....(of course all this is my fault) (does no one subtract $ out when they pay for something.....

 

[esavvymom]

so I'm having this too. a host from May kept saying she was getting more orders... did not happen... drove over an hr. to close last Thurs and got is submitted by midnight... a declined cc.... tried again, in case I put # in wrong....nope....called, e-mailed, called.... then contacted host saying show was on hold & I needed to her from lady to resolve something w/her order..... lady on vaca....so this morn I hear from her and she says she thought the show I was going to send the show in a long time ago....now she does not have the $ in the account....I told her show was suppose to close a week after the party but I had to wait until the host was ready, as she though she was getting more orders.... customer needs me to wait til tomorrow or next day so she can go to bank & put $ in...or she could give cash to host & I could drive an hr. to pick it up.....(of course all this is my fault) (does no one subtract $ out when they pay for something.....

THIS is why we need to be firm on closing shows within 3-5 days! Most of my bounces have been because of waiting too long. If the host wants to get more orders, she can, but I will put her as a booking off of her own show, and then enter them as a second catalog show. Learned that from an NExDir.I will be telling my hosts that waiting longer than three days could cause problems as many people just dont know how to balance or keep track of their checking accounts any more! Ok...I might not say EXACTLY that, but you get the idea.

 

[gailz2]

Sometimes a debit card will be declined if the customer has spent over a certain limit that day already (I've heard of $200 limit, but I'm sure it varies). I often mention that fact that some people just don't know about.I, too, sit and wait with crossed fingers that cards won't be declined. Luckily it doesn't happen often.

 

[pampered1224]

"I still have checks so I know its there!" or "They have not taken my card away so it must still be good!" No kidding, these are things I have actually heard. Firm closing dates are a must just because people do not think. The only other thing to do, is what I say at my shows when I get to explaining paying me. "Please remember that we are closing on Tuesday. This DOES NOT MEAN YOUR CREDIT CARDS OR CHECKS will hit your accounts on Tuesday. Checks will be deposited tomorrow. Your credit cards will be charged several days after we submit the show as I do NOT run your cards. The home office does this for us. This does mean that you have to go home and take that money out of your accounts or subtract that amount from your credit card balances. This will ensure that I can send in your orders without problems and hold ups. Thank you." Since I started doing that, I have had only a few problems. And yes, it was usually fraud issues the guests had. Personally, I would rather have a declined card rather than deal with those people had to deal with.