"I'm never shopping THERE again!" Share your story!

[gramma dishes]

My son worked at a festival all weekend and when we picked him up last night, he was very hungry and suggested an Italian restaurant that was nearby. The food was good, service was good, beverages were good.

I gave my card to pay and when the server came back, she said the card only was authorized for a lesser amount than the full bill. I thought that was odd, since I knew the exact amount available and paid cash for the remainder.

This morning I found the restaurant charged me the full amount as a hold then the lesser amount as a charge in two separate transactions. I called the restaurant and the cashier verified that is what happened. The owner refused to release the hold or send any documentation for it.

We might return, but I will never hand over a card there again.

I would call the card company and report is as a mistake and possible fraud.

Yes.   I'm confused about this too.  What does it mean when a restaurant (or other venue, I presume) charges the full amount "as a hold"?  Don't they just total it up and swipe your card once and you're done?   

[Yvaine]

My son worked at a festival all weekend and when we picked him up last night, he was very hungry and suggested an Italian restaurant that was nearby. The food was good, service was good, beverages were good.

I gave my card to pay and when the server came back, she said the card only was authorized for a lesser amount than the full bill. I thought that was odd, since I knew the exact amount available and paid cash for the remainder.

This morning I found the restaurant charged me the full amount as a hold then the lesser amount as a charge in two separate transactions. I called the restaurant and the cashier verified that is what happened. The owner refused to release the hold or send any documentation for it.

We might return, but I will never hand over a card there again.

I would call the card company and report is as a mistake and possible fraud.

Yes.   I'm confused about this too.  What does it mean when a restaurant (or other venue, I presume) charges the full amount "as a hold"?  Don't they just total it up and swipe your card once and you're done?   

IME, usually they'll charge you the full bill (but not the tip) as a hold, bring you the receipt, and then you write in the tip. The hold will often sit there for a few days before the money actually comes out of your account, so that money is kind of in money limbo--it's not available to you, but it's not really "gone" either. Then, whenever the restaurant processes the bill, they'll charge you the amount+tip for real. Sometimes--I think especially when a place has a crotchety old credit card system--there'll be an overlap where the hold sits there for a while even after the money has also come out of your account for real, or there'll be a gap where the hold has vanished but the real charge hasn't happened yet. It's annoying. It's weird for them to charge a random small amount instead, at least for restaurants; I've seen that more often at gas stations. But maybe they just meant it didn't include the tip yet, which is usual.

[ladyknight1]

I spoke with the waitress at the time, the cashier when I called today and the owner when she called me back.

Although I have two separate transactions for two different amounts from the same merchant. One, for the full amount, is a hold. The other, lesser amount, is a closed charge. The owner insisted that it was impossible for the restaurant to have charged me and put the hold on the card.

If the hold doesn't go off my account Wednesday, I will call and dispute the charge.

[Piratelvr1121]

I nearly had a heart attack once when I pumped gas at my grocery store's station and saw my account balance was negative because they'd charged me $99 even though I'd only pumped about $10.  Turns out they do the hold thing, and by the time I got into the store to ask about it, the situation resolved itself and my account was no longer in the red. PHEW!

[PastryGoddess]

I nearly had a heart attack once when I pumped gas at my grocery store's station and saw my account balance was negative because they'd charged me $99 even though I'd only pumped about $10.  Turns out they do the hold thing, and by the time I got into the store to ask about it, the situation resolved itself and my account was no longer in the red. PHEW!

I hate gas stations that do this.  I have a mental list of stations that don't do these authorizations.  Unfortunately it seems that I have better luck with Exxon than with Shell.  That's a problem because I shop at Giant, more than at Safeway. 

[WolfWay]

I may just have finally given up on movies.

I don't go to a lot of movies mostly because I'm getting grumpy in my old age (of 30 ) and I have a low tolerance for the selfish idiots I always seem to end up sharing a movie theatre with. Movies are also expensive, so I have a discount movie club card that lets me buy tickets at a third of the price of normal tickets. If I didn't have the discount card, I'd probably have given up on movies. I don't mind waiting to watch movies on my big tv at home.

Sunday I went to go see Winter Soldier. I try to use my discount card only to be told it's been deactivated. I was never notified it was deactiavted (they have my cell number for special deal notifications, so I know they can contact me), and I was rather put out at having to pay triple what I should have paid. I contact the company that runs the discount cards only to be told they're going to charge me a replacement fee for a card that they deactivated for reasons they can't explain.

So you want me to pay for your mistake? I think not.

I was already on the fence about how annoying it can be to sit in a room full of noisy disruptive selfish people when I have bad luck to end up with them, but if the movie distributor club don't reactivate my card or replace it for free, I'm watching movies at home from now on. And they're not only going to lose out on my future spendings, but also my parents (who only ever go to the movies if it's with me).

[hjaye]

I would actually save money on my internet and cable if I added a phone, but I don't want one. If it saves more than $20 a month I might do it, but in general, it is just a terrible aggravation.

Not to mention the nightmares that happen when you suddenly get a phone line. Everyone and their brother is sold a list of new numbers and my friend received 52 different sales calls in one week and 20+ mailings for her "new house" that she has owned for 20 years. I think I will just spend the extra money, and not have another phone.

We have a home phone since it does save us money on the tv and internet so I'm actually paying less than if I didn't have the phone.  I was getting tired of the sales calls, plus the fact my phone number was once a secondary line for a local business, so I constantly get calls asking for Carl (the owner of the business)
I now just leave the phone permanently off the hook.  I have never given out that number as a contact number so there is no one calling me that I want to speak to.  I don't know if it's rude of me to get some sense of pleasure knowing that all of these unwanted callers get nothing but a busy signal every time they call my house.......

[Dazi]

I spoke with the waitress at the time, the cashier when I called today and the owner when she called me back.

Although I have two separate transactions for two different amounts from the same merchant. One, for the full amount, is a hold. The other, lesser amount, is a closed charge. The owner insisted that it was impossible for the restaurant to have charged me and put the hold on the card.

If the hold doesn't go off my account Wednesday, I will call and dispute the charge.

The hold is always on there when that happens and it is not the restaurant that put the hold, but your bank (I've been through this several times).  It sounds like someone charged the wrong amount,  then refunded it (or closed the transaction), then charged the correct amount. It would have been less hassle to just ring up the difference as an additional transaction, but some places do not allow their employees to do that. It usually goes away after a few days, but it's so freaking annoying, especially if it's a higher dollar amount. 


My DH had an on-line merchant that that happened with a few months ago.  Something happened where during the order process, the website refused to recognize our address as legit.  He called the merchant and did it as a phone order.  They had to cancel the first transaction for $150, then replace the order for $150.00.  It took over a a week for that hold to come off, even though it wasn't completely processed (there wasn't a charge, refund, then charge).

[Luci]

I spoke with the waitress at the time, the cashier when I called today and the owner when she called me back.

Although I have two separate transactions for two different amounts from the same merchant. One, for the full amount, is a hold. The other, lesser amount, is a closed charge. The owner insisted that it was impossible for the restaurant to have charged me and put the hold on the card.

If the hold doesn't go off my account Wednesday, I will call and dispute the charge.

The hold is always on there when that happens and it is not the restaurant that put the hold, but your bank (I've been through this several times).  It sounds like someone charged the wrong amount,  then refunded it (or closed the transaction), then charged the correct amount. It would have been less hassle to just ring up the difference as an additional transaction, but some places do not allow their employees to do that. It usually goes away after a few days, but it's so freaking annoying, especially if it's a higher dollar amount. 


My DH had an on-line merchant that that happened with a few months ago.  Something happened where during the order process, the website refused to recognize our address as legit.  He called the merchant and did it as a phone order.  They had to cancel the first transaction for $150, then replace the order for $150.00.  It took over a a week for that hold to come off, even though it wasn't completely processed (there wasn't a charge, refund, then charge).

What is a "hold"? Thanks.

[Dazi]

I spoke with the waitress at the time, the cashier when I called today and the owner when she called me back.

Although I have two separate transactions for two different amounts from the same merchant. One, for the full amount, is a hold. The other, lesser amount, is a closed charge. The owner insisted that it was impossible for the restaurant to have charged me and put the hold on the card.

If the hold doesn't go off my account Wednesday, I will call and dispute the charge.

The hold is always on there when that happens and it is not the restaurant that put the hold, but your bank (I've been through this several times).  It sounds like someone charged the wrong amount,  then refunded it (or closed the transaction), then charged the correct amount. It would have been less hassle to just ring up the difference as an additional transaction, but some places do not allow their employees to do that. It usually goes away after a few days, but it's so freaking annoying, especially if it's a higher dollar amount. 


My DH had an on-line merchant that that happened with a few months ago.  Something happened where during the order process, the website refused to recognize our address as legit.  He called the merchant and did it as a phone order.  They had to cancel the first transaction for $150, then replace the order for $150.00.  It took over a a week for that hold to come off, even though it wasn't completely processed (there wasn't a charge, refund, then charge).

What is a "hold"? Thanks.

A hold is just another name for a preauthorization.   When I log on my bank's website,  it has my balance and available balance shown.   The available balance is the things I've purchased,  that there is a hold on,  but haven't officially cleared my account yet.

[Luci]

What is a "hold"? Thanks.

A hold is just another name for a preauthorization.   When I log on my bank's website,  it has my balance and available balance shown.   The available balance is the things I've purchased,  that there is a hold on,  but haven't officially cleared my account yet.

What is a "preauthorization"?

I have had bank accounts and credit cards for 50+ years and have never heard of anything like this except for a deposit of a check taking a week to clear, which now is 2 days with electronics so efficient. My "available balance" is just that, except for not having the deducted whatever they haven't received yet - like the check is in the mail type of thing.

(Sorry. I tried searching and got nothing.)

[Yvaine]

What is a "hold"? Thanks.

A hold is just another name for a preauthorization.   When I log on my bank's website,  it has my balance and available balance shown.   The available balance is the things I've purchased,  that there is a hold on,  but haven't officially cleared my account yet.

What is a "preauthorization"?

I have had bank accounts and credit cards for 50+ years and have never heard of anything like this except for a deposit of a check taking a week to clear, which now is 2 days with electronics so efficient. My "available balance" is just that, except for not having the deducted whatever they haven't received yet - like the check is in the mail type of thing.

(Sorry. I tried searching and got nothing.)

It's money that's not actually gone from your account yet but that you can't access. It's like the bank saying "This money is still here, but we think you're about to have a charge go through for this amount, so you can't use that money right now."

[Luci]

What is a "hold"? Thanks.

A hold is just another name for a preauthorization.   When I log on my bank's website,  it has my balance and available balance shown.   The available balance is the things I've purchased,  that there is a hold on,  but haven't officially cleared my account yet.

What is a "preauthorization"?

I have had bank accounts and credit cards for 50+ years and have never heard of anything like this except for a deposit of a check taking a week to clear, which now is 2 days with electronics so efficient. My "available balance" is just that, except for not having the deducted whatever they haven't received yet - like the check is in the mail type of thing.

(Sorry. I tried searching and got nothing.)

It's money that's not actually gone from your account yet but that you can't access. It's like the bank saying "This money is still here, but we think you're about to have a charge go through for this amount, so you can't use that money right now."

How do they know? Who is messing in the account? (I wish I had put this in the "little things that don't deserve their own thread", but I'll try this last question. Thanks.)

[Yvaine]

What is a "hold"? Thanks.

A hold is just another name for a preauthorization.   When I log on my bank's website,  it has my balance and available balance shown.   The available balance is the things I've purchased,  that there is a hold on,  but haven't officially cleared my account yet.

What is a "preauthorization"?

I have had bank accounts and credit cards for 50+ years and have never heard of anything like this except for a deposit of a check taking a week to clear, which now is 2 days with electronics so efficient. My "available balance" is just that, except for not having the deducted whatever they haven't received yet - like the check is in the mail type of thing.

(Sorry. I tried searching and got nothing.)

It's money that's not actually gone from your account yet but that you can't access. It's like the bank saying "This money is still here, but we think you're about to have a charge go through for this amount, so you can't use that money right now."

How do they know? Who is messing in the account? (I wish I had put this in the "little things that don't deserve their own thread", but I'll try this last question. Thanks.)

Nobody's messing in the account except the merchant and the bank/card company. I really don't know what else to say. 

[ladyknight1]

I have talked with the bank and there are two different transaction ID numbers. They ran one for the full amount, couldn't print the receipt to sign and ran it again instead of reprinting. They occurred 2 minutes apart.