Stay vigilant people!

[Tracey]

I feel companies are getting more hard nosed. I booked a hotel for some collegues and had to give my credit card details to secure the booking. The booking was for 2 weeks and for various reasons my collegues had to cancel the 2nd week. They cancelled with the owner in good time and with the owners wife at checkout. I was suprised to get a £400 charge from the hotel on my credit card. I phoned the hotel and they denied that the room had been cancelled and the charge was for a 'no show'. She was very aggressive and refused to let me or my collegue speak to her husband (the owner). We explained the story to the credit card company and they said they would refund the £400.00 and dispute it with the hotel. They said that should be the last we should hear of it.

[dexterdoglancashire]

" Chip and Pin "- the saviour of the credit card fraud industry-NOT
Remember what we were all told and now as we hear from HW and countless others it is as bad if not worse than ever because an online transaction does not require a pin number.
Don't use them myself - I love cash or pay by crossed cheque. yes it takes longer to process the order but hey I can wait.

Hi Beefy - yep, agree with you, although it is always tempting isnt it when you see an offer, to pay on line or to ring up with your details?

Thanks Wayne for letting us know, I'm lucky (so far, touch wood, that kind of thing) in that I've not had any problems with my bank (I don't have a credit card - far too tempting I'm afraid!) and I don't bank ont'net.

Just goes to show how careful we all should be.

Bernie aka DDL

[nelliegemini]

We were on holiday last year in Crete when the 'hole in the wall' decided to keep the cash - we went into the bank itself and they tried to help but it just wouldn't work, so we had no money.

We rang our bank and they said there had been a batch of accounts which may have been tampered with and our bank account number was within that bracket. As we were stuck, they agreed to let us have £100 a day (far more than we needed!)

When we got home we found loads of messages from them on the answerphone, they had tried to help!

My cc company is red hot if OH uses the card overseas, the card is in my name and I get the call to ask if it is OK - can be quite amusing on the few occasions he has made a big purchase. We now just ring them if we are going away for a length of time and expect to use the card.

In Miami last year the hotel made a mistake and deciding they hadn't charged us for the room, they charged again. After a few days, and before we had noticed, they realized the mistake and gave the money back, but in the intervening days the exchange rate had altered so much we lost £25.

We had to get the CC card company to help with that one because the hotel would not admit fault or refund the £25 - and I was very concerned they could just take money off our card whenever they felt like it (as was the cc company!)

(No I don't live a jetset life, OH was on business and I tagged along)

[TPeers]

(No I don't live a jetset life, OH was on business and I tagged along)

Neither do I - his nibs gets to go to the states - I'm never invited, shame isn't it!

[NOG]

[QUOTE=beefy;207283Don't use them myself - I love cash or pay by crossed cheque. yes it takes longer to process the order but hey I can wait.[/QUOTE]

Not for much longer though....most places are stopping taking Chqs. Once the volume drops. One of the big banks will pull out of "Clearing" bue to the cost and that will be the end of them.

[Two_Sheds]

I am SO paranoid about cards! I have never withdrawn money from a hole-in-the-wall (can't remember my pin, and don't want to be charged for taking out my own money anyway). Instead I get cashback from the supermarket. I recently lost my card and tried to get money out of my bank. Of course, I couldn't remember my PIN, cos I've never used it I couldn't therefore prove who I was, and my account (and all my money) was frozen for a couple of days.

Another problem occurred y'day: I recently paid for something in four installments - four separate cheques for the same amount. Now the company is saying they only had 3 cheques. I have checked with the bank, and only 3 have been cashed. Yet I wrote out and posted four cheques. What to do now? Are they going to cash the missing cheque after I send them a replacement? If I cancel the cheque, it will cost me half the value of the cheque, so that's daft.



One thing about online purchases: you could have a separate card for that, then you can tell more easily which are genuine transactions. I only use my credit card for online purchases, so if something is bought in an actual shop, it ain't by me!

[Herbgardener]

[I recently paid for something in four installments - four separate cheques for the same amount. Now the company is saying they only had 3 cheques. I have checked with the bank, and only 3 have been cashed. Yet I wrote out and posted four cheques. What to do now? Are they going to cash the missing cheque after I send them a replacement? If I cancel the cheque, it will cost me half the value of the cheque, so that's daft.
[/QUOTE]

Tell your bank it has gone missing in the post, they should cancel it for free..