This is how you know you spend too much time at Panera.

[apocalypsos]

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have none at all.

So I head down to Panera to settle in and get that last chapter done, and when the girl at the register tried my debit card it wouldn't work. So I called my bank, because last time I checked there was ninety bucks in there, so I should have been able to handle a six-dollar bread bowl of soup and a drink. After talking with a representative, I found out the problem -- there's a charge on my account for about $75 for the local mini-mart.

As I told the rep, "All I buy there is gas and the occasional container of milk. Unless I suddenly bought four cars and brought them there for a fill-up at the same time, there's no way I would EVER spend $75 at Turkey Hill, of all places."

So now I have to fill out paperwork to get the money back and there's technically nothing in my bank account right now and I kinda want to punch someone.

As for the subject line, the girl at the register felt so bad she gave me a cup for the fountain drinks and said, "Here, take it, it's not like you're not here all the time anyway."

Comments

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

bless her, fuck the bank, and your line reminds me of: "work your fingers to the bone and whaddya get? boney fingers, boney fingers..."

*ducks*

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I don't blame the bank so much as the jerk who stole from me. My bank's actually really good about getting my shit in order, all things considered. Although I do wish they were a bit better at notifying me when my card isn't going to work. I don't mind if it won't, but seriously, y'all.

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

my apologies to the bank, i mis-read, above. if they're good to you, then good on them.

but yeah. it would be nice to know ahead of time. been there, done that (is there a t-shirt?)

oh, i owe you t-shirt fic. hmm... something to do tonight at work. *nods*

[telaryn.livejournal.com]

$75.00 is the amount a lot of gas stations will use to place a hold on your account. Debit card fraud is apparently rampant at gas stations (or so they say), so the mini-marts especially will put anywhere up to a five day hold on your account to guarantee the charge goes through.

Which in banking terms works out to the same as the money not existing.

I found this out the hard way a few years back when Costco wouldn't let me buy $10.00 worth of gas because I only had $68.00 in my checking account.

My bank told me that a lot of chain gas stations will only put the kind of hold that comes off in twenty-four hours, so most people don't even notice it.

I'm not saying it's not a fraudulent set of charges - it just seems suspicious that the amounts are the same.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely.. Perfect timing, that. *eye roll*

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Good to know....

[etod.livejournal.com]

The fact that it was $75 sounds like one of those holds that mini-marts/convenience stores put on card transactions. :\

[anoel.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I HATE when shit like that happens and it always seems to happen when you're low on money. Hope it resolves quickly!

[severus-falter.livejournal.com]

*pets* Banks are evil. We should all just keep our money to ourselves, so that no one can steal it like that. Seriously. It just sucks because with out a bank account, there goes online shopping :[

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

Jesus, what a cluster-fuck. I'm sorry. Like you don't have enough to worry about.

Nice counter-person, though.

[miriad.livejournal.com]

It is possible that if ran your card at the pump that it authorized the card for $75 dollars but will only post for the amount that you actually spent. There are lots of gas stations that do that.

Some stations only "ping" your debit card for $1 to make sure that the card is valid, then when the charge clears it's for the $3 or whatever you actually bought.

Other stores are worried that if they only check for $1, when your full charge tires to go through, it will get rejected so they authorize for a much larger amount. This amount puts a hold on those funds while the charge is pending, thus your debit card will be rejected.

They normally say something about this on a sign at the station or at the pump but it can be in small print.

I work at a bank and people have questions about transactions like this all the time. You may not need to file any paper work if the charge is still pending. In fact, your bank may make you wait until the charge actually clears for the incorrect amount.