When did stores forget how to punch in card #s when the stripe doesn't work? GRRRR

I'm pretty irked right now. In a world where most transactions are done with cards instead of cash, why don't places get it?

Maybe three weeks ago our grocery store couldn't figure out how to make a imprint of my card when the stripe didn't work. 2 cashiers, the cashier super, and finally the assistant manager were dumfounded. As the line behind me grew, I finally used my cel phone to make the impression. Seriously, it's just carbonless carbon paper.

Just now, I left a computer store (MicroCenter in Madison Hts, MI) without the almost $200 worth of stuff I wanted because the cashier said they couldn't type the digits. She wanted me to use a different card. I wanted to use my bank card, not a credit card. I'm writing an email to corporate.

a) They've done it before with other cards

b) What do they win by refusing? They lost $200 today, and I might be PO'd enough to never go back.

I believe in cash! Oh...I've used plastic before and liked it. The tables are turning once again......I fueled up the car today....pulled in to the gas station and read the price on the sign for regular unleaded-----$3.57 a gallon. When I got out of the car and looked at the pump for 87 octane, it read $3.65! So... I walked out to where I could see the original sign again.......$3.65 credit card price, and $3.57 cash price! To my amazement, and of course used to reading the three tiers of prices as 87, 89, 91 octanes, the "cash" and "credit card" prices were in very small print and hardly observable from the street! I like it.......time to go back to good old cash, and time that the folks who use it see some rewards!

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Originally Posted by Cupcake

I'm pretty irked right now. In a world where most transactions are done with cards instead of cash, why don't places get it?

Maybe three weeks ago our grocery store couldn't figure out how to make a imprint of my card when the stripe didn't work. 2 cashiers, the cashier super, and finally the assistant manager were dumfounded. As the line behind me grew, I finally used my cel phone to make the impression. Seriously, it's just carbonless carbon paper.

Just now, I left a computer store (MicroCenter in Madison Hts, MI) without the almost $200 worth of stuff I wanted because the cashier said they couldn't type the digits. She wanted me to use a different card. I wanted to use my bank card, not a credit card. I'm writing an email to corporate.

a) They've done it before with other cards

b) What do they win by refusing? They lost $200 today, and I might be PO'd enough to never go back.

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It's almost as bad with cash though. When was the last time you actually had someone count your change back to you (My pet peeve)? Let a cashier ring up your sale, input your cash payment, then give them the change that is needed, (sale of 4.10 give them a 5.00, then .10 after they have punched in the 5.00), 99% are totally lost and have no idea how much to give you back. Our society has become too reliant on their electronic gadgets. Our education system is just as much to blame. I remember in grade school, MANY years ago, we were taught how to make change.
OK rant over!

There are some bogus cards being used by the crooks that will not swipe but will get an approval when keyed in.

The crooks are able to emboss the card with a name that matches their ID and a valid acct number (stolen), but they cannot encode the mag strip YET.

If the keyboard readers where I work won't read your card, we will not key it in either. I'd suggest you have your bank send you a new card. Wallets can be hard on the cards.

Regardless of the excuse, they ought to be able to check that the card is legit and process it.

I have a related gripe about all of this stuff. I prefer using the old style paper where you actually sign on the piece of paper.

Why? Because I don't want others to have a digitized version of my signature.

They can tell me till the cows come home how secure their system is, and that there is no way my signature can be stolen and used on forged documents. I don't believe that.

i work at sams club and i know that our computers will not accept ANY card number typed in. i agree its stupid, but it to cover their butts if something should happen. its not about the customer anymore, its about turning over the biggest profit the easiest way. i was always told as a cashier to push our credit cards because people spend more when they have a credit card vs. cash or check.

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Originally Posted by archer51

It's almost as bad with cash though. When was the last time you actually had someone count your change back to you (My pet peeve)? Let a cashier ring up your sale, input your cash payment, then give them the change that is needed, (sale of 4.10 give them a 5.00, then .10 after they have punched in the 5.00), 99% are totally lost and have no idea how much to give you back. Our society has become too reliant on their electronic gadgets. Our education system is just as much to blame. I remember in grade school, MANY years ago, we were taught how to make change.
OK rant over!

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I've worked in stores and have found that it's not really a matter of them being unable to make change. What it is, really is psychological, the register is telling them to give $.90 back (it says so, right on the screen). Now, $.90 is imprinted on the mind and they are concentrating on giving the proper amount of change. They're not really thinking of the quarter you just gave them, or, if they are they are adding it to the $.90 they see on-screen.

If they had just opened the register and made change for what you were giving them they'd do it properly (I've checked with a few of my cashiers), but you Do get dependent on doing what the register says so that you don't give out too much, or too little change.

I guess you are correct that they are reliant on the register though, but that's because 90% of the time they are punching in the $150.00 that someone just gave them and are looking at the $6.37 the register says to give in change.

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Originally Posted by airslot

There are some bogus cards being used by the crooks that will not swipe but will get an approval when keyed in.

The crooks are able to emboss the card with a name that matches their ID and a valid acct number (stolen), but they cannot encode the mag strip YET.

If the keyboard readers where I work won't read your card, we will not key it in either. I'd suggest you have your bank send you a new card. Wallets can be hard on the cards.

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I do understand that there are bogus cards out there, but that doesn't stop internet purchases. No physical card or ID required.

I'll order a new card (again) on Monday. My wallet must be one that is very hard on cards, because I go through them like crazy. The strip get physically rubbed off.

Wow cupcake i carry about 7 or 8 cards a couple debit and the rest credit cards and they always swipe,and no I do not carry balances on my cards,they are a convenience/emergency use I don't think because i got a $5000.00 credit card that's a new Les Baers with a couple thousand rounds of ammo,okay I do think like that but it's a fleeting thought

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Originally Posted by airslot

If the keyboard readers where I work won't read your card, we will not key it in either. I'd suggest you have your bank send you a new card. Wallets can be hard on the cards.

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Then you would lose my business.

I have a local grocery store that is less than 1 mile from my house, their readers WILL NOT read my card, but I can use it ANYWHERE else in town. SO I should pay $5 for a new card from my credit union just because YOUR equipment won't read it?

Naw, you can just do without my sales all together! I do not care!

I operate a retail store also, and I will do whatever it takes to get that card to work. Of course if it won't swipe, I ask for ID first, then manually enter it. If it still does not work, then we offer to have them call the issuing bank from the counter. I am not going to tell my customer they can't use a Visa/Mastercard/Discover card in my store. We don't accept AMEX, but that is not by my doing. And most AMEX customers don't find that unusual for some reason.

XD,

From what I understand, the reason a bunch of store don't accept AMEX cards is because they charge a larger percentage of the sale for their use.

to keep the rest of it on topic. I have 3 credit cards in my wallet, and enough debit cards that I rotate them out (have old cards from banks in NJ that I still halfway use.) Every once in a while as the cards get old I have to replace them because they stop swiping, but I've never had an issue with a store accepting them.

--Jim

I operate a retail service station... The only card we will not accept if it does not swipe is the Voyager Cards (government fuel cards)... If they don't electronically swipe, we don't get paid for it.

All others can be manually entered with a few precautions, and all is good in the world again.

As some of you know I own a car rental company and have seen more Hanky Panky than most. We take the 4 major c/c cards. Yes, AX does take the most percentage out of the major cards. It normally comes out to about 4.5% but some credit cards that have airlines miles or reward points tack on an additional percentage payable by the merchant. Years ago the scam was it was easier to rewrite the wrong account info on the mag track on the back of the card than to re-emboss the front. To combat the fraud the cc processors had you re-key the last 4 number from the front into the machine to match the back. No match No approval. I have taken away 3 counterfeit AX over the years. The first one was a re-embossed card. He tried to rent a truck with re-embossed card and fake license. Took away both. I also picked up 2 cards from 1 person. They were new cards with no limit. I explained to AX that the person who presented me the card had a fake license. AX tells me the cards are good. Still did not like situation. The customer was able to answer the typical test questions. AX tells me that the card in good. I argued with AX until they realized I was correct. Turns out this thief broke into an AX travel center and stole blanks and the machine. Yes, the whole machine. Scammed worked like this. This thief would steal your wallet. You cancelled your the missing card. AX sends your replacement card in the mail. The thieves would wait 7 days and then make a credit card with your new numbers and start shopping with new good card. AX has no reason to watch the new numbers for fraud only the stolen numbers. AX normally has no limit.

Here is trick. Boil a pot of water and place an old credit card into the water for a few second. Remove it and roll it, twist it, bend it and let it cool. It will remain like that. Toss back into the water and it will come back to normal.

I don't know how many times I've handed a cashier my cash for a transaction. $4.30 and I'll hand them $5.05, and they ask me why I gave them a nickel instead of 30 cents.

I worked retail and we weren't allowed to punch in card #'s either. I don't see why we couldn't, with a couple precautions of course, but it wasn't my rule.

As for cashiers not being able to give correct change back, I agree with what the one poster said about now seeing the "change due" on the screen instead of the purchase amount. It's still easy to figure out though. Just add whatever amount the give you to the "change due" amount.

Ex. if you give me $5 for a $4.33 purchase and I punch in $5, it'll tell me to give you back $0.67. If you decide to give me, say $0.07, after the fact just add 7 cents to 67 cents and you get $0.75! Tada! ;)