Anybody Else Have This Happen - Half Price Books (First Vanity Ever)

Self ^ | Self

[Timesink]

Careful with that debit card. If it is lost or stolen and your account is cleaned out, the bank is not required to replace the money. There is no limited liability like there is with a credit card.

Yes there is, unless you're so careless as to wait over two months to even open your monthly statements. The federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act clearly states:

• $0 -- after you report the card missing
• up to $50 -- if you notify the bank within two business days after you realize the card is missing, unless you were on extended travel or in the hospital
• up to $500 -- if you fail to notify the bank within two business days after you realize the card is missing, unless you were on extended travel or in the hospital, but do notify the bank within 60 days after your bank statement is mailed to you listing the unauthorized withdrawals, and
• unlimited -- if you fail to notify the bank within 60 days after your bank statement is mailed to you listing the unauthorized withdrawals.

Also, Visa and Mastercard have both instituted rules that member banks cannot charge users of Visa or Mastercard debit cards for more than $50 no matter what. Many banks will cover you entirely for any losses as a courtesy anyway, and a lot of states have laws limiting your liability to $50 no matter what.

[patton]

Back when phone exchanges were identified by name (watch an old movie - someone will ask the operator for "newbank-5-3340" or some such), WE6-1212 was the ma bell weather report phone number. The time was available on TI6-1212 ("at the tone, the time will be 5:18 and 30 seconds...")

[ZinGirl]

I am a 102-year old woman, from Antarctica, who lives at zip 20500 (the White House in DC).

wow...then you and I live together: Once at Radio Shack when the 18-yr-old know-it-all insisted on an address, I said, "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wash, DC"...and she said, "thank you....I'm sorry to be so persistent but it's just one of our policies to ask for addresses"...."oh, no problem", I said.

[Man from Oz]

Dear Mr. J.

I was in Radio Shack yesterday and made a purchase with no request for personal info???? They have asked in the past?

MFO

[Free State Four]

I do that too! I am a 102-year old woman, from Antarctica, who lives at zip 20500 (the White House in DC).

You fiend!

[freedumb2003]

>>I have already stopped shopping at QFC because they began to require shopper "value" cards<<

I just lie -- give my name as Jezbar Fztarkl or something and my phone number as their corporate home phone number, etc.

[SpeakLittle_ThinkMuch]

Welllll, we're both right. From the Clark Howard consumer website:

"Fake Visa and Master card rights
Clark constantly warns consumers against using 'fake' credit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard. These popular cards are often automatically sent to bank customers to use in place of standard checking accounts, ATM's or traditional credit cards. Checking accounts are debited with each use.
Clark and Team Clark Howard constantly hear from consumers that encounter enormous problems when these debit cards are stolen and their checking accounts are wiped out. In a majority of cases, banks are completely non-cooperative in restoring the money to accounts. This is the opposite of what would happen if a thief steals a traditional credit card and charges up a storm. Under federal banking laws, a consumer's liability is zero for these fraudulent charges. With the debit card bank have often refused to pay overdraft charges or other penalties incurred by the account holder.
The vice-president of Visa International spoke with Clark on-air today and told listeners that member banks issuing Visa debit cards must cooperate with consumers and restore checking balances within 5 days. He claims that no one should have to pay a penny in penalties and that debit card holders have the same rights and protections that traditional credit card holders have.
There is no one hot-line to call if your Visa debit card is stolen. Instead it is suggested that you work with your bank and merchants to resolve the fraudulent charges.
Clark does admit that a debit card is a good budgeting tool. Yet he is still mystified why debit cards don't have PIN number security to keep these frequent occurrences of fraud from happening in the first place."

I guess it depends on the definition of "debit card".

[Libertina]

If you use the same name, whatever name, it will still be linked to YOU as soon as you use your credit card. If you deal in cash always I guess it's not a "problem". But it is a harbinger of what is to come.

[Free State Four]

You mean, like PEnnsylvania 6 5 oh-oh-oh!? Or in the area where I grew up, BAltimore 6-5000. Or WEstport 6-5000. (Actually, I am so old and grew up in such a small town that my parents' business number - which is printed on a pot holder that I have hanging in my kitchen - only has 4 numbers. And we thought we were big stuff because we weren't on the party line. But I didn't recognize the number you gave. But then, I can be pretty dense and clueless sometimes. :o)

[Sawdring]

I went to Toys R Us to get a Christmas gift and when I purchased it the guy asked me for my phone number and area code. I told him 911 911-9911 and he laughed and said to me no, your real one. I then repeated it to him and he repeated that he needed my real number. I then told him to enter it and to not stand around looking goofy.

Also at Radio Shack they always ask you for your name, address and phone number this also gets my goat. I usually give them a fake first name and then a name with lots of C's, Z's and W's. They enter it just the same to satisfy their computer.

[patton]

EXactly-5000

(My granny was on a party line till she died, around 1995)

[Libertina]

I am not paranoid and the new chips are detectable with out a "face to face" scanning. And any time you use your grocery card with a credit card it is YOU, not your made up name. Allow yourself to contemplate this issue with more care.

[Free State Four]

THankyou-5000. :o)

[jigsaw]

The ID I provided was a "BJs Discount Club" card!

You got a discount card from Monica Lewinsky?

[strela]

Radio Shack clerks can be almost as obnoxious. When I wanted to make a cash purchase, the clerk started by loudly asking (in the presence of others): "Phone number?"

The clerk was apparently feeding you a line. Radio Shack announced recently that they are no longer collecting personal information on purchases.

[VeniVidiVici]

wow...then you and I live together: Once at Radio Shack when the 18-yr-old know-it-all insisted on an address, I said, "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wash, DC"...and she said, "thank you....I'm sorry to be so persistent but it's just one of our policies to ask for addresses"...."oh, no problem", I said.

Jenny - 867-5309. Wonder if they'd get it?

[NH Liberty]

"What are you saying? After everything you described you got your money back anyway? Yep. And they DID NOT get my personal information!! Skru 'em."

Great job, Boonie! Your story sort of reminds me of that Seinfeld episode, where Jerry answers the phone to a pesky solicitor and tells the solicitor that he can't talk now, but if he'd just give Seinfeld his home number, Seinfeld would call him back later. Next thing you hear after that request was a short silence while Seinfeld listened for the response...Then Seinfeld says, "oh, so you don't like strangers calling you on your home phone, huh? Well, me neither!" and then slams the phone down...(something like that, anyway. )

[Samwise]

Who in their right mind would want to mess with Sauron?

[paul51]

you ould bet they were stealing

How do they get receipts?

[mlmr]

He said Phone Number?


I always smile and say 'Unlisted and unpublished." The clerk then uses a special code and the transaction continues.