f13.net

PALMDALE, Calif. -- This fast food bill was a real whopper.

A man was charged more than $4,300 after placing his food order at a Burger King in California last week.

The four burgers came to $4.33. The cashier entered the charge on George Beane's debit card, then mistakenly punched in the numbers again without erasing the original ones.

That brought the bill to $4,334.33.
 
The electronic charge drained a checking account and left Beane and his wife wondering how they'd pay their mortgage.

But everything worked out. Burger King didn't charge the Beanes for their meal and the couple later got their money back.

Or always demand and look at your receipt, no matter how hard the cashier tries to explode your head telepathically for it.

Wait - we've seen what happpens when you pay with cash....http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=6350.0


Maybe the solution is not to eat fast food....

Or to use someone else's card...

Sexual favors.

Fuck cash, I prefer consumer protections, paid for by all the sorry saps up to their necks in credit card debt. Thanks!

I only pay cash for pizza and beer.

I'm not sure i believe this story.  Most registers and card readers have safeguards against this kind of thing. One such safeguard would be that a manager would have to punch in a code to approve the transaction.  I dont buy it.

It happens. When I was first out of college and just started working a few co-workers and I went out for drinks after work. I dropped my credit card down to open a tab. Had a few drinks then went to head out. When I tried to cash out they told me my card wouldn't accept the charges and I must be over my limit. Made no sense at all since I pay it in full every month.

When I asked how much they were trying to run it was in the $3000 range (my limit was $2500ish at the time). Turns out they were trying to charge me for the office party that had rented out the back room rather than my less than $20 bill. After that mix up they went ahead and picked up my tab for me.

I also got charged 4 time when I purchased my stove. The cashier didn't think the charge was going through so kept running it. My credit card company actually called me on that one a few hours later to see what was up and immediately reversed the charges.

I make sure to check my credit card very carefully multiple times each month.

Helps to look at the receipt you sign when paying for things using a CC, as it shows the amount you're agreeing to pay for.

Just sayin'.

A lot of fast food places/Starbucks/Pei Wei don't even have you sign the receipt anymore.

Yeah, and that really bugs the shit out of me. What happened to the idea of actually checking to make sure you are the owner of the card? I have no problems whatsoever when someone asks me to identify myself when I'm using a card. I find it real strange that all these credit card companies are claiming to be ultra-uber-secure and fraud conscious, and yet don't seem to be exerting any pressure to make these merchants help out.

Yeah those places kind of freak me out too. I even have "CHECK ID" written on the back of my card rather than my signature and those places never check id and I don't have to sign a thing... Kind of strange.

I am actually a big fan of places that don't bother for transactions under $20. Fewer and fewer people carry cash these days; making every one of them sign a receipt for small purchases when the line is out the door drives me crazy. I keep all my receipts and check them against my account 2-3 times a week, so I will catch any problems. I also use my credit card instead of my debit card- if there is a mistake, the CC company is on the hook and not me and my empty checking account. I make a CC payment every week to cover the week's expenses (for the most part- still carrying a balance for big purchases and such), and get airline miles out of the deal. Beats the shit out of digging around my pockets for exact change.

Eh, I've never had anyone card me for using a CC.  The back isn't signed, even though it "isn't valid unless signed".  Also means my wife tends to buy things on my card (she has a second copy for "emergencies").

Doing this was one of the few pieces of good advice my evil former roomate taught me.  I am thrilled when the casheer asks to see my licence, shows that some of them are still doing thier job.

My local post office will refuse to accept "see ID" as a signature and tell you the card isn't valid.

Fucking newbs.

I also have "Check ID" on my cards, and I'm thrilled when someone actually checks...

Which happens about 3 times a year.

Postal workers are knuckeldragging pusbags.

Point to the spot on the doll where Boog touched you ;)

If it was Boog, you'd probably have to just point to the entire doll, then bring in another doll to accurately encapsulate the badtouch.

If Boog is a postal worker... say no more.  The hate, it burns.