Saturday, August 29, 2009

i'm just going to start paying cash for everything

technically i do pay cash for everything, because i don't have credit cards. just i use my debit card from my bank account to do it.

but last month i had the American Girl Doll Store ring my $3.20 tip in as a $32.00 tip, and i had to call several departments at the store, and wait 2 weeks, to get my money back.

monday i took my team out to lunch (which i will be refunded for by my company.) the bill was $61.60 and then i added a $9.00 tip. so a total of $70.60 should have been taken out of my account. that would have been fine, but i wake up friday morning to find out they've taken $70.60 out once, and an additional $61.60 out 4 extra times. i had to put several calls in to the restaurant yesterday, and they had to call their credit card people to verify i wasn't lying. end of story is "you should have the money back in your account sometime next week."

had yesterday not been a payday, that could be a real problem for me. i don't think that it's right at all that this is how things are handled. stores can ring your purchase up incorrectly and take the money out of your account immediately, but then when you try to get it back it takes several days? had it not been a pay day there could have been real issues of not being able to pay other bills, put gas in the car, eat... i'm wondering if there are laws? or if i just put up more of a stink and gone in to the restaurant and made them give me cash on the spot? $246.40 is a lot right now. (well any time actually- but especially right now.)

i'm still waiting to see if my bank is going to charge me an insufficient funds fee for one transaction posted after those 4 additional charges, but before my paycheck went in. if they did, i'll be at the restaurant demanding they give me $33 or however much it is to cover it.

anyway- maybe my lessons learned should just be- take cash out of the machine, pay cash for everything. that way you always know how much things cost you as long as you are watching the register as they ring up.

4 comments:

knittergran said...

You should have called the bank immediately to let them know what happened and maybe could avoid the isf charge. They shouldn't charge you when it is the restaurant's fault, not yours.

Keeffer said...

the bank says i won't, but i won't trust them until everything has cleared after the weekend and i see it for myself.

hokgardner said...

We had a lot of complaints about stuff like this when I was at the AG's office. It's one reason I held off getting a check card for as long as I did.

Elaine said...

lets back up here...why were at the american doll store? and what did you buy?

you kill me.