For the 6th time this year, one of my credit cards was declined due to possible fraud activity. While I enjoy VISA fraud calling me on my way out to my car from the WalMart where I just tried to make the purchase, 6 times is a bit much. Oh well, at least they didn’t automatically cancel and reissue a new card like they did the last two times.
Here is my massive pain in the ass fraud alert.
I usually only carry my bank card and no other credit cards with me. We had just moved into our house and I was heading to Sports Authority to buy the gym equipment that I couldn’t find used or wanted new. They were having a sale on weights and dumb bells that actually were cheaper than I could get used. I pulled out a card that was empty and that I hadn’t used in a while. Called the CC to check available balance and make sure it was active. On the way to the store I noticed I needed gas so stopped and used that card just to make sure it worked.
I’m at the store for around an hour, loading up two giant flatbed carts. The manager saw me loading up all this stuff and came over to help. I started talking to him and mentioned that I was pleasantly surprised how much better the prices and the selection was at Sports Authority than the Dick’s less than a quarter mile away. We drag these two carts up and he gives me an additional 10% off, which came to around $200. It takes forever to ring everything up. I literally have over a ton of stuff on the carts. They run the card. Declined. No call to my cell phone. No telling the store to verify identity, just declined. I didn’t have $2k in the account my bank card was attached to. So I had to let the store hanging while I called home and had my wife get on the computer and transfer money over to that account. Another 15 or so minutes later and I can finally check out. They had to switch to another register to leave my stuff up and not have to ring it all up again.
On the way home the cell phone rings to give me the fraud alert. WTF. I called them back and they tell me that a card not used frequently, then used at a gas station, then used for a big purchase is a sign of fraud. I ask them what I can do to stop that from happening again. If I should call ahead or what. They tell me there is nothing, no matter what I did, that same thing would happen in that situation.
So some people get the no hassle card from Capital One, I got the full hassle card. They try to tell me that it is to protect me. Then I pointed out that I didn’t need protecting since I was only liable for $50 (or whatever the little amount is). They didn’t really have a response.
For the 6th time this year, one of my credit cards was declined due to possible fraud activity. While I enjoy VISA fraud calling me on my way out to my car from the WalMart where I just tried to make the purchase, 6 times is a bit much. Oh well, at least they didn’t automatically cancel and reissue a new card like they did the last two times.
Do you travel frequently? I’ve only had this happen a few times and that was when I traveled a very long distance in a single day.
Thanks, Obama!
For the 6th time this year, one of my credit cards was declined due to possible fraud activity. While I enjoy VISA fraud calling me on my way out to my car from the WalMart where I just tried to make the purchase, 6 times is a bit much. Oh well, at least they didn’t automatically cancel and reissue a new card like they did the last two times.
Do you travel frequently? I’ve only had this happen a few times and that was when I traveled a very long distance in a single day.
No. Everything I do is local travel, 200 miles or less in a day.
Now that I think of it, after reading JPO’s, I did have a small purchase at a Sheetz (gas station) that may have raised a flag.
My issue is that I don’t have a real credit card, personal or business, and every transaction is run on a bank card that has the VISA logo. I watch these accounts like a hawk, which surprised me when I had the “decline”. I had to run out to the car to grab the personal bank card and call my wife at the same time to have her look online to make sure there wasn’t any funny business.
Maybe keep the card but don’t use it (to maintain it in your credit profile) and use/apply for a new card?
I’ve only been called once by the fraud department of our capital one card- my wife rented a car in Panama and I spent about $1800 on doors at the local Lowes on the same day. They thought it was odd to see 2 big purchases so far from each other on the same day. Made sense to me, and was a 30 second conversation.
Maybe keep the card but don’t use it (to maintain it in your credit profile) and use/apply for a new card?
I’ve only been called once by the fraud department of our capital one card- my wife rented a car in Panama and I spent about $1800 on doors at the local Lowes on the same day. They thought it was odd to see 2 big purchases so far from each other on the same day. Made sense to me, and was a 30 second conversation.
That makes sense.
the big target breach-I canceled my card and changed my pin immediately.
5 months later, my card gets declined. I call, “Oh, we canceled all of your cards because it was used in target during the time period of hacked information. You’ll be receiving a new card shortly.” Really? It took you 5 months to figure that out?
This was after being without any money for a weekend, considering I didn’t have the card declined until Saturday evening. And then, I couldn’t verify my identity because they were looking for information off my old card. You know, the one I had canceled 5 months before.
So Monday morning, I switched banks.
Maybe someplace you use your card frequently is skimming it.
the big target breach-I canceled my card and changed my pin immediately.
5 months later, my card gets declined. I call, “Oh, we canceled all of your cards because it was used in target during the time period of hacked information. You’ll be receiving a new card shortly.” Really? It took you 5 months to figure that out?
That’s about how long it took them to replace my card also. I have so many things on auto pay with a credit card, I finally made a list for when they change my number or I switch to a different card.
It’s going to be hard to explain what is wrong unless you post your card number, expiration date, and security code. Thanks
It’s going to be hard to explain what is wrong unless you post your card number, expiration date, and security code. Thanks
Billing address will make the investigation much more complete, as well.
Results of the investigation will be emailed to the address on file within 6 months. Thanks in advance, OP.
Happened to me twice in the last year.
First time, I was driving my daughter back to college. Before leaving, I filled up my wife’s car with gas, since she was staying behind with the other kids. 15 minutes later, I stopped at the same gas station to fill up the car we were taking. I could totally see how that got flagged as potentially fraudulent.
Second time, we were on vacation. We stayed a night in Mammoth Lakes, used the car at a few stores, hotel, restaurant, and gas station. Then drove to a vacation rental north of Tahoe, checked in, and went to local small town grocery store. Card declined at grocery store. Clerk at store said it happens all the time there, that apparently buying groceries while on vacation can look like fraud.