Bank problem on board account

[Paul65]

I don't think we're being played here - the OP has been a member for over 5 years, doesn't seem likely to just out of the blue post something just to get us riled up.

 

I think it's a wind-up, and I think some of this poster's previous threads are, as well. None of the previous ones were quite as successful as this one, though.

[wolfganghowell]

I was being facetious - I don't think s/he is in the brig.

 

Although if I played $50/hand and bought $1000's in jewelry, I'd be a little better prepared than a freaking debit card. Or a payday loan.

[Charles4515]

Fair enough. You are correct. I will concede the "S.O.L." comment was a bit extreme. What I should have said is that the process of blocking or reversing an unauthorized charge on a debit card is generally much more onerous than the same scenario on a credit card.

 

Yes. It happened to me on an ATM card that got skimmed in Spain. I got it all back, but I had to sign a notorized statement and fax it to the bank. It took about a month before the funds were back in my bank account.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Charles4515

[crookedhalo]

As a manager for a large credit union, I can shine a little light on some of the things that may have happened (at least I'll try:p).

 

First, using a debit card outside of the country is not your wisest course of action - as a PP pointed out, with a debit card you are trying to get your money back. With a credit card it doesn't get paid. And foreign countries don't have to play by our rules:(.

 

Second, make sure that the phone number associated with your card is one you will have access to during your trip. I personally have my cell number listed as my home number for my cards. Main reason, if I truly am out having all the fun the charges are from, if they call my residence (where I'm not) and don't get an answer - guess what? They snap that card shut in a heartbeat to protect themselves and you;).

 

Third, many financial institutions have taken to longer holds on travel related purchases. Not a good idea with debit cards, as they generally put the holds thru daily for a smallish amount and then hit with one large amount at the end. Because no transaction is ever received that matches all the smaller ones, the system does not recognize the large transaction as having been the offsetting transaction to the smaller transactions. Therefore they remain on hold against the account until they fall off by themselves (3 days to six months depending on the bank). This can result in not having enough money in your account to take care of business.

 

Fourth, a signature is absolutely required to start any type of fraud dispute - part of the verbiage is you swearing that you did not do the transactions, did not benefit from the transactions etc. That way, if they do the investigation and find out you actually did do the transactions in question, they can go after you for fraud:eek:. Why do you think it has to be notorized if not completed in front of a rep from your bank?

 

I think this should be enough to scare just about anyone, so I'll tuck myself away now.:D

[steveru621]

As a manager for a large credit union, I can shine a little light on some of the things that may have happened (at least I'll try:p).

 

First, using a debit card outside of the country is not your wisest course of action - as a PP pointed out, with a debit card you are trying to get your money back. With a credit card it doesn't get paid. And foreign countries don't have to play by our rules:(.

 

Second, make sure that the phone number associated with your card is one you will have access to during your trip. I personally have my cell number listed as my home number for my cards. Main reason, if I truly am out having all the fun the charges are from, if they call my residence (where I'm not) and don't get an answer - guess what? They snap that card shut in a heartbeat to protect themselves and you;).

 

Third, many financial institutions have taken to longer holds on travel related purchases. Not a good idea with debit cards, as they generally put the holds thru daily for a smallish amount and then hit with one large amount at the end. Because no transaction is ever received that matches all the smaller ones, the system does not recognize the large transaction as having been the offsetting transaction to the smaller transactions. Therefore they remain on hold against the account until they fall off by themselves (3 days to six months depending on the bank). This can result in not having enough money in your account to take care of business.

 

Fourth, a signature is absolutely required to start any type of fraud dispute - part of the verbiage is you swearing that you did not do the transactions, did not benefit from the transactions etc. That way, if they do the investigation and find out you actually did do the transactions in question, they can go after you for fraud:eek:. Why do you think it has to be notorized if not completed in front of a rep from your bank?

 

I think this should be enough to scare just about anyone, so I'll tuck myself away now.:D

 

I'm sure you served your customers very well, but most of what you posted is not entirely true.

 

I was the manager of a debit card department for many years. Dealt with fraud and debit card use.

 

First, I would agree with your point on debit card use, but not why you would think. Don't leave a lot a money in a checking account where it is not working for you. No money less fraud. Visa has a ZERO debit liability guarantee and follows the same fraud investigation process as credit cards.

 

Foreign countries and everyone play by the same rules set by Visa and MasterCard, or an ATM network. Not sure what rules you don't think they follow?

 

Second, fraud control shuts off credit cards just as often as Debit cards. Both use the same rules.

 

Third, I have no idea where you got that info about holds. Most large banks place at most a three day hold. My bank places NO HOLDS on travel and entertainment transactions. My experience, Credit Unions have absolutely the worst policy for holds. If your bank takes 30 days to give you provisional credit, you should find a new bank. Mine has a 24 hour standard. 6 months! You better find a new bank...

 

Very few banks require any signature to start a dispute. But yes, they like a signed note. If your bank wants a NOTARIZED letter, that's absurd. Find a new bank.

 

I agree, use a credit card because your spending ability is higher, but it not perfect if you are at your credit limit.

[TulipBee]

I am seriously bummed I wasn't around for the starfish, or the hairspray :D

 

And yes, we need a 'like' button!

[Sitzmark]

 

Fourth, a signature is absolutely required to start any type of fraud dispute - part of the verbiage is you swearing that you did not do the transactions, did not benefit from the transactions etc. That way, if they do the investigation and find out you actually did do the transactions in question, they can go after you for fraud:eek:. Why do you think it has to be notorized if not completed in front of a rep from your bank

 

I had unauthorized charges last week to one if my cards. I didn't have to sign anything let alone get anything notarized. The charge appeared on my phone from my app, I called to dispute it and they reversed the charges. 24 hours later I got my new card delivered by FedEx.

[dcgrumpy]

I'm sure you served your customers very well, but most of what you posted is not entirely true.

 

I was the manager of a debit card department for many years. Dealt with fraud and debit card use.

 

First, I would agree with your point on debit card use, but not why you would think. Don't leave a lot a money in a checking account where it is not working for you. No money less fraud. Visa has a ZERO debit liability guarantee and follows the same fraud investigation process as credit cards.

 

Foreign countries and everyone play by the same rules set by Visa and MasterCard, or an ATM network. Not sure what rules you don't think they follow?

 

Second, fraud control shuts off credit cards just as often as Debit cards. Both use the same rules.

 

Third, I have no idea where you got that info about holds. Most large banks place at most a three day hold. My bank places NO HOLDS on travel and entertainment transactions. My experience, Credit Unions have absolutely the worst policy for holds. If your bank takes 30 days to give you provisional credit, you should find a new bank. Mine has a 24 hour standard. 6 months! You better find a new bank...

 

Very few banks require any signature to start a dispute. But yes, they like a signed note. If your bank wants a NOTARIZED letter, that's absurd. Find a new bank.

 

I agree, use a credit card because your spending ability is higher, but it not perfect if you are at your credit limit.

 

MTE

 

I have never encountered any of the above.

[tinkertwo]

I'm sure you served your customers very well, but most of what you posted is not entirely true.

 

I was the manager of a debit card department for many years. Dealt with fraud and debit card use.

 

First, I would agree with your point on debit card use, but not why you would think. Don't leave a lot a money in a checking account where it is not working for you. No money less fraud. Visa has a ZERO debit liability guarantee and follows the same fraud investigation process as credit cards.

 

Foreign countries and everyone play by the same rules set by Visa and MasterCard, or an ATM network. Not sure what rules you don't think they follow?

 

Second, fraud control shuts off credit cards just as often as Debit cards. Both use the same rules.

 

Third, I have no idea where you got that info about holds. Most large banks place at most a three day hold. My bank places NO HOLDS on travel and entertainment transactions. My experience, Credit Unions have absolutely the worst policy for holds. If your bank takes 30 days to give you provisional credit, you should find a new bank. Mine has a 24 hour standard. 6 months! You better find a new bank...

 

Very few banks require any signature to start a dispute. But yes, they like a signed note. If your bank wants a NOTARIZED letter, that's absurd. Find a new bank.

 

I agree, use a credit card because your spending ability is higher, but it not perfect if you are at your credit limit.

 

i'm retired from one of the five big banks in Canada and I can tell you that we put holds on items for anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days. it all depends on the item, the circumstance and the client. there's not one policy fits all. if you have a client who's account doesn't always run the way it should your not going to go with a 24 hour hold, you would lose more times than win.

also, when there was a dispute for transactions from a bank account we for sure needed a signed form stating that you were not involved before money was given back. your correct that we didn't need a signature to start a dispute but if you wanted your money back any time soon, then we need it. no signature, no money.

I think all banks run a bit differently but here in Canada, their more alike than different. not sure about the u.s.

[cheezwiz]

Another retired banker here. The management of holds on credit or debit cards is governed to some extent by the operating procedures of the credit card processing networks, copies of which can be found online. As far as the customer being made whole following a fraud, the procedures seem to differ somewhat between banks and whether the fraud directly affected a bank account or only a credit card account.

 

I disembarked from Adventure of the Seas last Saturday and took a look at my credit card account a couple of days ago. RCI did place "preauthorizations" which many people refer to as "holds" on my account on 5 of my seven cruise days, probably representing the rough total of purchases from those days. On Saturday, they submitted an actual charge for the true total amount of my seapass account, which posted as a purchase, while the other items show as "pending." As of today, those pending items are still there. My pre & post cruise hotels did the same thing, and those pending items are there as well. It will likely be days to weeks before those "pendings" expire, could be as much as 30 days. This would be a major problem for some folks, as that amount of credit is not presently available. However, it is not causing me any inconvenience so I won't worry about it.

 

As for the OP, he hasn't posted since obtaining his "payday loan" so perhaps that solved the problem for him, but I bet this was a real eye-opener for him. It may cause him to rethink his financial arrangements, but then again that's his business. I personally choose to travel with 2 credit card. One for use and one to stay in the safe as a backup, but not everyone has that option.

[steveru621]

i'm retired from one of the five big banks in Canada and I can tell you that we put holds on items for anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days. it all depends on the item, the circumstance and the client. there's not one policy fits all. if you have a client who's account doesn't always run the way it should your not going to go with a 24 hour hold, you would lose more times than win.

also, when there was a dispute for transactions from a bank account we for sure needed a signed form stating that you were not involved before money was given back. your correct that we didn't need a signature to start a dispute but if you wanted your money back any time soon, then we need it. no signature, no money.

I think all banks run a bit differently but here in Canada, their more alike than different. not sure about the u.s.

 

Another retired banker here. The management of holds on credit or debit cards is governed to some extent by the operating procedures of the credit card processing networks, copies of which can be found online. As far as the customer being made whole following a fraud, the procedures seem to differ somewhat between banks and whether the fraud directly affected a bank account or only a credit card account.

 

I disembarked from Adventure of the Seas last Saturday and took a look at my credit card account a couple of days ago. RCI did place "preauthorizations" which many people refer to as "holds" on my account on 5 of my seven cruise days, probably representing the rough total of purchases from those days. On Saturday, they submitted an actual charge for the true total amount of my seapass account, which posted as a purchase, while the other items show as "pending." As of today, those pending items are still there. My pre & post cruise hotels did the same thing, and those pending items are there as well. It will likely be days to weeks before those "pendings" expire, could be as much as 30 days. This would be a major problem for some folks, as that amount of credit is not presently available. However, it is not causing me any inconvenience so I won't worry about it.

 

As for the OP, he hasn't posted since obtaining his "payday loan" so perhaps that solved the problem for him, but I bet this was a real eye-opener for him. It may cause him to rethink his financial arrangements, but then again that's his business. I personally choose to travel with 2 credit card. One for use and one to stay in the safe as a backup, but not everyone has that option.

 

I think all us bankers are correct. All banks are different! Some bank practices are more favorable to customers than others. Unfortunately customers always find out the downside at the worst possible time.

 

We use holds and pre-authorizations interchangeably, but all banks place a hold on your credit limit or your checking account balance. The distance of these holds can impact you as a bank customer.

[Pam]

I have read all the way through many threads (not all on travel boards), only to reach the end and discover that once the OP got resolution to the problem, he/she forgot about the "help me" thread they had started. I hope this OP got the resolution he needed, and will remember this situation the next time he travels.

[novicetraveller]

i have read all the way through many threads (not all on travel boards), only to reach the end and discover that once the op got resolution to the problem, he/she forgot about the "help me" thread they had started. I hope this op got the resolution he needed, and will remember this situation the next time he travels.

+1.

[pjnj40]

Soind like this thread should be call BANKs WAR

[emdia43]

To the OP- I am not a banker.

My bank ATM card bears the Visa logo and while I have never used it as a credit card, I could. Are you sure your card doesn't have that?

[Charles4515]

To the OP- I am not a banker.

 

My bank ATM card bears the Visa logo and while I have never used it as a credit card, I could. Are you sure your card doesn't have that?

 

 

The Visa logo does not make your bank ATM card a credit card. It only means that merchants that accept Visa will accept it for payment. The funds come out of your bank account if you use it for payment. If you don't have the funds in the bank it will be declined. It is a debit card. That is why the OP had an issue. The OP didn't have the funds in their bank account.

 

My ATM card does not have a Visa or MC logo. That is on purpose. I don't want to use it as a debit card. It can not be used for POS transactions. For POS transactions I use a credit card or charge card

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited January 31, 2016 by Charles4515

[FLACRUISER99]

I have read all the way through many threads (not all on travel boards), only to reach the end and discover that once the OP got resolution to the problem, he/she forgot about the "help me" thread they had started. I hope this OP got the resolution he needed, and will remember this situation the next time he travels.

Yes the OP's last post was post #81.:eek:

[novicetraveller]

Yes the OP's last post was post #81.:eek:

Maybe he is in jail right now. :D

[Wilson]

Yes the OP's last post was post #81.:eek:

 

Maybe he is in jail right now. :D

 

LoL. We do know that he has not logged in for 3 days:

 

Last Activity: January 28th, 2016 11:04 AM

[A&L_Ont]

LoL. We do know that he has not logged in for 3 days:

 

Last Activity: January 28th, 2016 11:04 AM

 

Maybe the police picked them up on disembarkation. :D;)

Edited January 31, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[PropsR4boats]

Hey all,

 

I appreciate all the responses.

 

First off, the whole entire reason I started this thread was to find out if Royal would really call the police over this. Obviously, being hauled off to jail over a situation that I felt I had little control over, is not good for one's personal life or career.

 

I had a lot of anxiety and that is why I quit posting since the 28th.

 

So, here's what transpired:

 

On the 29th, I was able to scrounge up some money to pay most of the remaining balance. It wasn't all of it, but it made what was left over so small, I figured I stood a better chance of making it off without issues. I went to guest services and the rep who helped me said, "I don't understand, it shows you're fully paid." He then printed a receipt showing a full charge to my debit paid in full. The final charge has yet to hit my account, but I accepted the receipt as proof of payment and felt confident that would hold up if something happened overnight. Nothing happened, though. I disembarked without issue. And here we are, a day later and the only thing that has changed is I am at home.

 

It is a little strange someone would think I was making this up. Not sure where the benefit to that would be. Oh well, it was an anti-climatic ending, which is what I was hoping for.

Edited January 31, 2016 by PropsR4boats

[reallyitsmema]

Hey all,

 

I appreciate all the responses.

 

First off, the whole entire reason I started this thread was to find out if Royal would really call the police over this. Obviously, being hauled off to jail over a situation that I felt I had little control over, is not good for one's personal life or career.

 

I had a lot of anxiety and that is why I quit posting since the 28th.

 

So, here's what transpired:

 

On the 29th, I was able to scrounge up some money to pay most of the remaining balance. It wasn't all of it, but it made what was left over so small, I figured I stood a better chance of making it off without issues. I went to guest services and the rep who helped me said, "I don't understand, it shows you're fully paid." He then printed a receipt showing a full charge to my debit paid in full. The final charge has yet to hit my account, but I accepted the receipt as proof of payment and felt confident that would hold up if something happened overnight. Nothing happened, though. I disembarked without issue. And here we are, a day later and the only thing that has changed is I am at home.

 

It is a little strange someone would think I was making this up. Not sure where the benefit to that would be. Oh well, it was an anti-climatic ending, which is what I was hoping for.

 

Can you explain the whole story a little bit to us. Was your card compromised or were there 4 $500 preauthorizations by Royal Caribbean. The story got a little confusing.

 

Glad you came back to the thread though.:)

[PropsR4boats]

Can you explain the whole story a little bit to us. Was your card compromised or were there 4 $500 preauthorizations by Royal Caribbean. The story got a little confusing.

 

Glad you came back to the thread though.:)

 

Sure thing!

 

Royal had 3 authorizations total.

I had 4 unauthorized $500 (even) charges made.

The difference between Royal's authorizations and my seapass acct was a little over $1000.

[irishgal432]

I will say that I am glad you were proactive with checking your account and not waiting until the last minute.

[hansolosmom]

Glad things worked out and you're home

 

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