So…. I have been getting my groceries at the local Wal-Mart, about 3 miles from us, ever since they opened in 1986. I’ve basically seen the store morph from a regular Wal-Mart to a Super Wal-Mart, watched the “Great Value” brand become a household word. I have also watched my “grocery” bill begin to include such things as mascara, candles, decorative vases and wrinkle cream that is suppose to work miracles, but that’s another story.
In the past month, (I get groceries once a week), I have had my Visa credit card declined on 4 separate occasions. Rest assured that we have plenty of moola in that account, but it appears the Wal-Mart Gods who read the stripe on my credit card chose to single me out for an embarrassing check out. I do carry another card (Mastercard) with me (THANK GOD!) , but we almost NEVER use that card, it is just a spare. The checker even put the number in by hand and…..nope, nada, zilch. ….Sooo, now I had to drag that Mastercard out, while all the time trying to explain to the checker who is giving me the “Yea, right” look, that I DO have money in that Visa account, and I had no problem at the previous store with it. By now, the line behind me has grown, with smirky people peeking around from the end nodding at each other as if to say, “Obviously, SHE has reached her max, snicker, snicker”….If I had reached my limit, I would have to have had the entire electronics department in my cart!!
Sooooo, when I got home, after walking to my truck with my tail between my legs, I called the credit card company. My Fidelity credit card people saw by the transaction record that it was swiped 2 times, entered by hand once, …and declined 3 times, …. but they had no reason for me. I would repeat this exact story for the next 3 weeks..yes, I did say THREE WEEKS of getting groceries at Wal-Mart…Every week for 3 weeks, ….el swipo, el denyo…get out the Mastercard. Right about now, you are saying, “Why didn’t you just USE the damn Mastercard?”..Well, that Visa card is the account we use virtually for EVERYTHING!!!! After repeated calls to the card company, who saw no reason and nothing wrong with my card… they send me a new card…GREAT IDEA….And I got that card yesterday..YEA!!!!
Today, confident in my newly acquired Visa card, and after making sure it was still activated and signed (I wanted no glitches), I jumped in the GMC and headed out for groceries…First stop, Art’s Super Mart….Swipe, approved, sign…WALA!…Life is good. Next stop, Walgreen’s…Swipe, approved, sign….OK, that’s what I’M talkin’ about!! Let’s keep on goin’. On to Aldi’s, where I have to use the same card as a debit card….Swipe, pin number, approved, sign…and I’m on a roll!! NOW…the big test..but I wasn’t worried a bit. I was sure the new card was a success and , after loading my cart with groceries (and the usual stuff I didn’t need), I marched right up to one of the checkout lines and took my place, grinning like a Cheshire cat……..
I do not need to tell you what happened next, do I?? My hands are still sweating and the veins on my neck are still standing out. Yep, you got it….Swipe, …….(heart palpitations begin…..sweat beads are forming….my hands are now shaking)….UNEQUIVICABLY DENIED!!!!! #*%@*#@##~!!! Of course, they swiped it 2 more times, once as a debit card…and…DENIED...DENIED!! GOTCHA AGAIN, HA HA! By now, I could feel the strong disapproving stares from the “Wal -Martites” lining up behind me …and a strong impulse to cry was beginning to form in the back of my throat…Maybe if I went nuts and screamed and ranted it would have been better, but I just pulled out the trusty Mastercard, paid the tab, and with disapproving heads wagging all around me… crawled toward the door…BUT, HEY!! WAIT JUST A MINUTE..I WANT TO SEE A MANAGER, THE MANAGER!!! THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!!! I AM A GOOD PERSON..I PAY MY BILLS!!!!
Unfortunately, I had to settle for an assistant manager, and she was about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine. She coldly listened to my rant, shrugged her shoulders and said, “Sometimes our registers just don’t like the card..”…..the silence was deafening….. WHAT??? DOES NOT LIKE MY CARD???? MY CARD!!!!! THE SCANNER/CARD READER DISLIKES MY VISA CARD!!!! I cannot completely repeat what I said, but it went something like “Thank you ma'am. I shall have a talk with my card…” Actually, I think that’s what she THOUGHT I would say…. What I basically said was that I wouldn’t be shopping at that Wal-Mart until Hell froze over…and marched out the door, nearly doing the snot nosed cry, trying not run over people with my cart, and maintaining my dignity all the way to the GMC…Then, as I was putting the bags in the truck,…… my frozen chicken fell through the Wal-Mart bag to the ground, and my stone ground mustard rolled across the parking lot and under the car next to me…OK…NOW IT IS TIME TO CRY!!..But I didn’t …I called McGuyver , the only one who can make me smile after a day like this….I called him while he was combining corn to tell him what happened… and that I just bitched out a Wal-Mart assistant manager..and he laughed,… which made me laugh…till I snorted…..
Other than that…how was YOUR day???
You GO girl!!!!! Hope there is another WalMart in your area.
ReplyDeleteWe've had the same problem with our cards at WalMart too.
Just a thought ... You used your card three times in a relatively short period of time before the Walmart decline. Several years ago I had my wallet stolen at my health club. The thief used the card right away and in three quick stops charged over $500. Then she (it was stolen in the ladies locker room) tried to charge some at a Kmart. The card was automatically declined because of the frequent use in a short time. I called Visa within two hours of the theft, and they had already stopped the card. The thief just walked out of Kmart and was never caught.
ReplyDeleteIf it had been me that had made the charges, they told me I could have called and they would have removed the decline.
My daughter has also had hers declined when she went to Mexico and made several purchases in a short time.
I think the Walmart manager should have handled it better, but what could he do?
I live in WalMart country in Fayetteville, AR and I have had the same experience and believe me I have not been in any WalMart store for the past ten years. The reason WalMart employees have "May I Help You" on the back of their shirts is for the purpose of the customer being able to read the words as they walk away. I support the local mom and pop grocery stores and local farmers and they DO value me as a human being who is spending money in their stores!!
ReplyDeleteKaren in Fayetteville, AR
How embarrassing and frustrating for you. We've had ours declined at Walmart, a restaurant, a gas station, a clothing store. And never did find out why any of those times. Just about drives me crazy. So we have a back up because the frustration of fighting with the other card is just not healthy for me. I get way too angry. Customer Service at these big companies doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteHowdy D&D,
ReplyDeleteSWEETIE WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW IS A HUG!!!!! A BIG HUG!!! McGuyver!!!!!
I haven't experienced any denials of my credit cards in about 10 years..
They took them away from me when I quit paying their exorbitant fees and interest!!! Shakes up the checkers when you pay cash; they can't count change back to you and get upset when you lay it on the counter and make sure it's correct!
I'm sorry ol' Murph came your way, BUT I'M GLAD FOR JUDY B!!!
Drag Dennis off of the combine and get down here where itz warmer!!
Hoping y'all have: Smooth dry roads, clear blue skies and NO HEAD
WINDS on the way down!!!!!!!!
They want you to get a Walmart Discover card. Sam's just flat out tells you they don't take VISA but I can use it at their gas pumps.
ReplyDeleteMartha
So tell me more about the wrinkle removing cream! I don't like Walmart, and only shop there when I have no choice.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of Murphy and hope I've left him in Illinois. Sorry about that, but really, it's time he found another victim. :) Have a heart and share him with me??
at least the laughing didn't make you wet your pants! maybe someone with your name someplace else in the world is on the w's bad person list? i'd just shop someplace else... you don't want to end up on one of those "people who shop at walmart" video's!
ReplyDeletesorry to hear that Murphy has arrived in Sandwich, Illinois..dang visa card..double dang Walmart!
ReplyDeleteI suspect it is all Judy's fault. She has gotten Murphy on a roll:)
ReplyDeleteI try to only use cash at Wal-Mart, if it is absolutely necessary to enter the place.
When we first started to travel we had some issues with out bank thinking the card was stolen. No reasonable person would be using it in three different states in one week-right.
Since we got that straightned out, not to much trouble.
At least your are not in jail for assaulting some idiot assistant manager:)
Know what you mean, the same thing used to happen with our Visa at Shop & Save, you could get gas and use it at other stores but Shop & Save would say NOOOOO.Finally after repeated bitching they upgraded the swipey machine and no more problems, It does seem though that Visa's are the most susceptible to problems with the swipey machine not liking them.I would have been like you and told them to put their store that doesn't like Visa cards where the sun don't shine.Be safe out there. Sam & Donna...
ReplyDeleteA lot of times I have told clerks to put my card in a plastic checkout bag and re-swipe with the slightly thicker combination of credit card and plastic bag -- and the stupid thing would take just like it was a brand new card.
ReplyDeleteBut the bigger thing is why should you care what the people behind you think? You are there attempting to do legal business and you have done nothing wrong.
I used to have problems with Discover over rapid re-use, or re-use out of my "typical purchase zone." They seem to have sorted out that one now.
Have had the same problem a couple times at the restaurant w/peoples cards..I generally just give them the slip that says denied and tell them its their bank/card problem, never would I act like they were delinquents. And as others have pointed out, many times they will tell me I just used it at 2 or 3 other places. It probably is the frequency...have you ever used it at wal-mart first and had this happen? Not that I'm a fan of wal-mart, but is probably the company that issued the card. would check with them. in this day and age you would think they would know that people make multiple stops in a day.
ReplyDeleteKeep us all up to date on what happens....
remember if you laugh about it you wont create red ugly eyes and more wrinkles that crying would.
Sailors vocabulary also helps.
Donna W.