Alamo/National rental would not take my check (debit) card

[minnesotamom]

Oh wait..
Enterprise brought us bagels and cream cheese today..so now I've switched loyalties.

Seriously, the thing that would worry me is that once they have your credit or debit card number..they can charge you for damages..or I've even seen where they've messed up on their paperwork and double-charged people. For me, it wouldn't hurt as much on my credit card..you'd have time to get it fixed..but if somebody unexpectedly took three or four hundred out of my debit card account..that would hurt.

[thebigjimsho]

I had worked for 2 years straight with no vacation. Driving 80+ hours a week. So finally, I decided to take a vacation and do it up right. A friend of mine has parents who had time shares in FLA. I got a nice hotel suite on Miami's North Beach. And I rented a luxury car from Budget. The only problem was that I flew in on a Friday night. They had zero cars left. So I made a stink. And they dragged out a beat up Town Car.

I had learned quickly that you mark down EVERYTHING that is wrong. And I did. From the ink and smoking stains in the interior to the scratches around the car to the broken vents to the broken side view mirror. I swapped the car at the end of the weekend. All was well for a while.

Then after a couple weeks, I got a bill from Budget detailing the repairs for the side view mirror. I got all geared up for a fight with all my papers. Turns out it was no big deal. Just faxed the paper I signed stating the mirror was broken and they dropped it. I ALWAYS note everything wrong.

[thebigjimsho]

Well, I found a website that will review credit issues you may have. I have a Providian turned WaMu turned nasty debt collector account that has been the bane of my existence for 2 years. So I'll have to see what they say. A lawsuit may be in the works...

[Jesda]

Thats freaking lame. I flew in from out of town and Enterprise took my debit card. The Indian guy at the counter was kind of a dick though.

Budget let me put a week-long rental on my debit card AND allowed me to put 5000 miles on it as I took it across the country and back. They also upgraded my car at no extra cost despite there being a few econoboxes available on the lot.

[HITMONEY]

Not to come to anyones defense, but maybe I can shed some light as a merchant who also refuses Debit/Check cards.

Let me explain the process of using a debit card like a charge card for things like car rental, hotel reservations and in my case a bar tab.

When you use a charge card at say at a rental company, they authorize the card for a certain amount to make sure you have enough credit on the card to cover the rental. It is not for the whole amount, but typically around $300.00. This authorization does not reduce the credit left on your card but in case you go out and run your card up to the limit before you turn the rental car in the rental company can still run the charge because they have an authorization number and you will get an over limit charge on your next statement by your credit card company. The credit card is backed and secured by only your promise to pay.

Same scenario only with a debit card. When someone gets an authorization on your debit card the bank (really the clearing house) puts a hold on that amount basicaly freezing that money up for 72 hours or more. Meaning you can't use that money, it appears as if it has been withdrawn from your account. So if you do get the authorization and proceed to bang out your debit card before you return the rental car, the rental car company can't get paid by charging your debit card because the debit card is backed up by the actual cash in your account which you now have none of.

Here is why I don't take debit cards at my bar.... to start a tab in my bar with a credit card we authorize the card for $100.00. If your tab only comes to $50.00 and you leave a $5.00 tip you will only see the final $55.00 on your statement.

With a debit card, the $100.00 authorization will be on a 72 hour hold, then you spent $55.00... the $55.00 does not come out of that hold because now it is a sale. So for at least 72 hours it will appear on your bank account as if you spent $155.00. Now if you have checks out and you live close to your means you may bounce a check within those 72 hours because of the $100.00 that is on hold.

I can't count the number of phone calls I used to get every morning when I use to accept debit cards with some ass on the other line screaming at me because we overcharged his card and now he bounced a check... hence the new policy of only true credit cards, AMEX, or cash is accepted.

BTW, when you got the debit card, in the fine print you accepted all these terms such as a minimum 72hr hold.

[Spyder]

Hitmoney...please don't tell people that it is ok to only tip five bucks on a fifty dollar tab! A fifty dollar tab, if its only drinks, is probably 8 to ten drinks...which means a ten to twelve dollar tip, if paid at the end of services and you're happy with what you got...

[urbanski]

people can call their bank to have holds removed. so that $100 that's there in the am can be gone quickly. the $55 would still process through normally in 2-3 days

[RightTurn]

I think the point is that if no debit cards is the merchant's policy, then that's it. No exceptions...that's the policy. Sorry, urby. Hope you had a nice trip.

[thebigjimsho]

Originally Posted by RightTurn

I think the point is that if no debit cards is the merchant's policy, then that's it. No exceptions...that's the policy. Sorry, urby. Hope you had a nice trip.

In other words, F you urby!

[HITMONEY]

Originally Posted by urbanski

people can call their bank to have holds removed. so that $100 that's there in the am can be gone quickly. the $55 would still process through normally in 2-3 days

This is not realistic at all because 99% of the people don't know that it is just a hold, they think we overcharged them, hence not worth the hassle.

Also, you cannot call your bank and have the hold removed... this I know for sure. The bank will tell you to call the merchant to have it removed.. then I as the merchant have to call and remove it by providing my corresponding merchant number, again.. not worth the hassle.

I have had to explain this process to no less than 200 customers before I said to hell with it.

Like I said.. all this is in the fine print of the user agreement of the debit card.. its just that no one reads it and is always quick to blame someone else.