​😱​​😱​Couple charged $100,000 for dinner on Symphony​😱​​😱​

[Ret MP]

Not bad, that's just a few dollars less expensive than a steak dinner at Ruth's Chris!  😉

[Sunshine3601]

I guess they didn't check their app for daily charges to their account before the end of the cruise.    It sure would have been much easier to go to guest services onboard then struggling after the cruise to get it fixed.     

[nelblu]

4 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I guess they didn't check their app for daily charges to their account before the end of the cruise.    It sure would have been much easier to go to guest services onboard then struggling after the cruise to get it fixed.     

I check my charges in the morning and evenings on the interactive TV.

[Sunshine3601]

Just now, nelblu said:

I check my charges in the morning and evenings on the interactive TV.

I, too, have done that in addition to the app.   I do it to check my drink vouchers and just to make sure nothing wonky is charged to us.   

[Cruise Gopher]

I’m surprised that their POS systems on board don’t have sort of maximum amount threshold that would either alert the person ringing up the sale or even go as far as preventing them from closing out the transaction for such an insanely high non-realistic amount. 
 

If not at the POS, then some kind of report that is ran daily by the onboard hotel dept that lists all transactions over a certain amount (ex. $2,000) so they can audit for mistakes like this and catch them before it runs the card pre authorization. 

[DirtyDawg]

4 hours ago, pasodancer said:

Last year (with prior coordination w/ AMEX and the car dealer), I was able to purchase a new car on my AMEX Card - which I paid off as soon as the bill came in.  Love those points!!!

 

 

Where did you buy that car? Even when my buddy owned a car dealership he wouldn't allow me to buy our cars with AMEX. Just the deposits.

[xDisconnections]

4 hours ago, mek said:

We pay cash for our cars and several times I've tied doing that, but the dealerships have always told us that they will only allow 5K to be put on a card.  Too bad - I would also love the points.

Really? My dealer lets me charge in full on my Amex. Had to pay a small percentage to cover their merchant fee though

Edited September 17, 2022 by xDisconnections

[Mapleleafforever]

So what do they get for their inconvenience? Free cruise?? If so, inside or GS?

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I guess they didn't check their app for daily charges to their account before the end of the cruise.    It sure would have been much easier to go to guest services onboard then struggling after the cruise to get it fixed.     

 

Totally agree...I check mine daily on the app (which is nice since many of the older ships don't have the interactive TV option).   

[island lady]

13 hours ago, nelblu said:

I check my charges in the morning and evenings on the interactive TV.

 

Except for ships that don't have that option.  😉 

[islandchicklet]

18 hours ago, pasodancer said:

Last year (with prior coordination w/ AMEX and the car dealer), I was able to purchase a new car on my AMEX Card - which I paid off as soon as the bill came in.  Love those points!!!

 

We bought 2 jet skis, trailer and all the needed goodies on a credit card for that same reason.  

[Seville2Cabo]

19 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Really? My dealer lets me charge in full on my Amex. Had to pay a small percentage to cover their merchant fee though

Usually that small percentage is more then the value of the points your get

[mpk]

On 9/16/2022 at 5:17 AM, island lady said:

When the fiasco of "accidentally" charging for small items in the fridge (when they used to stock it with soda, beer, water etc.) was happening constantly AFTER the completion of the cruise....I started setting up my sea pass card as cash accounts.  Those stocked fridges and water have since gone away.  I am now back to CC on account. 

 

I don't miss the stocked fridges.  I wish they would do away with them in hotels too.  The fridge is handy, the stuff inside not so much.

[lcpagejr]

On 9/16/2022 at 9:54 AM, tampadee said:

Our credit card company cancelled our card in the middle of a cruise because of suspicion of fraud!

We were so glad they we had another card.

You should always call your Bank (CC ) prior to leaving USA and inform them of countries you are visiting...Then you won't have any issues

[livingonthebeach]

41 minutes ago, lcpagejr said:

You should always call your Bank (CC ) prior to leaving USA and inform them of countries you are visiting...Then you won't have any issues

 

Not always - even if you call ahead your CC can be declined while away and in a different country.  It has happened to me and to friends a few times. The CC companies now tell you there's no need to call ahead to inform them you will be using their CC in a different country but whether you call or not, the outcome differs.

Edited September 18, 2022 by livingonthebeach

[xDisconnections]

16 hours ago, Seville2Cabo said:

Usually that small percentage is more then the value of the points your get

Maybe so but that's okay.

[GatorMomInNC]

17 hours ago, Seville2Cabo said:

Usually that small percentage is more then the value of the points your get

Sometimes that is true, but other times even if you have to pay the 3% it is worth it.  For example, after I spend a certain amount in one year on some cards I will get enhanced airline or hotel status, in addition to the points, so even if I have to pay the 3% fee I would love the chance to put that many points (if I am going to spend the money anyway) on some credit cards and "put me over the top" for the year, so to speak

[cruisequeen4ever]

That’s horrible! What I don’t understand though is that it would have been charged to their onboard account which would not have hit their credit card until the end of the cruise. Wouldn’t they have checked their onboard statement during the cruise and noticed the blunder and gotten it fixed before it ever hit their credit card?

[reallyitsmema]

7 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

That’s horrible! What I don’t understand though is that it would have been charged to their onboard account which would not have hit their credit card until the end of the cruise. Wouldn’t they have checked their onboard statement during the cruise and noticed the blunder and gotten it fixed before it ever hit their credit card?

 

The cruise line processes a credit card authorization every night.  They weren't checking their onboard account daily, so did not know there was an issue until their credit card was denied in port.  The charge was reversed on their onboard account once they got back on the ship but the authorization remained.  

[SRF]

On 9/16/2022 at 11:51 AM, ATG said:

We had a notification of possible fraud the night before we boarded in Port Canaveral.  We had driven from SC that day.  The card had been used at a Dominos in Pennsylvania.  The fraud person I talked to asked if we had stopped in Pennsylvania on our way from SC to Florida.  Obviously, geography wasn’t his best subject in school.

 

Luckily, we had another card.

 

 

I was traveling in Africa, using my TRAVEL card.  I check out of a hotel in the morning, fly to another country and try to check in.

 

No can do.  Card is not accepted.  Tried a couple of times, then used a personal card to check in.

 

Got to the room and called the CC company.  They blocked my card for suspicious activity.  What was "suspicious"?  My card being used in one country in the morning and a different one in the evening.

 

I asked the agent if they had every heard of something called an AIRPLANE.  Like I checked out, caught a flight, and then tried to check in.

 

The somewhat bewildered agent then asked, "So this is a legitimate charge?_  DUH, YES. 😄

[SRF]

On 9/16/2022 at 11:51 AM, ATG said:

We had a notification of possible fraud the night before we boarded in Port Canaveral.  We had driven from SC that day.  The card had been used at a Dominos in Pennsylvania.  The fraud person I talked to asked if we had stopped in Pennsylvania on our way from SC to Florida.  Obviously, geography wasn’t his best subject in school.

 

Luckily, we had another card.

 

 

I was traveling in Africa, using my TRAVEL card.  I check out of a hotel in the morning, fly to another country and try to check in.

 

No can do.  Card is not accepted.  Tried a couple of times, then used a personal card to check in.

 

Got to the room and called the CC company.  They blocked my card for suspicious activity.  What was "suspicious"?  My card being used in one country in the morning and a different one in the evening.

 

I asked the agent if they had every heard of something called an AIRPLANE.  Like I checked out, caught a flight, and then tried to check in.

 

The somewhat bewildered agent then asked, "So this is a legitimate charge?_  DUH, YES. 😄

[lcpagejr]

On 9/17/2022 at 11:48 PM, livingonthebeach said:

 

Not always - even if you call ahead your CC can be declined while away and in a different country.  It has happened to me and to friends a few times. The CC companies now tell you there's no need to call ahead to inform them you will be using their CC in a different country but whether you call or not, the outcome differs.

Perhaps this may be the case in Europe or middle east...But weve cruised numerous times to Mexico and Carribean and never have had a problem with our CC being declined when visting port of calls. Calling your bank is still recommended...even most of  their websites have a form you fill out and tell them your travel destination plans

[mpk]

On 9/19/2022 at 1:50 PM, SRF said:

I asked the agent if they had every heard of something called an AIRPLANE.  Like I checked out, caught a flight, and then tried to check in.

 

The somewhat bewildered agent then asked, "So this is a legitimate charge?_  DUH, YES. 😄

 

lol

 

We all want the credit card companies to be diligent in detecting and stopping fraud.  But they need to step up their game and be more clever about it.  We often get needlessly hassled for legit charges when not traveling.  In our home town.

 

But when a crook charged $800 for two Target gift cards six states away, no problem!  A state we've never been to, it's fine!  And a full tank of gas on top of that.  Cool!

 

Yes-- true story, not making it up.

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by mpk

[rudeney]

23 minutes ago, mpk said:

 

lol

 

We all want the credit card companies to be diligent in detecting and stopping fraud.  But they need to step up their game and be more clever about it.  We often get needlessly hassled for legit charges when not traveling.  In our home town.

 

But when a crook charged $800 for two Target gift cards six states away, no problem!  A state we've never been to, it's fine!  And a full tank of gas on top of that.  Cool!

 

Yes-- true story, not making it up.

 

 

I could not care less if credit card companies worry about fraudulent use of my card - that's their problem.  Laws protect me from having to pay for fraudulent charges.  BTW, the chip cards were marketing as "better protection for customers".   Not really.  It was better protection for the credit card companies.  If a merchant accepts a card and it is NOT ac hip transaction, and then that transaction is reported as fraud, the merchant is now on the hook for it.