Valero - Diamond Shamrock Placing hold on funds without customer knowledge ripoff Huntsville Texas
I stopped in at Valero a month or so ago to buy a couple soda's and stuff. My total came to $6.60. I used my check card to pay. No big deal, until I got the Overdraft notice from the bank.
Valero had put a hold on my account for $50.00, to cover the $6.60 I had in purchases. This is something that is only supposed to happen when you "Pay at the Pump". They do not tell you that you are charged this amount (then refunded after they get there money). This happened with 2 purchases, costing me over $100 in OD fees.
I feel that if comapnies are going to put holds when you use your card that they should have it posted near the register.
Terresa
Huntsville, Texas
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Mike
Radford,Virginia,
U.S.A.
It's a BANK rip-off.
#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, July 12, 2006
For some (rather obvious) reason, banks have decided to treat authorizations on debit cards as if it was actual money. It is not. You were not overdrawn if you had the $6.60 that actually left your account. The $50.00 NEVER WENT ANYWHERE. The bank promised they could pay the store up to $50.00 later when they closed out the charge, but the store ended up only charging $6.60. Ask your banker about that. Demand that the overdraft fees be reversed because YOU WERE NEVER OVERDRAWN.
Unless the station CHARGED you $50.00 rather than just authorized it, in which case you were ripped off by the gas station. They are not allowed to CHARGE more than the actual purchase amount unless they are holding it as a deposit on something. Then you would see a charge for $50.00 and later a refund of $43.40. It would be done in two steps.
Dave
Jacksonville,Florida,
U.S.A.
You are correct, this is absolutely wrong
#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, July 12, 2006
You need to go back to them and demand a refund of your overdraft fees. They can only hold funds if you ate there (restaraunt) or pumped gas. Otherwise, the card should only be authorized for the amount of purchase. If they don't refund you, take them to small claims court and sue them for as much as you can get.