- Report: #1143437
Complaint Review: Olive Garden - Willow Grove Pennsylvania
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Olive Garden
2328 W Moreland Rd Willow Grove, 19090 Pennsylvania, USA
Phone:
(215) 830-0285
Web:
olivegarden.com
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Olive Garden Possibple Credit Card Skimming Willow Grove Pennsylvania
To give some backgorund information. On April 19 I paid my Master Card in full so that there was zero balance on it. Bewtween that date and April 27 I did not use the card.
On April 27, 2014 my wife and I had lunch with her brother and sister-in-law at Olive Garden, Willow Grove, Pa. Our share of the bill came to $36.40. I paid with my Master Card. On April 28 that was the only charge pending on my card.
On May 1 I received a Transaction Alert from Capital One showing a purchase of $653 at a tool rental place, (The Tool House Rental). I immediately called the credit card company and explained that I did not make such a purchase. I asked him where this place was and he looked it up and told me Brooklyn, New York. I replied that I have never been to Brooklyn. He looked at my account further and it showed a $259 charge at a Marshall's in Brooklyn as well (my Transaction Alert dolloar amoiunt was for anything over $500 - I have since lowered it).
I explained that the only time I had used the card was at Olive Garden in Willow Grove on the 27th which he verified.
The only conclusion that we could come up with was that between the time the card was taken for payment and returned the card was somehow "skimmed". Capital One has filed Fraud Reports on both purchases. What their investigation, if anything, turns up remains to be seen.
Over the last couple of years there have been similar reports from various Olive Gardens around the country. This is a lesson to me not to eat at this or any other Olive Garden ever again and a warning to others that may eat there, check your credit card balances and if you haven't already set up Transaction Alerts.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Don
Dublin,Pennsylvania,
Not an Olive Garden Thing?
#2Author of original report
Fri, May 02, 2014
You are right, this can happen at any restaurant. However, if I am ripped-off at a restaurant such as I was I will not go back to it. In all the years I have been eating out and traveling I have never had this happen. I also rarely let my card out of sight, but this time I did and I got burned. Should you have this happenb to yourself, you'll understand.
These low-lifes that "skim" take your card and using a hand-held skimming device slide your card through and then using a different device which encode the stolen card numbers on the magnetic strip on their cards. Thus your card gets charged by the restaurant or any other business.
My advice: While it may be uncomfortable or embarrassing to ask that your card be kept in your sight at all times when paying for a meal it does beat the alternative of being a victim of fraud. Keep your card in sight when paying at a restaurant.
Jeanski
Dayton,Ohio,
comment
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, May 02, 2014
This happened to my mother too, but at a different restaurant. We only discovered it because the scammer ordered something from Victoria's Secret that was sent to the billing address (my mom) instead of the shipping address.
Her bank was very cooperative, but the police were useless. I did some investigation on my own (thanks to the CSR at VS for helping me!!) and provided the police with an address. The girl (a waitress at a local restaurant) had scammed MANY people, and a lot of the goods were still in her apartment.
Her punishment? Return the goods and attend a fraud class. Yep. That's it. No jail, nothing!
I pay in cash whenever possible. Keeps me within my budget, and I don't have to worry so much about this happening to me. I also check my credit card statement regularly and also have alerts like you.
This poster gave great advice people. We should all follow it.
Giselle
Any city,This is NOT and "Olive Garden" thing!
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, May 02, 2014
Why would you stop eating at OG, because of this incident? This type thing can happen at ANY restaurant, anywhere in the world! It can happen not just at a restaurant, but also at any type of establishment where you hand over your card. Are you going to just stop eating out and shopping altogether? If you are so paranoid, why not just pay cash next time?
