OT : Not Strictly Legal Query : Credit Card Check

The retailer has no right to remove the card from the customer's sight unless the retailer has confirmed it is on a 'bad list' circulated to retailers or the retailer receives direction from the authorisation call centre. At that point if the retailer is actually holding on to the card, the retailer has a better 'right' of possession than the customer, so the customer should accept the situation. Neither party should precipitate a breach of the peace by physically fighting over it.

If the retailer does retain it, the customer should still report the matter in the same way as a lost card.

The retailer is never told why the verification is required, nor why a particular card is refused, so there is no definite evidence either way. Anyone who claims unusual spending patterns is probably extrapolating from an experience of having their own card verified or even discovered as being stolen through an unusual spending pattern. What certainly does happen is that you get days when every transaction with a particular card type has to be verified.

Colin Bignell

I'd take them through security first - and ask them to prove who they were. Perhaps arranging a callback to the mobile number they have on file.

Eric Jones posted

Please point out where I say or imply otherwise.

In article , Alan Molesworth writes

The card is the property of the issuer.

Not if they were asked to retain it, No.

Alan Molesworth ( snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Very probably. That may have just been a line to calm a suspected fraudulent user down, though.

If it was your card but not you using it, and the card company said "Retain it", would you want them to give it back solely because the thieving scrote who'd got it said "Please?"?

It's called a `1 in n` check, where n can be a pretty high value, meaning not many people get checked.

I got it once, at Tescos. "No reason to be embarassed", the manager said. I wasn't embarassed - just pissed off that it took her about 10 minutes to get through to someone to do the voice auth.