Laser transactions gone awry

iamstop

I was in Tesco doing the weekly on a Friday. Got to counter and it came to a handy €20 less then I had in my account as checked the night before. Fine. I'll pay with laser.
Went to pay but the girl said it wouldn't go through, tried a few times. Hmmm. Called manager, no problem sir, it is probably the machine, try it at the customer service desk (CSD). Did that, same deal. Ok, no prob, I'll go to the bank machine (not my bank so couldn't check balance) but could only take 20 out, all other amounts were giving me the 'insufficient funds' thing. Bugger, lucky may Da was there to lend me the rest.
Got home, checked my account online, said I still had enough to cover the shopping. What gives? Too late to go to bank, now I've to wait the whole weekend to sort this mess out.
In to the bank on Monday. Explained problem, he told me there was a laser transaction of EXACTLY the same amount of my shopping pending. I said what happened and that I paid it in cash. Filled out a form etc he said I should go up to the Tesco and give them hell.
Off I went and didn't it only start raining. Anyway I knew I needed a manager so asked at the CSD and happened to be the same girl who put the cash through on Friday, I has my receipt with me too btw. Anyway manager happened to walk over to make/receive a call. When he was done I expalined what happened and before I even finished he went into a schpeal about how the money was not in Tesco's account, it was in some holding account etc etc fob fob fob pre learned waffle no money for you blah blah it happens all the time to hundred of people.
I called the bank back and they basically said it was going to take up to 10 days to sort! Eh, I can't afford to pay for shopping twice! He offered me an over draught but this was a week ago today, still no sign of the money in my account. Now I know it's not been 10 days but still how are they allowed to charge me twice and not pay me back straight away? There was a debit card transaction on their system with the exact same (give or take a few mins) time stamp as a cash purchase for the exact same amount AND the girl who did it was there!

Has this happened to anyone else? I his story of it happens all the time is true then surely someone else on here has had it happen. How is it even a thing? Who is at fault? The Bank? Tesco? The Laser machine people? All of them? :mad:

dudara

Moved to Banking & Insurance & Pensions

dudara

jor el

This is how debit and credit cards work. The transaction is pending, and will reverse automatically once the allotted time passes (10 days?). With a debit card the funds are drawn from your bank account, so you notice the cash missing straight away. With a credit card it's not your money, so it's better for you when a transaction fails as you're not out of pocket.

It's no ones fault, it's just how it works.

iamstop

I understand how dc and cc work. The fact is they told me more then once that it didn't go through on the dc, so I paid cash.
Meanwhile it had gone through to some degree in the system, enough for me to see money in my account but not be able to access it. I was put in a position where I had double paid and that is NOT how dcs are supposed to work.

BuffyBot

I'm not sure where you've got that impression, but authorisations are very much part of how debit cards work.

iamstop

I think there is a misunderstanding here.

1. I was told it didn't go through.
2. It had gone through enough to not be my money anymore.
3. I paid (a second time) by cash.
4. When I realised and told Tesco what happened they said it was not their fault.
5. If a debit card transaction does not go through then it should NOT be held anywhere that I cannot access it while it is being authorised.

BuffyBot

No misunderstanding at all. An authorisation is exactly that. When a transaction fails for whatever reason, the authorisation may still remain on the account (it's performed first). The authorisation will drop off in time.