elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:34 PM UTC
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OK, so I logged into my credit card's website today for something, and it has a pane with my recent transactions and there's one made Tuesday for $1.50 from "Wash Post Subscription" followed by the phone number for their subscription department. Obviously, I'm not sweating $1.50, but I find it odd since I (a) do not live in or near The District, (b) have never had a subscription to the Washington Post, and © find $1.50 to be the bargain of the century for a Washington Post subscription.
I tried calling the number and spoke to their billing department and they have no record of a charge to my name, address, card, etc. What should I do? My concern is maybe my account number has been compromised, but I checked all my other charges (and have no outstanding authorizations) and can't understand why someone would scam me for a buck fifty. Incidentally, my credit limit on that card was raised yesterday without any notice as well.
Forget it or call the credit card company and freak out over 6 bits?
miss pretentious
Joined: April 23, 2007 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1775
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:37 PM UTC
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I'd call the credit card company.
You know never what the next charge may be.
lwoxley
Joined: October 06, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4792
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:45 PM UTC
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I would call the credit card company…..whoever it is may have run the $1.50 through to see if it works, thinking you may not notice a $1.50 charge, then once it's gone through hit your card bigtime.
beetsnotbeats
Joined: May 18, 2005 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1181
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:46 PM UTC
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Call. Small charges like that are sometimes used to check if an account is current. Gas stations typically charge a buck at the pump to make sure a card is good before allowing you to fill up. If you check your account after filling up, you see an authorization for that buck. A couple of days later it changes to a charge for the full amount.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:48 PM UTC
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They're going to send me a form, and they left a note in the account. Apparently the credit limit increase was some automatic thing, no one requested it.
I have a baaaaaaaaad feeling about this though. I suspect next time I log in I'll have a $7500 charge or some crap like that.
MyraEllen
Joined: June 11, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 766
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:50 PM UTC
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Call your credit card company NOW.
A similar thing happened to me and to one of my friends.
Some credit card thieves working abroad have started just putting together random strings of 16 digits and running them through legitimate businesses for small amounts to see if the numbers work. Once they hit upon a strong that works, they start charging bigger amounts. Be happy you caught it now.
Tell the CC company this $1.50 is not your charge, tell them to cancel your card and issue a new one.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 03:58 PM UTC
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Originally posted by MyraEllen:
Call your credit card company NOW.
A similar thing happened to me and to one of my friends.
Some credit card thieves working abroad have started just putting together random strings of 16 digits and running them through legitimate businesses for small amounts to see if the numbers work. Once they hit upon a strong that works, they start charging bigger amounts. Be happy you caught it now.
Tell the CC company this $1.50 is not your charge, tell them to cancel your card and issue a new one.
Yeah this is exactly the scenario I have in mind.
I don't really have time for this today, but I'm calling back and telling them to change my account number and issue me a new card. Stupid WaMu.
walkonby
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:02 PM UTC
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use cash. the digital age will kill us all, just like it tried to in die hard 4.
miss pretentious
Joined: April 23, 2007 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1775
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:04 PM UTC
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Originally posted by walkonby:
use cash. the digital age will kill us all, just like it tried to in die hard 4.
Cash is for poor people.
vansmack
Joined: October 04, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 19725
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:05 PM UTC
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I wouldn't do anything.
And then in a few months report back on how hard it is to reclaim your identity. I love a good story…
lwoxley
Joined: October 06, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4792
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:08 PM UTC
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Credit cards are for poor people who like to think they're rich.
nkotb
Joined: August 15, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 6500
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:09 PM UTC
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Or they're for smart people that actually know how to use them.
Originally posted by 47 YEAR OLD VIRGIN:
Credit cards are for poor people who like to think they're rich.
brokensocscene
Joined: December 12, 2005 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 9016
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:16 PM UTC
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Are you sure it's not $1.50 for 3 day free trial on a porn website? :eek:
lwoxley
Joined: October 06, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4792
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:20 PM UTC
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Originally posted by nkotb:
Or they're for smart people that actually know how to use them.
Originally posted by 47 YEAR OLD VIRGIN:
Credit cards are for poor people who like to think they're rich.
Everyone knows how to use them…it's how to manage them that's the problem for the vast majority of Americans.
lwoxley
Joined: October 06, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4792
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 04:20 PM UTC
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Originally posted by walkonby:
Originally posted by wanderlust j. marshmallow:
Are you sure it's not $1.50 for 3 day free trial on a porn website? ;) give it away.
Evidently not, they charged $1.50 for it.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 05:21 PM UTC
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Originally posted by 47 YEAR OLD VIRGIN:
Credit cards are for poor people who like to think they're rich.
I never had one until I turned 22 because I felt this way. Then I realized having no credit card means terrible credit score/history, so I got one simply to build credit. It gets paid off every month and I've never paid any interest. I still subscribe to the "if you do not have the money for it, you should not buy it" mindset.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 05:25 PM UTC
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Originally posted by wanderlust j. marshmallow:
Are you sure it's not $1.50 for 3 day free trial on a porn website? :eek:
I called the 1-800# that was in the transaction details, and it was in fact the Washington Post's subscription service but they had no record of my ordering anything whatsoever. I do not view pornography intentionally.
I canceled the card and asked for a new card on the account, just for anyone who's interested. 30 minutes of my time and a minor inconvenience now is good insurance against months of potential chaos down the road.
Rhett Miller
Joined: November 15, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 17762
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 05:29 PM UTC
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Or they're for people like us, who use them to accumulate miles. We've done two or three free trips to the West Coast, now we're flying to Belgium and France for free in June. And we're pretty much all the way up to another free domestic flight.
And we're not even big spenders. Just put everything on the card and pay it all off at the end of the month.
Originally posted by 47 YEAR OLD VIRGIN:
Credit cards are for poor people who like to think they're rich.
nkotb
Joined: August 15, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 6500
Re: Advice: Weird Charge On My Credit Card
March 27, 2008 at 05:32 PM UTC
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Ditto. Free miles rule.
Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
Or they're for people like us, who use them to accumulate miles. We've done two or three free trips to the West Coast, now we're flying to Belgium and France for free in June. And we're pretty much all the way up to another free domestic flight.
And we're not even big spenders. Just put everything on the card and pay it all off at the end of the month.
Originally posted by 47 YEAR OLD VIRGIN:
Credit cards are for poor people who like to think they're rich.