Warning to anyone buying Pay as you Go phone credit

mikemac

Yesterday at 1:55pm I bought €20 Meteor credit from my local newsagent for the first time.
They preprint the credit and store it behind the till. I asked for a new credit receipt to be printed but they insisted I use one of the already printed credit slips and said they do it this way so people don’t have to wait.

I was a bit concerned about this as I’ve heard of a scam where people ask for credit, photograph it with their camera phone and then ask to exchange it immediately. Without being racist, I’m told this a common scam among Nigerians in Ireland. Hence, the signs in many newsagents advising that credit can’t be exchanged once you leave the store.

Anyways, I left the store and tried to enter the credit but got an error message every time. I rang Meteor and the helpful guy told me it was used at 11:53am the same day, about two hours before I bought it. He actually gave me part of the number where it was used, (08531….), but he then stopped and said he couldn’t give out the number.

I went back to the store, demanding a refund and was told no way. So I had to ring Meteor and then hand the phone to the shop owner and the customer service agent at Meteor told the store owner the same thing they told me. I was reluctantly given my money back then.
This credit slip had been printed last Friday so if I come back a few hours later or maybe the next day, I’d have no proof when I bought it and there’s no way I’d have got my money back.

I don’t know if this was a scam by the shop, a scam by a customer or possibly technical difficulties with Meteor.
My advice to anyone is never to buy a preprinted credit receipt! I’ll be using ATM’s in future.

tbh

micmclo wrote:

I don’t know if this was a scam by the shop, a scam by a customer or possibly technical difficulties with Meteor.

well don't be saying it was Nigerians then.

ScouseMouse

You are very correct about some shops preprinting them. It is unwise to allow all staff to print credits as the scope for theft is astronomical. This has happened in my store where scangers have robbed me by photographing the credit in a split second then claiming they have forgotten their wallet and they handing it back. This is just a straight loss for me and with a margin of less than ten percent, this kills me. However, when the network tells me it was used before i sold it - if you know what i mean, then what else can i do but give you a fresh one. Anyone that demands I print one out for them fresh can find another store.....

This is the only practical way to do it, unless we get tills that print it on request and stocktake it for us. Oh and one last thing, I dont believe it is my store you are talking about as I would have looked after it at the time. I am in Dublin 20.

jimmycrackcorm

superscouse wrote:

This has happened in my store where scangers have robbed me by photographing the credit in a split second then claiming they have forgotten their wallet and they handing it back. .

I can't understand how you can hand over the credit and not take the money at the same time. If it is a problem then you could insist on taking the money first. If I go to McDonalds then I have to pay first before I get my food.

I do have a certain sympathy for the retailer as I cannot understand why the networks won't take back the credit when possible or take action against the user of the credit in such a case.

mikemac

Thanks superscouse, it wasn't your store. It was in Dublin 9

Sponge Bob

micmclo wrote:

It was in Dublin 9

Right so its a skanger scam not a Nigerian scam .

Put the credit in the phone while remaining standing at the counter in future and if there is a problem then you never left the shop or the counter. If they still say its OK make them put the credit in the phone for you and ring 1741 ( or whatever) to check its in .

If they will not refund then do not leave the counter . Its ordinary robbery and you will want your money back before you leave the shop.

TerrorFirmer

I would never accept pre-printed credit. If they tried to force it on me, I'd just tell them fine, I'll go somewhere else thanks.

Cabaal

HavoK wrote:

I would never accept pre-printed credit. If they tried to force it on me, I'd just tell them fine, I'll go somewhere else thanks.

Always figured this was open to a fittle alright,

Some shops I've seen even tape them up on the shelf behind the counter with the code in plain view so anybody could just note down the code or take a photo while standing at the counter.

I've always used newly-printed credit or ATM or those credit machine,

Random

Who buys credit in a newsagent anyway where you pay 11 euro for your 10 euro topup! Goto your local Meteor/Vodafone/O2, setup text topup or use online banking and ATMs

Enda89

tbh wrote:

well don't be saying it was Nigerians then.

In fairness, its mostly Nigerians that get up to this kind of stuff. That's not being racist, its just the facts.

tbh

Enda89 wrote:

In fairness, its mostly Nigerians that get up to this kind of stuff. That's not being racist, its just the facts.

yeah? Can you show me the facts, please?

Cabaal

ciaranfo wrote:

Who buys credit in a newsagent anyway where you pay 11 euro for your 10 euro topup! Goto your local Meteor/Vodafone/O2, setup text topup or use online banking and ATMs

11 euro? I thought they normally charge 20c extra for getting credit in "some" shops.

This extra charge does not apply to alot of shops around the country.

Enda89 wrote:

In fairness, its mostly Nigerians that get up to this kind of stuff. That's not being racist, its just the facts.

I'm also interested in these said "facts", care to post some more details?
419's don't count by the way

MOH

ciaranfo wrote:

Who buys credit in a newsagent anyway where you pay 11 euro for your 10 euro topup! Goto your local Meteor/Vodafone/O2, setup text topup or use online banking and ATMs

I always do mine through Pigsback. Free points.

Enda89

tbh wrote:

yeah? Can you show me the facts, please?

Read the newspapers pal. Everyday there's something in them about Nigerians scamming this and that.

Open your eyes and stop playing the predictable race card.

biko

I like how it starts, "Not being racist, but it's the blacks fault!!"
The new travellers they are.

Terry

I use the machine that you put the money into first. no idea of the name of the company, nor do i need to know it. All i know is, it takes my notes and prints me out a number. easiest way really. no queue either.

Sam Vimes

ciaranfo wrote:

Who buys credit in a newsagent anyway where you pay 11 euro for your 10 euro topup! Goto your local Meteor/Vodafone/O2, setup text topup or use online banking and ATMs

text topup is the way to go. i haven't used a paper topup in years.

Terry wrote:

I use the machine that you put the money into first. no idea of the name of the company, nor do i need to know it. All i know is, it takes my notes and prints me out a number. easiest way really. no queue either.

except for text topup

tbh

Enda89 wrote:

Read the newspapers pal. Everyday there's something in them about Nigerians scamming this and that.

Open your eyes and stop playing the predictable race card.

Go on then, quote me a single story about any scam in any paper from the last....lets say three months.

or STFU.

ircoha

tbh wrote:

Go on then, quote me a single story about any scam in any paper from the last....lets say three months.

or STFU.

There was a case in the IT about 2 weeks ago where we were taken for 67,000 on SW by a Niggerian lady who spent the best part of 4 years back in Nigeria having played de 'my life is in danger' card to get SW benefit here.
She was caught with 2 false passports.

To keep the balance the same article dealt with an Albanian who got free medical care here while still running his business in Albania.

I will go look for it online.