Question about debit cards and a shop who basically stole from us?

Lord TSC

(Hope this is the right place to ask this....)

So earlier today, Mom went into a shop to top up her O2 Debit card. We've done it countless times in the store. But she just checked her card and the money (€60) isn't on the card. She went to check her receipt but realized that she never actually got one; she bought some food at the same time, the teller handed her change and the food receipt and she just threw it into her purse.

We're usually pretty good about making sure we get it; I have a bundle of the receipts upstairs which I tend to keep in case something goes wrong. But this time, she didn't check it, and unfortunately it coincides with the money going walk about.

She's upset cause she feels she has no real proof (obviously), and doesn't know if it's worth going into the shop kicking up a fuss over €60, especially if they are going to shrug and go "Prove it". Is there anything she can do officially? If she goes into the shop and they tell her to bugger off, have we any come back at all? Should she ring up O2 (or Three or whatever they are now) and let them know, or will they shrug it off too?

Figured we'd ask before deciding what to do in the morning. Thanks

athtrasna

First thing to do is ask the shop. Until you do you don't necessarily have a problem. Yes the money is missing but they might realise that and sort it out. Next step is ask them to check CCTV, every shop these days has CCTV at the tills. If they refuse then go to the Gardai. In the meantime calm down, it may be easily sorted, no need to panic or throw accusations of theft around just yet. For all you know it could be a technical issue.

ScouseMouse

Calm down! What do you mean "they stole from us"?

Its quite possible its a simple mistake. First thing to do is go in and have a polite chat with the manager. They may be aware already that things dont add up. Maybe O2 moneycard were having tech difficulties, who knows?

Start with that and post back here.

martinr5232

Its more than likely a tech issue with o2 since they changed to three i topped up my mothers phone last week but she didnt get the credit.

Lord TSC

Sorry, panicking :P

Hopefully it's all a misunderstanding. Can't say I'm too optimistic though; there's been issues in the store under previous owners of dodgy cashiers, double charging, wrong change, that sort of stuff, so I guess we jump to the worst

We're gonna ring up O2 or whatever they are now in the morning. before checking in with the shop. See what the parties say before getting too annoyed, I guess

delahuntv

athtrasna wrote: »

If they refuse then go to the Gardai.

PLEASE do not go to the gardai. This is a civil matter and even then it could very well be a very genuine error.

The OP hasnlt even checked with the store yet.

The gardai will rightly tell the OP to get lost.

The op also needs to apprach this in a calm manner without the automatic assumption as per the thread tiltle of "shop Stealing from us" .

Shops make errors, I make errors, you make errors. People don't suddenly assume you are committing a criminal act when you make an error. We're human.

So go into the store, CALMLY explain what happened. Have the approx time of when your mum was in yesterday and ask them to check it.

The probably outcome will be that the till was up by €60 yesterday and this matches the error and it will be sorted out in seconds.

Remember don;t assume shop workers are thieves - they handle thousands of euro everyday, and ther'd be a hell of a lot easier ways to take a few quid than not giving a debit top up to a custoemr who will notice very very quickly!

Lord TSC

Hey, thats grand.

But if they tell us to bugger off? Or if they tell us the till doesn't have extra cash in it? What then?

Chloris

Lord TSC wrote:

But if they tell us to bugger off? Or if they tell us the till doesn't have extra cash in it? What then?

None of that has happened yet. It doesn't matter that you don't have the receipt because you have your debit card bill and mobile phone account. If they don't correspond, then the shop will help you sort it.

Lord TSC

Chloris wrote: »

None of that has happened yet. It doesn't matter that you don't have the receipt because you have your debit card bill and mobile phone account. If they don't correspond, then the shop will help you sort it.

It's not showing up on the O2 account, as in they have no record of any transactions. Rang them up there. They said to ring the shop. Did so, and the shop have said they'll check it out, call back in an hour, but also admitted they have no CCTV of the till.

Chloris

Lord TSC wrote:

It's not showing up on the O2 account, as in they have no record of any transactions. Rang them up there. They said to ring the shop. Did so, and the shop have said they'll check it out, call back in an hour, but also admitted they have no CCTV of the till.

Well if you have CCTV of you going into the shop and a transaction statement which notes the time you supposedly allowed this payment, things will be pretty apparently in your favour.

ScouseMouse

The best thing to do, is GO IN and have a quiet chat to the manager. Explain the situation. 99% of issues like this are solved easily by going in politely and talking.

Lord TSC

So a closing follow-up.

After we called yesterday and were told there was no CCTV on the tills, we got a call back a few hours later, saying that there did appear to be a discrepancy in the tills (he could see the money into the tills on the history, but no corresponding O2 transaction), but that the guy we were talking to wasn't allow to just hand over the money and he'd get his manager to call us tomorrow (Saturday).

Round midday, hadn't heard anything so decided to call again. Got onto a senior staff member this time, who said he hadn't been told about the call so knew nothing about it. He sounded like he was trying to brush it off, till we told him the other guy had said about the discrepancy in the till. He said he'd look into it and would ring us back...we had to ring him back 10 minutes later when we realized he had never taken our phone number :pac:

Anyway, an hour later, we got the call that he had reviewed the CCTV footage (remember, from the cameras which didn't exist :rolleyes:) and we could come collect the money. Went in, got it and that's the end of that.

Thanks for the advice lads

ScouseMouse

GREAT stuff. I have seen this happen countless times before. Simple mistake somewhere in the chain.

As with ALL issues, stay calm, be diplomatic. We learn until the day we die.

Well done, glad you are fixed up.