Was this an attempted cashback ripoff?

deandean

I was paying €60 for a hotel tonight. I put my card into the machine and entered the PIN.
Just before I pressed the 'enter' button I saw that the transaction was also authorising €40 cashback which I had not requested.
If I hadn't read the display I would have just pressed the 'enter' button.
Was this the sales person trying to rob €40 from me?
I'd be interested in any comments: I'm not used to the cashback option.
Thanks,
D.

L1011

Somewhere between possibly and probably - bring it up with management if you're concerned.

Are you certain it was cashback and not a pre auth?

harr

If it was definitely cash back it definitely sounds plausible that she was trying to scam the 40 quid from you ...an easy thing to do as most people barely check and just enter the PIN number...
As mentioned above as it was a hotel it could have been a security deposit ...
What did they say when you mentioned it to them ? If they cancelled it they should have given you a cancelled transaction receipt ...which should clearly say if it was cash back or not ?

davo10

I think the important word in the op's post is "authorising", this allows vendors with cash back facility to offer this amount to the card holder in cash back. Doesn't mean they have to take it. Besides which, when a card transaction is complete you get a printed receipt of the transaction.

deandean

Thanks all for the info.
It was definitely cashback.
When I pointed this out the receptionist said sorry, took the card reader back, (I think) cancelled the transaction and gave the card reader to me again.
The receipt was for the proper amount.
I'll have a word with the manager this morning.

harr

deandean wrote: »

Thanks all for the info.
It was definitely cashback.
When I pointed this out the receptionist said sorry, took the card reader back, (I think) cancelled the transaction and gave the card reader to me again.
The receipt was for the proper amount.
I'll have a word with the manager this morning.

Probably should have given you a receipt showing the first transaction had been cancelled ....when getting cash back , total on card reader should read the 60 you paid and the 40 cash back so total would be a payment of €100 , as mentioned above it was probably just showing receptionist how much cash back that could be authorised ...if total on machine was just €60 that's all you would have been paying....but that should have been explained to you .
But it's sounds like receptionist had to cancel the transaction so that seems like she did indeed make a mistake be that intentionally or accidentally
Get the manager to show you the visa machine and to explain what exactly happened....

coylemj

harr wrote: »

Probably should have given you a receipt showing the first transaction had been cancelled ....

That is definitely worth doing if you have entered the PIN but the sales assistant tells you it didn't go through and to try again in which case the first thing you do is ask for a receipt from the first transaction showing that it was voided.

If you haven't entered the PIN, I wouldn't be too concerned about it but there is no valid excuse for why the OP's first transaction was showing €40 cashback - in a hotel of all places where they typically don't even offer the facility as a matter of course as they do in pubs and shops where they like to get rid of cash.

harr

Speaking to local lad in shop there and he said the cashier needs to enter in the amount of cash back it's doesn't automatically come up on screen and the total should have read €100 euro ...so hotel would have had to manually enter the €40...as mentioned above very odd for a hotel to offer a cash back service...

Walter2016

Does your pin number happen to start with "40" or have 40 in it?

I can't see how it could be a scam as the receipt would show the cashback amount, as does the key pad.

Person would be hoping you would not check key pad nor receipt and hope you never notice it - and there are far easier ways for someone to scam €40.

Also, unless it was an extremely busy place, that staff member would easily be identified as the person on duty.

Add in probable cctv and you either have a genuine error or the most stupid "criminal" in the country.

harr

Walter2016 wrote: »

Does your pin number happen to start with "40" or have 40 in it?

I can't see how it could be a scam as the receipt would show the cashback amount, as does the key pad.

Person would be hoping you would not check key pad nor receipt and hope you never notice it - and there are far easier ways for someone to scam €40.

Also, unless it was an extremely busy place, that staff member would easily be identified as the person on duty.

Add in probable cctv and you either have a genuine error or the most stupid "criminal" in the country.

You would probably be surprised how many people wouldn't check the visa machine screen or receipt ..just sticking in the PIN number...happened me a few times where I was over charged and I never noticed till I was checking bank statements

deandean

OP here... OK I asked to meet the duty manager next morning and I told her the facts of what had happened the previous night.
She told me the hotel had a brand new card payment system installed the previous day; and I was probably the first or second transaction on the new system for the guy who had served me.
I felt she took it seriously and I left it with her.
As other posters have commented: a lot of the time I probably don't look at the amount on the display before I punch in my PIN.
Lesson learned.
D.

shanec1928

deandean wrote: »

OP here... OK I asked to meet the duty manager next morning and I told her the facts of what had happened the previous night.
She told me the hotel had a brand new card payment system installed the previous day; and I was probably the first or second transaction on the new system for the guy who had served me.
I felt she took it seriously and I left it with her.
As other posters have commented: a lot of the time I probably don't look at the amount on the display before I punch in my PIN.
Lesson learned.
D.

You were more than likely brushed off! Most places have a. Change freeze in December where stuff like that can't happen. Can't see many places let alone a hotel upgrading a card system on Christmas week

harr

shanec1928 wrote: »

You were more than likely brushed off! Most places have a. Change freeze in December where stuff like that can't happen. Can't see many places let alone a hotel upgrading a card system on Christmas week

Very true an odd time of year to be updating your till system....not much more op can do at this stage...lesson learned to check receipts ...

Walter2016

shanec1928 wrote: »

You were more than likely brushed off! Most places have a. Change freeze in December where stuff like that can't happen. Can't see many places let alone a hotel upgrading a card system on Christmas week

harr wrote: »

Very true an odd time of year to be updating your till system....not much more op can do at this stage...lesson learned to check receipts ...

Why? That's almost like a Sinn Fein answer - can mention xx becasue there's an election somewhere.

December can be a quiet time for hotels unless they specialise in Christmas parties or have a big bar and nightclub attached - if anything, its the best time of year to do changes.

The above replies are just ridiculous - its like the hotel staff & duty manager are in it together and are assuming no customer will ever check their receipt or credit card statement.

An error was made. Simple as that.

Sometimes things are really that simple.

SweetCaliber

Walter2016 wrote: »

The above replies are just ridiculous - its like the hotel staff & duty manager are in it together and are assuming no customer will ever check their receipt or credit card statement.

An error was made. Simple as that.

Sometimes things are really that simple.

Exactly. I've been on the other side of some of those machines and they can be god awful to use. I've acidentally entered cash back on a CC machine a few times, only noting my error when the total comes up.

Again, the terminal will say the final amount, the customer would have gotten a receipt and it would show up in the bank. You'd cop it quite quickly and would query it, would be a completely stupid way to try take money.

philstar

cash back shouldn't be an option imo, its too easy to exploit

it should be ATM's only

leonffrench

shanec1928 wrote:

You were more than likely brushed off! Most places have a. Change freeze in December where stuff like that can't happen. Can't see many places let alone a hotel upgrading a card system on Christmas week

I work in the card payment machine industry and I can tell you that up till 5pm yesterday hotels bars and all other types establishments were getting new machines installed. Only takes a few mins and if their existing machines are broke they have no choice

ardinn

OP is your pin number 4000 by any chance - I often give the machine to a person without entering no on the CB request and when I get it back instead of the machine running through the payment it asks for the pin - when in actual fact the pin number is entered as the cashback amount requested!!

Just a thought!