Credit card storage at H stores

[kozee]

I had a rather unpleasant experience today and I just wanted to ask if it was wrong for me to react negatively.

I had placed an order to lengthen a necklace - a special order if you would - the necklace arrived Monday (about 6 months later) and my SA (from another city) called and asked for my credit card to charge the necklace. I was travelling on a business trip - so told her that I would call her when I get back to town 31 October and give her my card info to charge. I asked her for the total as she had said there would be a small charge for lengthening. At the time, she was at lunch and could not give me the price.

So today - a day before I was due back from the trip, I received an alert from my bank. She had gone ahead and charged the necklace on my credit card - which I had not given her approval for yet, it was a card that I had used to purchase another item several weeks ago. She did not call me or inform me that she was charging my card today despite the fact that I specifically told her I will handle the matter when I'm back from my business trip.

I sent her a tart text asking her if she had done so without first seeking my authorization. I had every intention of getting the necklace, after all I ordered it! She called back saying that she was very sorry - things were crazy at the store, and she went ahead and charged it because she is off work tomorrow and wanted to get it in before month's end. She said she meant to call me AFTER she placed the charge but got busy and forgot??

I am NOT pleased with that. First, I did not think they were allowed to keep credit card information on file? Also, don't the SAs have to get authorization to charge the card and give a total plus any additional shipping costs before charging? I do not think there is such as thing as charging then calling the client. Plus, she hadn't even clarified the new pricing with me.

Has anyone had this happen before?

 

[carlinha]

wow kozee i am so sorry this has happened to you!! this has never happened to me nor have i heard of anything similar happening to any of my friends. it is my understanding that they cannot use your card on file without having your specific approval for THAT transaction first!

it sounds like she wanted to make/hit certain numbers by the end of the month for her commission??!!

 

[martiniandlace]

I had a rather unpleasant experience today and I just wanted to ask if it was wrong for me to react negatively.

I had placed an order to lengthen a necklace - a special order if you would - the necklace arrived Monday (about 6 months later) and my SA (from another city) called and asked for my credit card to charge the necklace. I was travelling on a business trip - so told her that I would call her when I get back to town 31 October and give her my card info to charge. I asked her for the total as she had said there would be a small charge for lengthening. At the time, she was at lunch and could not give me the price.

So today - a day before I was due back from the trip, I received an alert from my bank. She had gone ahead and charged the necklace on my credit card - which I had not given her approval for yet, it was a card that I had used to purchase another item several weeks ago. She did not call me or inform me that she was charging my card today despite the fact that I specifically told her I will handle the matter when I'm back from my business trip.

I sent her a tart text asking her if she had done so without first seeking my authorization. I had every intention of getting the necklace, after all I ordered it! She called back saying that she was very sorry - things were crazy at the store, and she went ahead and charged it because she is off work tomorrow and wanted to get it in before month's end. She said she meant to call me AFTER she placed the charge but got busy and forgot??

I am NOT pleased with that. First, I did not think they were allowed to keep credit card information on file? Also, don't the SAs have to get authorization to charge the card and give a total plus any additional shipping costs before charging? I do not think there is such as thing as charging then calling the client. Plus, she hadn't even clarified the new pricing with me.

Has anyone had this happen before?

I have a problem with this sentence. After reading this, please dont ask if you were wrong. Trust your innate response. Its the only right thing.

You can worry about the level of the anger you express towards another person, that you dont belittle them, berate, be abusive or be cruel to the person on the receiving end but you have EVERY right to react negatively. You certainly can't praise her for bad behaviour.

My SA wont even take my credit card info on the phone. She waits till I can get in.
What your SA did was wrong, very wrong at every point.

 

[Millicat]

I wouldn't be pleased either, and like Martiniandlace said - instincts are usually right.

In the world of 'non' Hermes card details are rarely kept, I know I've tried to do this in the past and have been told they're not kept for security reasons, which although irksome is grudgingly accepted.

 

[kozee]

wow kozee i am so sorry this has happened to you!! this has never happened to me nor have i heard of anything similar happening to any of my friends. it is my understanding that they cannot use your card on file without having your specific approval for THAT transaction first!

it sounds like she wanted to make/hit certain numbers by the end of the month for her commission??!!

I can't imagine any of the H SAs not making their commission targets but yes, I actually keep my card number on file at Louis Vuitton but they have it filed away and it was a form that I had to sign saying I authorize them to charge my card. I never had my card stored at H, simply because most of the items are big-ticket and I want to be sure I'm aware of the charges first.

I was just more than a little shocked that she went ahead and did that, and to top it off, didn't even call me after!!!

I have a problem with this sentence. After reading this, please dont ask if you were wrong. Trust your innate response. Its the only right thing.

You can worry about the level of the anger you express towards another person, that you dont belittle them, berate, be abusive or be cruel to the person on the receiving end but you have EVERY right to react negatively. You certainly can't praise her for bad behaviour.

My SA wont even take my credit card info on the phone. She waits till I can get in.
What your SA did was wrong, very wrong at every point.

This particular SA is quite pushy. If I mention that I want something, the minute it is available, she wants my card number to charge it and send it. Not that I'd complain because most times I really do want the item. However when I'm on a business trip, charging and sending something from H isn't top priority and I didn't want the package to arrive before I returned home too!

I was polite about it in my text. I just asked her why she went ahead and charged an item, and not a small purchase at that, without first calling me to ask for my authorization and also where I wanted it shipped. She apologized profusely but I just had a really bad taste in my mouth about the whole incident. Then I thought maybe H SAs are different and they just go ahead and charge THEN call - LOL...because they think everyone is just dying to get their hands on the merchandise!

 

[kozee]

I wouldn't be pleased either, and like Martiniandlace said - instincts are usually right.

In the world of 'non' Hermes card details are rarely kept, I know I've tried to do this in the past and have been told they're not kept for security reasons, which although irksome is grudgingly accepted.

Millicat - something she said after calling me (following my text to her) - she said ohh I remembered I had your card info in my notebook, so decided to just charge that card. I remembered thinking - that is just all kinds of wrong in my book

I don't think they are allowed to keep my credit card information in their notebooks. That in itself is disturbing. What if they lost that notebook?

I went ahead and requested a new card from that bank - I'm so paranoid...and I will not be doing anymore charge-sends there. She can wait for me to collect the items or I'll just buy from my home store.

 

[carlinha]

Millicat - something she said after calling me (following my text to her) - she said ohh I remembered I had your card info in my notebook, so decided to just charge that card. I remembered thinking - that is just all kinds of wrong in my book

I don't think they are allowed to keep my credit card information in their notebooks. That in itself is disturbing. What if they lost that notebook?

I went ahead and requested a new card from that bank - I'm so paranoid...and I will not be doing anymore charge-sends there. She can wait for me to collect the items or I'll just buy from my home store.

ummm card info in her NOTEBOOK?!??!?! NO NO NO!!!

every time i purchase something from H they always ask for my CC number even if they have my info stored somewhere, for "security purposes".... this breaches every aspect of CC security in every way!!! i am shocked to say the least!

 

[kozee]

ummm card info in her NOTEBOOK?!??!?! NO NO NO!!!

every time i purchase something from H they always ask for my CC number even if they have my info stored somewhere, for "security purposes".... this breaches every aspect of CC security in every way!!! i am shocked to say the least!

I know right!! She was rambling over the phone and that was what she said - and going on about how it was so busy in the store, she didn't have time to breathe or eat lunch - but evidently did have time to pull my CC info and charge a piece of jewelry -

Anyway - suffice to say - I cancelled that card and requested a new one. The thought of that info living in her notebook did not bode well for me at all.

 

[cr1stalangel]

Oh wow, you did the absolute right thing by cancelling that card.
If I were you, I would ask for the Manager or Director of that store to talk on this SA behaviour. This is borderline card fraud to me though not for her own personal use, but who knows what else she would do with this information in the future.

 

[kozee]

cr1stalangel - I honestly did considered going to the store director initially, but cooled down and thought that I didn't want to jeopardize her job. But I will certainly minimize dealing with her in the future and I'm not handing over any more card information for future purchases. I have one more special order piece of jewelry due from that boutique.

Actually would be interested to hear what y'all would have done in my position? Would you have rejected the purchase?

 

[luckylove]

cr1stalangel - I honestly did considered going to the store director initially, but cooled down and thought that I didn't want to jeopardize her job. But I will certainly minimize dealing with her in the future and I'm not handing over any more card information for future purchases. I have one more special order piece of jewelry due from that boutique.

Actually would be interested to hear what y'all would have done in my position? Would you have rejected the purchase?

I would have been pretty angry myself if that happened to me. Actually it happened a few times with an SA at a different luxury store... I do not use her anymore. To answer your question on would you accept the charge.... I would still accept if I loved the piece simply because I wanted it in the first place, though I would no longer deal with that SA. I hope your necklace is a gorgeous as you hoped it would be. So sorry that the SA mishandled the transaction!!

 

[Mindi B]

I think you handled the whole matter perfectly, from questioning the SA to cancelling the card. She had NO business keeping your card info and NO business charging your card without your prior, specific approval. It does sound like she was trying to make some sort of in-house monthly sales target, which is not okay. I would also have taken the necklace, as it was something you had requested and waited for, but avoiding this SA from now on is definitely in your best interests. At best, she is careless; at worst, untrustworthy. Hope you enjoy your new jewelry, though!

 

[martiniandlace]

^^^I agree with Mindi. Yes!!...I am shameless enough to still want and love the necklace regardless of how angry I was!. .
I would also avoid her and quietly switch SA's if she made me that uncomfortable ...I'm sure they all wouldnt mind taking on her client.
Let her explain to her colleagues why she was dumped...if she can!!.

 

[chicinthecity777]

I had a rather unpleasant experience today and I just wanted to ask if it was wrong for me to react negatively.

I had placed an order to lengthen a necklace - a special order if you would - the necklace arrived Monday (about 6 months later) and my SA (from another city) called and asked for my credit card to charge the necklace. I was travelling on a business trip - so told her that I would call her when I get back to town 31 October and give her my card info to charge. I asked her for the total as she had said there would be a small charge for lengthening. At the time, she was at lunch and could not give me the price.

So today - a day before I was due back from the trip, I received an alert from my bank. She had gone ahead and charged the necklace on my credit card - which I had not given her approval for yet, it was a card that I had used to purchase another item several weeks ago. She did not call me or inform me that she was charging my card today despite the fact that I specifically told her I will handle the matter when I'm back from my business trip.

I sent her a tart text asking her if she had done so without first seeking my authorization. I had every intention of getting the necklace, after all I ordered it! She called back saying that she was very sorry - things were crazy at the store, and she went ahead and charged it because she is off work tomorrow and wanted to get it in before month's end. She said she meant to call me AFTER she placed the charge but got busy and forgot??

I am NOT pleased with that. First, I did not think they were allowed to keep credit card information on file? Also, don't the SAs have to get authorization to charge the card and give a total plus any additional shipping costs before charging? I do not think there is such as thing as charging then calling the client. Plus, she hadn't even clarified the new pricing with me.

Has anyone had this happen before?

Wow! I'd be furious if I were you! And to have the credit card no. in her notebook??? What b*llsh1t! She way acrossed the line and I would not deal with her ever again! Geez... what next, charge and send anything without asking whether you want it or not?

 

[Love Of My Life]

I think you handled the whole matter perfectly, from questioning the SA to cancelling the card. She had NO business keeping your card info and NO business charging your card without your prior, specific approval. It does sound like she was trying to make some sort of in-house monthly sales target, which is not okay. I would also have taken the necklace, as it was something you had requested and waited for, but avoiding this SA from now on is definitely in your best interests. At best, she is careless; at worst, untrustworthy. Hope you enjoy your new jewelry, though!

Agree... whatever the SA goals were for the month, she had no business
keeping your personal information on file in her "book"... this is totally
unacceptable..And no phone call...that is a NO, NO in my book

I would not use this SA in the future for any purchases... if you are
a recognized shopper in this boutique, any SA will recognize you & be
happy to help..

They all share in the sales