Caring For Aging Parents Support Group
Caring for aging parents can be a difficul time as we become the caretakers for our parents. This broad responsibility can encompass such services as assisted living, adult day care, long term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and in-home care. Whether you have just started caring for your parents or just need a place to talk, we're here.
Monday morning I got stung by a yellow jacket before I left for work. Now I'm racing to get the Epi which is up in my bedroom bathroom. I ran into my mother running through the house; once she heard I was stung she's now trying to beat me up the stairs to get to my bathroom, which really resulted in her just being in my way.
Once all that is done, I'm now waiting for the reaction to set in so I sat in the kitchen with my mother who was completely unnerved by the whole thing. Understandably. Realizing I needed to get gas before going to work, my mother offered to run up to the gas station and fill my tank so I wouldn't stress myself out... That was cute so I said, yes that would be great. I gave her my bank card and off she went. About 20 minutes later she came back and said, your card didn't work so I used my discover card. She said, I put your card in and it didn't ask me for your pin number so something was wrong. She said, I went to several of the pumps but your card didn't work in any of them. Alright, I left and went to the gas station and talked to the attendant. He said, oh we changed our systems over the weekend, you don't need a pin number anymore.. I said, oh okay, so she just didn't realize that she could bypass the pin number and just insert the card, choose the gas and start pumping.
NOW, here-in lies the rub!!!!!!!!!!!! All those pumps that she went to, she never cancelled the transactions. SOOOOOOOOOO now I have several charges coming into my bank account for "FREE" gas that she gave to people behind her. Right now only 1 out of the 7 charges is showing up for $30.05 that never went into my car. There are 6 other pending transactions for $1.00 (authorization) showing up in my pending transactions. I know what she did, she put the card in, it didn't ask for a pin and asked just to select the gas and she figured there was something wrong with the pump or my card and kept going to another pump to try that one. We've been using this gas station for so many years and never had a problem. I'm really upset that they changed over their systems over a weekend and never put up a notice on the pump of "No Pin or Zip Code" required.
Called the bank, almost nothing they can do when using a debit card., although they will try to dispute it. I'm patiently waiting to see how much free gas I've given to people.
Someone, JUST SHOOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once all that is done, I'm now waiting for the reaction to set in so I sat in the kitchen with my mother who was completely unnerved by the whole thing. Understandably. Realizing I needed to get gas before going to work, my mother offered to run up to the gas station and fill my tank so I wouldn't stress myself out... That was cute so I said, yes that would be great. I gave her my bank card and off she went. About 20 minutes later she came back and said, your card didn't work so I used my discover card. She said, I put your card in and it didn't ask me for your pin number so something was wrong. She said, I went to several of the pumps but your card didn't work in any of them. Alright, I left and went to the gas station and talked to the attendant. He said, oh we changed our systems over the weekend, you don't need a pin number anymore.. I said, oh okay, so she just didn't realize that she could bypass the pin number and just insert the card, choose the gas and start pumping.
NOW, here-in lies the rub!!!!!!!!!!!! All those pumps that she went to, she never cancelled the transactions. SOOOOOOOOOO now I have several charges coming into my bank account for "FREE" gas that she gave to people behind her. Right now only 1 out of the 7 charges is showing up for $30.05 that never went into my car. There are 6 other pending transactions for $1.00 (authorization) showing up in my pending transactions. I know what she did, she put the card in, it didn't ask for a pin and asked just to select the gas and she figured there was something wrong with the pump or my card and kept going to another pump to try that one. We've been using this gas station for so many years and never had a problem. I'm really upset that they changed over their systems over a weekend and never put up a notice on the pump of "No Pin or Zip Code" required.
Called the bank, almost nothing they can do when using a debit card., although they will try to dispute it. I'm patiently waiting to see how much free gas I've given to people.
Someone, JUST SHOOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How do they get away with that. Pin is your only protection with debit
I'd call a lawywer. Banking is heavily controlled
Tell the bank that you demand they recover your money for failing to use proper security procedure
That's like taking a check without I'd
Plus.... your bank is libel it is clear you cannot be at more than one pump at a tome. They are responsible for stopping fraud the moment it is apparent.
The first transaction should have been cancelled the minute mom went to another tank with the card
This IA nuts. Its like the gas station gave out your bank acvount and alowex theives access toast much as they wanted
A dementia client is not an excuse
Hubby works in this field. I know the laws are srict.
Tigg for your money
If that does not work, call a local paper and TV station. Share this story with the wide world.
Bet people will stop using them for gas if they refuse to refund your money
What the bank said to me this morning was "unfortunately there may be nothing we can do". "We can certainly dispute the charges with the gas station, however it's a pin transaction which means I'm authorizing the transaction". I said, NO, I didn't authorize anything IF I didn't input my pin number!!!!!!!!!!!! I just got the same run around!
I told my husband this morning and he said not to say or do anything until we find out how much in charges are coming in. If the bank won't fight it for us then it'll be an expensive lesson but he doesn't want to confront my mother with anything. She was so nervous and panicked when I got stung that I don't think she was thinking properly when she got up to the station. She was just looking at getting back home to me to see how I was.
Gosh, I would like to say something to her because she tells me all the time that I never let her do anything for me. How much is my fault here??? It was a bit chaotic that morning and when she grabbed my wallet I just said take my debit card Ma, that green one and here's my pin. I'm assuming since she has a debit card also that she uses hers but nope, she uses her discover card for everything.
Obviously she didn't clear the transactions but I'm assuming the person behind her would have had to input their card also to start their own transaction UNLESS there was some scumbag that saw what she was doing and decided to get free gas!
I wanted to cry this morning I was so upset and then there's no back up from the bank you have 3 personal accounts with and 2 business accounts with for over 20 years of being their customer!
I could literally snap like a twig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for Mom............I gotta give her a pass on this one.............sounds like she meant well.......just didn't think too clear............but how could ya expect her to know about the new changes at the pump and how it worked (or in this case didn't work)
I don't think anyone is at fault here............certainly not YOU and not Mom.........the gas stations system SUCKS and the banks response SUCKS............but it sounds like an unfortunate situation brought on by an accident.
Maybe.....one can hope.........that with the exception of the first $30 charge...........on the other charges......maybe the next guy at the pump used his own card and that kinda cancelled out yours??? One can hope......
Please let us know how it works out..............
Although I agree with Sunny too. Fight the bank and then let her know what happened but then again as you said, it's not her fault; it's more mine than anything; I let her go for me. She'd feel terrible if she knew what happened. i don't want that on my conscience. At the most here if everyone put in $75.00 it would be a cost of $450.00 plus the 30.05. I transferred some money in that account in case of the worst scenario. NOW, it's sit back and wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If no PIN was entered, the debit to your account was Never authorized at all.
Look at it this way...there are card readers that thieves use to steal numbers WITH Pin's. Then they use the info to make purchases.
They have the actual info.
The bank is responsible to refund your money.
IN this case, no pin was ever entered. So the bank should not have allowed the debit. There is no excuse for them to accept a transaction without the proper identifying information.
It is the banks responsibility to ensure that authorizing info is properly entered BEFORE releasing your money.
What the bank did was release your money to a merchant who did NOT prove that they had your permission to pay the amount.
Really, most people walk up and put their cards in to start. So you should not have much.
But it is way past time that we demand that banks treat us as customers.
I would go to the bank and ask questions in person. If you have to make a scene. Most bank managers are allowed to refund large amounts in fees and money lost to illegal transactions.
In person, they can't blow you off as easy.
And this was illegal. If $100 was lying on the street, and someone picked it up, that is theft.
If you find $3000 surprise in your account (which is a bank mistake), and you spend it, it is theft.
These things work both ways.
Someone stole from you. The way they got the money matters little. It was stolen. The bank did not do Due diligence in protecting your money. They are ultimately responsible for the mistake.
BUT............I still don't understand about not needing the PIN number???? What would stop anyone from stealing your card and using it?????? Just makes no sense to me.........So Chalk one for "stations" Fault!!!
Next..The Bank - how could they approve a Debit transaction with NO PIN given............the PIN is suppose to be your protection. How many times ya hear - "Don't give out PIN, don't carry it with you, etc". So Chalk another one for Banks Fault!!!!!
As for you and/or Mom.....................Nope......I think everyone there had good intentions and meant well:):) So you guys get a Pass from the Bear.........LOL:):)
I just hope it all works out in your favor.........please keep us posted:):)
Hope all goes well with your fight against the bank!
Deb, essentially from what I understood from the bank, the gas station system allowed for my debit card, (which can be used as a debit or credit card) to process as a credit card) not requiring a pin. I've never, ever stuck that card into any machine without it requesting a pin. My credit cards do not require a pin so I'm assuming this is what happened and the bank wasn't making things up. I've talked to a number of different branches of the bank today and I keep getting excuses; no help, just excuses!
AND, I was talking with my sister earlier and specifically told her DO NOT TELL MA about this; she agreed. What does she do????? Just guess!!!!!!!!!!!! Cause DH called me a little while ago and said when he got home, my mother was crying over it. I can't even speak to my sister right now. I'd like to ring her neck!!!!!!!! But again, MY FAULT; when will I learn that she has the confidence level of a sparrow's kidneys! I haven't wanted to punch someone since high school. Oh, if I had her in front of me right now!
I need a cocktail - a big one! This has blown up into something so much more than it had to have been. All started with the damn bee!
Then you have wiggle room when they come back to say, "We can offer this much" which won't be the entire amount. Don't give in, half the punitive and tell them to go back to the manager.
They will pull "we just can't do anymore". Then raise your voice and talk about how they let someone steal your money. (its good to go during a busy time).
Suggest that perhaps a local TV reporter can get to the bottom of this problem about why this bank is allowing people to steal money straight for peoples accounts.
The point is to stand your ground and come back at them each time with "they let someone steal your money" DOn't back down till the offer the full amount for gas and fees. You can get it all!!!
I did this for my son when thy charged him fees without sending a statement. Got all of it back for him.
If it helps, think of it as protecting your mom. That usually get the mother bear in me riled up and I fight much better.
I would call your bank and tell them you want to file a cc theft claim for all of the charges. Also contact the station manager and let them know you will not be paying. They have video tape so let them play back the tapes and get the license plates of the cars that got gas. You might also want to contact your police station and explain what happened and that you want to file a theft claim.
The only problem is that you gave your mom your ATM card. So your bank might try to weasel out because of that.
Good luck and try to keep calm.