bigdel1

Last night I took a banker to Sleek in St. Louis. New Kobe steakhouse in the Lumiere Place casino. Dinner+tip total for 2 was about $180.

I have a Platinum card with several thousand dollars billed each month that is always paid in full each month. I also have a personal gold card that I spend and pay about a $1000 a month on. Never any problems.

Until last night, when the waiter comes out with my business Platinum card and says "card declined." He ran it again, then my personal gold card, and told me that was declined too.

I'm freaking out (on the inside) thinking the banker is going to think I'm a deadbeat. Since we are contemplating a large transaction, this is a VERY bad thing.

Finally, the restaurant says they are having trouble with Amex cards, and that it isn't my fault. The charge finally went through on the gold card.

I called Amex Platinum and they had no record of the charge. They said it was the restaurant's fault, not Amex's.

I hope this never happens to you, but if it does, always carry a backup Mastercard/Visa. Amex isn't always reliable.

I'm just thankful that the banker believes me.

sbm12

While I agree that having cards from providers on different networks is essential, it seems silly to me that you are suggesting that AmEx is unreliable when both AmEx AND the merchant both agree that it was the merchant's fault, not AmEx's.

More importantly, how's the food?

S.

PTravel

I once had something like this happen. Mrs. PTravel and I decided to buy a chair at Z Gallerie in Santa Monica. The chair was around $1200 and I gave the salesperson my plat Amex. After a few minutes he came back and announced, loudly and with a really snotty tone, "Your card has been declined!" I said, "Impossible." Now, really, snarky, he said, "I don't suppose you have a DIFFERENT card." I said, "Hold on," and called Amex. Sure enough, they said no charge request had been received, there was nothing wrong with my card, and, given my account history (I put everything on the card, probably charging around $100,000 a year), there would be no problem whatsoever with a $1200 charge. At that point, I told the salesman to get a manager. When the manager came over, I told him what happened and said, "Call Amex." He did, though he also had an attitude. At the end of the call he said, "Amex said the charge was approved." No apology, nothing. I said, "Let me be clear -- you'll sell me the chair now?" The manager said, "yes." I said, "Good. Cancel the charge. I don't want the chair or anything else from your store," and, with that, Mrs. PTravel and I walked out leaving the salesman and the manager staring at the floor.

GaLupo

Announcing like that loud on the floor was rude and disrespectful.
You did the right thing by leaving them hanging after Amex confirmed you could charge it. If anything the sales person should have pulled you to the side and told you.

mia

Consider the possibility that the behavior was intentional, that the salesperson was attempting to embarass PTravel into using a different form of payent.

PTravel

Actually, I did consider that -- lots of merchants don't like Amex because it charges a higher rate. Either way, though, it was completely unacceptable.

Kagehitokiri

nice one PTravel ^

reminds me of another poster who bought a $100K item from a competitor when a company refused to charge it on an amex because of their age at the time.

bigdel1

Great job PTravel.

sbm12--The merchant had no problem figuring out Mastercard. The food was ok, but the portions were very small--ala 1990's chic restaurants.

GaLupo

That has to violate some Amex TOS.
Any one want to look that one up.

I know at my old company I had a Buis Cent card and being young I was always asked for ID any time I used it.

CelticFlyer

Many merchants think that they can make their own rules these days.

I noticed recently that Office Depot branches now ask for ID on electronics transactions over a certain dollar value. I genuinely don't bother to carry ID all the time so had to explain to a branch manager that they didn't have discretion as to whether they took the card or not. He reckoned I was wrong but phoned AMEX who gave him a mouthful! However - the problem is that the ID request comes from the POS register and the staff are following what the register asks for.

gum

Really great ! I think customers in nowadays business have to suffer many times from ignorant staff, uninterested merchants that this was the only right step.

I had the same (with a smaller amount) in a new mall in Innsbruck, Austria. Whereas the Drogeriemarkt accepts correctly the card even for small purchases like a CD or some chocolate and things of daily consume, a fashion store still denied even to try the Amex card.

The mall at that time claimed "Innsbruck wird Weltstadt" and therefore I think one basic service requirement is to accept credit cards. Instead of that the shop manager wanted to discuss American foreign policy (!), high credit card charges (!) just forgetting his own high commission on fashion.

Just didn't began such a discussion said him that his behaviour is not acceptable and left the shop.

dgwright99

It's not just the higher rate. Amex seem to take the side of the cardholder on chargebacks almost every time, and I suspect that this may play a role also.

I have had a couple of "card declined" claims over the years on my amex, where when I called Amex said that they had received no attempt to charge, and certainly had not declined. In each case I left a tip of $1 (I find this sends a stronger message than not tipping at all).

KyRoamer

Most declines and problems I've experienced are merchant issues (not always legit) or merchants trying to force use of another card. I usually say that I have no other card and ask if they can try AMEX again. Amazingly, the second try usually works.

pgary

Having had a stolen card used by the thief, I now write "Request I.D." in the signature panel, along with my signature. I complement those who do so. While showing my driver's license, I am careful to put my thumb over its number. They just look at my name and photo and are satisfied.

I love those gasoline stations which request my zip code to use the card. This is what foiled the thief of my card, and a Walgreens. I wonder why more gasoline stations and everyone else doesn't do this. Probably costs more.

pgary

I am having the same problem, repetatively with a local Wendy's. They claim their reader can't read my card. I have no problem anywhere else. I think I will insist they enter the number manually, or write up a paper ticket, next time.