The 2016 Shutdown Thread
Apr 20, 2016, 8:40 pm
#196
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 120
Casino's ways of a grocery store chain
Recently I have been buying around 10K worth of MO per week at this grocery chain using prepaid debit. A few weeks ago a CSR told me they would lower the per day per customer limit, and indeed they did. They set it just below $3000, apparently in order to drop the id /SSN/filling the form requirement for larger transactions. That was ok with me because it would work faster and I wasn’t happy about sharing my SSN anyway.
Now the fun part. I walk in and ask for “some money orders”. They call the manager and after a while she emerges and states that “the company chooses not to sell them to you, sir, and that’s company-wide”. The wisdom of older Flyertalkers I gathered on this forum was never lost on me, so I politely thank her and retreat.
Next day, another store (and a different state, btw) : I walk in, ask for two money orders, and, without asking for my id or the method of payment, the manager repeats the now familiar statement, only adding that now I am not allowed to buy the $500 GC either. Actually, I wasn’t buying them all that much, but they probably had figured out that one can get GC and then use them for MO at the same store (I never did that at the same store for them to see). The manager said I had been banned “with a bunch of other people”. It appears that they did create a blacklist with mugshots that is being sent to all of the locations.
I am still not sure what they are trying to gain from all that. They know I am not a fraudster because they have collected my id and SSN info a number of times. The only theory I have is that selling MO is a money loser for them, so the purpose is to lower the turnover and/or to keep only the small amount customers.
Now the fun part. I walk in and ask for “some money orders”. They call the manager and after a while she emerges and states that “the company chooses not to sell them to you, sir, and that’s company-wide”. The wisdom of older Flyertalkers I gathered on this forum was never lost on me, so I politely thank her and retreat.
Next day, another store (and a different state, btw) : I walk in, ask for two money orders, and, without asking for my id or the method of payment, the manager repeats the now familiar statement, only adding that now I am not allowed to buy the $500 GC either. Actually, I wasn’t buying them all that much, but they probably had figured out that one can get GC and then use them for MO at the same store (I never did that at the same store for them to see). The manager said I had been banned “with a bunch of other people”. It appears that they did create a blacklist with mugshots that is being sent to all of the locations.
I am still not sure what they are trying to gain from all that. They know I am not a fraudster because they have collected my id and SSN info a number of times. The only theory I have is that selling MO is a money loser for them, so the purpose is to lower the turnover and/or to keep only the small amount customers.
Last edited by NikSem; Apr 21, 2016 at 6:28 am
Apr 20, 2016, 8:57 pm
#197
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: DFW
Posts: 478
...Next day, another store (and a different state, btw) : I walk in, ask for two money orders, and, without asking for my id or the method of payment, the manager repeats the now familiar statement, only adding that now I am not allowed to buy the reloadable GC either. ...
Apr 20, 2016, 9:27 pm
#198
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
Apr 23, 2016, 4:07 am
#200
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
Apr 23, 2016, 12:14 pm
#201
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
It's the shoes.
Usually it's the shoes. Sometimes the hat.
Usually it's the shoes. Sometimes the hat.
Apr 23, 2016, 5:56 pm
#202
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
I'm thinking whether this creates any opportunities for tactical camouflage like Henry Sugar...
Apr 24, 2016, 6:40 am
#203
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 201
Pssst, you didn't know this but many stores are implementing face recognition technology to track those darn MSers!
Apr 24, 2016, 9:05 am
#204
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
I can't believe a bunch of FTers can't trip up any recognition technology if they put their minds in it
Minor: color-changing contacts
Major: redeem a KE F redemption to ICN and get some surgery
Minor: color-changing contacts
Major: redeem a KE F redemption to ICN and get some surgery
Apr 24, 2016, 12:18 pm
#205
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Next day, another store (and a different state, btw) : I walk in, ask for two money orders, and, without asking for my id or the method of payment, the manager repeats the now familiar statement, only adding that now I am not allowed to buy the $500 GC either. Actually, I wasn’t buying them all that much, but they probably had figured out that one can get GC and then use them for MO at the same store (I never did that at the same store for them to see). The manager said I had been banned “with a bunch of other people”. It appears that they did create a blacklist with mugshots that is being sent to all of the locations.
Apr 26, 2016, 6:45 am
#206
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 120
Anyway, I am going to give them a couple of months in order not to make them feel more stupid than they do already.
Apr 27, 2016, 12:06 pm
#207
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,257
Recently I have been buying around 10K worth of MO per week at this grocery chain using prepaid debit. A few weeks ago a CSR told me they would lower the per day per customer limit, and indeed they did. They set it just below $3000, apparently in order to drop the id /SSN/filling the form requirement for larger transactions. That was ok with me because it would work faster and I wasn’t happy about sharing my SSN anyway.
Now the fun part. I walk in and ask for “some money orders”. They call the manager and after a while she emerges and states that “the company chooses not to sell them to you, sir, and that’s company-wide”. The wisdom of older Flyertalkers I gathered on this forum was never lost on me, so I politely thank her and retreat.
Next day, another store (and a different state, btw) : I walk in, ask for two money orders, and, without asking for my id or the method of payment, the manager repeats the now familiar statement, only adding that now I am not allowed to buy the $500 GC either. Actually, I wasn’t buying them all that much, but they probably had figured out that one can get GC and then use them for MO at the same store (I never did that at the same store for them to see). The manager said I had been banned “with a bunch of other people”. It appears that they did create a blacklist with mugshots that is being sent to all of the locations.
I am still not sure what they are trying to gain from all that. They know I am not a fraudster because they have collected my id and SSN info a number of times. The only theory I have is that selling MO is a money loser for them, so the purpose is to lower the turnover and/or to keep only the small amount customers.
Now the fun part. I walk in and ask for “some money orders”. They call the manager and after a while she emerges and states that “the company chooses not to sell them to you, sir, and that’s company-wide”. The wisdom of older Flyertalkers I gathered on this forum was never lost on me, so I politely thank her and retreat.
Next day, another store (and a different state, btw) : I walk in, ask for two money orders, and, without asking for my id or the method of payment, the manager repeats the now familiar statement, only adding that now I am not allowed to buy the $500 GC either. Actually, I wasn’t buying them all that much, but they probably had figured out that one can get GC and then use them for MO at the same store (I never did that at the same store for them to see). The manager said I had been banned “with a bunch of other people”. It appears that they did create a blacklist with mugshots that is being sent to all of the locations.
I am still not sure what they are trying to gain from all that. They know I am not a fraudster because they have collected my id and SSN info a number of times. The only theory I have is that selling MO is a money loser for them, so the purpose is to lower the turnover and/or to keep only the small amount customers.
They know you're up to something. Exactly what isn't important to them. They are not in business to help you pull of your shenanigans, no matter what they might be. They're not making any money off you. Easiest thing to do is to fire you as a customer. Same thing that banks do. Don't take it personally. Learn from the experience and move on without making a stink.
Apr 29, 2016, 8:24 pm
#208
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 274
If you get shutdown at Schwab, what happens to the money you have in brokerage accounts? Or do they only shutdown the checking account where you have been doing the MO deposits?
May 1, 2016, 11:15 am
#209
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 120
Well, what they're trying to gain here is obvious - and the same thing that banks and most others care about: they're trying to limit their risk.
They know you're up to something. Exactly what isn't important to them. They are not in business to help you pull of your shenanigans, no matter what they might be. They're not making any money off you. Easiest thing to do is to fire you as a customer. Same thing that banks do. Don't take it personally. Learn from the experience and move on without making a stink.
They know you're up to something. Exactly what isn't important to them. They are not in business to help you pull of your shenanigans, no matter what they might be. They're not making any money off you. Easiest thing to do is to fire you as a customer. Same thing that banks do. Don't take it personally. Learn from the experience and move on without making a stink.
May 5, 2016, 10:02 am
#210
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 4
I've been searching as much as possible, but are there any known data points for LMCU shutdowns for mobile MOs? I'm waiting to open an account with a local bank as a throwaway but want to do some liquidation in the meantime.