marriott/marriott visa card
 

I checked into the marriott in quito (nice hotel) and went to my room to unpack and rest. I received a call from the front desk saying my marriott visa
(which had a credit balance of about $900.00) was declined because of credit.
Even though I knew this made no sense I was mortified and upset to have to go to the front desk for this reason.
I presented them with my ax card (of course no proplem) and then being irate I called long distance to the visa office in the states.
The representative informed me that 1. it was not a credit problem, but a security problem 2. If I travel I should call them.by not calling them it was my fault. When asked why they did not tell the hotel it was a security issue, the response was this is how we do it. No apology to me at all.
I e-mailed Marriott and their response was, they have nothing to do with credit card problems, take it up with visa and I should know the security regulations regarding the card. I e-mailed Marriott back, saying I was not happy with their response. I CANCELLED THE CARD but am still upset by what I consider the cavalier treatment by a hospitality company. Am I upset for no reason?

The credit card is by Chase.
The hotel is by Marriott.

The people that provide hotel rooms and food are not experts in fraud and credit.

The two businesses don't have all that much to do with each other - and I think I like it that way.

I always call if I'm travelling overseas - as it isn't typical for me, and I've had to answer questions from fraud prevention in the past.

The black signature Marriott Rewards Visa is a sweet deal - I wouldn't have cancelled it.

Yes, you are upset at Marriott for no reason.

The only folks you could be upset with is Chase. However in my personal experiences, Chase has saved me 3 times thanks to their very efficient fraud department. Once in March of 2007 when I went to fill my rental car up with gas (in Colorado) and it was rejected, only to find out someone was charging things to my Visa at Walgreens in Florda. Again this past February, in Colorado, when it was rejected because someone made and was attempting to make more charges in New York. Then again a month ago in the middle of the night when I was ordering a replacement refrigerator since mine had quite working, and someone was attempting to make charges for $11,000+ to a pet supply store. Also it is normal for me to notify my CC companies when I travel oversees. Everyone learns this eventually and usually the way you just did, and the way I did many years ago. Any time it does happen to you, all you have to do is call Chase Visa at the number printed on the back of the card, verify who you are throgh a number of security questions, and then they will clear the fraud hold and you can have the hotel charge your card. Standard SOP.

Better safe than sorry.

So they just decline the purchase?

Not cool if you ask me. The way Citi and MBNA have handled it for me is that they CALL and ask if I'm making the charge. In all but one case I was (I know its tricky but the way things go these days its not uncommon to be making a purchase in a few different states in the same couple hours).

I'd cancel any card the moment they decline a purchase vs calling me.

Your beef is with Chase, not Marriott. I am surprised they would just decline the purchase as opposed to trying to call you. I have been called in the past, but I don't remember which company called. I typically try to notify the credit card company if I am travelling overseas, but you really should not have to. Unless it is written speciifcally in their terms with the card they have no right not processing the transaction. I would have asked them for where it says in writing you have to call them. If they couldn't produce it, I would have filed a complaint against them - or gone irrate on a supervisor demanding some type of freebie...:-)

Yes.

So what happens if you don't answer your phone? Like in an area with no service, or oversees where your phone doesn't work (like Japan, or other countries if you use Verizon/Sprint CDMA phones)? I like the calling idea. I think I will talk to Chase about that. It doesn't solve the Japan issue though.

FWIW, last week I made charges in HI, TX, VA, and Paris all within 48 hours with no questions asked. BTW, when I say I call Chase when I am going overseas, I don't call them for trips to Europe, North America or Central America all of which I travel frequently. I also order coffee direct from Costa Rica twice each year and a number of years back they used to decline those charges until I went irate on them a few years ago, but that had to do with no swipe or 3 digit security code used from the back of the card since I never have any problems charging when I travel to Costa Rica. They keep pretty good track of purchase patterns IMO.

Right dude, that's how it is ^

marriott card
 

again, I would of understood, if I was told there seems to be a problem BUt to be told my credit was declined does not seem right. I have also had credit card companies talk to me when it involved security and I appreciated it. When I called visa an apology would of sufficed

And one day I returned to my room (Renaissance) in NYC with a credit card that didn't work, an ATM card that didn't work, about 30 cents in my pocket, and a message to call the front desk. Very scarry. I have learned to call Visa and MC customer service ahead of time and they will document my travel cities and dates. And one time I wanted to make activity on an old card so I called customer service and said "please turn it on so I can use it for a month". In the end I was not upset because it is all about security. They have very complex computer programs that compare where we usually use the card with situations that are out of the ordinary.

Just keep in mind, hotel front desk clerks do not always know all the codes that come up on their credit card systems. I worked at a gas station in college, and let me tell you, there are plenty of codes that can come up that are not "approved". The odds that the clerk would know what Denied 05 means, as opposed to Denied 79 are slim to none. The net result was that your card WAS declined, even if it was for "your own protection" from fraud.

I'll echo some of the previous comments that I've had it happen to me plenty of times, and was quite pleased that Chase took that step. Any time there is a strange large purchase, they can and should (IMO) block that transaction. It's not usually a big deal for me to call and resolve the issue in under 5 mins with customer service. Of course, there was one situation about 6 months ago where my card was denied, and when I called, I found out someone had just made a $2500 purchase at CVS somewhere in Florida, while I was in LA for work... that call took closer to 15 or 20 minutes. They canceled the card and I got the new one a couple days later.

They are not calling me pre-charge, they are calling me after the charge to verify (ie they are not holding up the charge....its already be charged). I'm not many places that I can charge but can't receive a call so its not a huge issue.

Again, if a card company cut me off without contacting me, I'm pretty sure I'd cancel the card.

To each their own but I'd rather have them call me vs declining my charge and making me do the leg work.

To each their own.

I understand that it is a general security issue relating to the bank however since it is a Marriott co-branded card, flagging it for security reasons because of use at any Marriott (if that was indeed the only factor) would seem a breach of the spirit of the card.