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174 Comments
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -11/+95No, she should use whatever card the damn well pleases, without being subjected to *****.
Way to jump on board the ever-more-popular "blame the victim" movement. - joebrender, on 10/10/2007, -4/+51Damn, people, you're blaming the victim. The VAST majority of Americans have no idea that Debit Cards are crap, and pulling this "You deserved it for using a Debit Card" is really bad news. My wife teaches consumer economics in high school, and I still can't convince her that Debit Cards are inferior to Credit Cards. The vast majority of Americans would have a serious problem if $3000 disspeared from their checking account. Try to be a little more sympathetic. Not all of us keep reserves of $3k so we can deal with incompetant companies without fear of financial problems. Apple should have done a better job here, without a doubt.
- Armor1901, on 10/10/2007, -8/+36Burried as innacurate. I can pay my mortgage.
- fli7e, on 10/10/2007, -12/+34I agree. If you're a single mother of three who can afford to have 5 iPods and a couple of Macbooks but can't handle a mortgage payment after a slip-up like this, you might want to consider re-prioritizing your financial life. I used to work in retail and accidental double charges to the wrong account are rare, but it's not like it's an impossible mistake to make. Plan a little better, take the cash out ahead of time, or go through Visa so you're protected against ***** like this. I'm not saying it's okay for stuff like this to happen and I'm sure it will (and should) get fixed, but come on... when getting hit wrong for the price of a laptop is going to compromise your effing house payment (and it's not like they entered an extra couple zeros, either), you need to take some extra precautions and figure out why you own more iPods than there are people in your house.
- sacherjj, on 10/10/2007, -11/+32This isn't all blaming the victim. Apple is obviously at fault. However, using a Credit Card gives you more control. You can dispute charges, before they hit you financially.
- joe90210, on 10/10/2007, -11/+29this will soon be filled by apple fanatics blaming her for everything
- nunzi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+19christ, people, pay attention before you act like *****.
she wasn't buying a $2,000 computer...her SON was, for college. she was paying TWO HUNDRED dollars. it's completely reasonable to say "ok, son - you want an expensive computer for college, you save up and pay for it, and i'll throw you a couple hundred to help you out."
you're not better than the next person. stop acting like you are.
(and apparently i should have read anub1s' reply to Mudcrutch before pretty much repeating what was said. oh well - it's worth repeating) - fkr3, on 10/10/2007, -2/+14They should apologise but I don't think "evil" is the right word, "a-grade *****" seems closer.
- brandonvan, on 10/10/2007, -4/+16This sort of thing happens all the time. It happened to me last weekend with a large over charge from a hotel and you make some phone calls and it gets resolved.
Just because it's Apple does not make it news!! - trunkster, on 10/10/2007, -8/+19Credit cards are the way to go. I don't believe they are blaming the victim... but for myself I wouldn't trust anyone with direct access to my bank account.
- Billions, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10The first sentences in that story sure are a poorly-written, corny set-up... "And you wanna know why?"
I don't think this is something that is exclusive behavior to Apple... But I'm sure that $1600 isn't worth the bad diggs and negativity this could generate. I bet this will be settled by the end of the week. I wonder if we'll hear about it. - Anub1s, on 10/10/2007, -5/+15She's not the one buying the computer you half-wit. It's her son, they did a split transaction. Apple, in their infinite stupidity, pulled the money out of the WRONG account, and by the looks of it in the wrong amounts. Are you just stupid or did you not even read the article?
- ahawks, on 10/10/2007, -4/+14Yes, Apple screwed up here, but liuping and TeamoSupremo are right. It's foolish not to *wisely* use a credit card.
- Debit cards are linked directly to your funds.
- Fraud involving a debit card is *much* harder to reverse/recover from.
- When fraudulent charges are put on a credit card, you inform the CC company and don't have to pay it immediately.
(I have had this happen)
- Also, be sure to use a CC that offers benefits, such as doubling the warranty period, or rewards like flier miles, Amazon.com points, etc.
DO NOT use a credit card to buy something you do not have cash for. Only use it when you can pay it off immediately, but there are benefits to routing money through a credit card. - turpenine, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8you are right, I don't think a lot of people get how tight money is for some people. I don't think I will ever have a problem if $1000 just disappeared, I have enough emergency money to cover that, but with todays credit based everything, a lot of people just don't have the luxury or economic sense to be so stable.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -4/+12too late
- begbegbegbegbeg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8I'm all for jumping on a company when something is their fault, but I'm not sure that is the case.
This all boils down to something you apparently missed when you read the article (if you actually did): the son's card was REJECTED because the addresses didn't match! That's usually a sign of fraud, and Apple did what any other merchant would do: they billed the other card that they had on file for that transaction.
As for the rest of it, it's far too convoluted to decipher. Just remember: her son, from Apple's perspective, appears to be either a) a crook or b) a deadbeat, because his card was REJECTED. What the heck did you expect them to do?
BTW, I'm not a fanboi. Just someone who believes in fairness and owning up to one's own mistakes. - mortigon, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8I'd like to keep my mount shut... but she won't listen!
- StatusQuoRules, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7It's not her fault to be subjected to this ***** and I'm a big Apple fan, posting this from my Macbook. She is no way an idiot for paying by debit.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Oh, No! Apple made a mistake, so this must mean that their hardware sucks and their software is hard to use and Steve Jobs eats babies for breakfast! Why does everyone have these knee jerk reactions to Apple? Microsoft can expose computers to viruses, malware, unfair DRM and shotty code, but let Apple make a mistake and it's the end of everything we hold dear!
And BTW, I bought a IPOD for my niece yesterday and I had to provide the three-digit security code on the back of my debit card to make the purchase. I wonder how Apple managed to "accidentially" use her card without the right security code?
In related news, the cousin of a person who used to work at Apple ran a red light this morning... - dn2004, on 10/10/2007, -3/+8Apple should fix this and give her something for free for the total mess up.
- TheSolomon, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Unless you know for sure fli7e *isn't* a single mother, or wasn't raised by one, maybe you should take a deep breath and relax rather than assuming the opposite. Maybe you, instead, should keep your own mouth shut.
That being said, compared to my friends and family who are single mothers, this woman being able to buy multiple iPods and at least one brand new MacBook has it MUCH better off. - turpenine, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5consumerist doesn't report good news or favorable fallow ups.
- bromac, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Debit cards in Canada need your PIN to be entered. You can't perform a transaction like this without the account owner's authorization (entering the pin).
Credit cards are no better for unauthorized charges. I wouldn't trust anyone with direct access to money I DON'T EVEN HAVE. - riddlebox, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Apple may be correct on how long it would have taken to appear on her account. Depending on who you speak with at the financial institution they are just as lazy as the person working at McDonald's that gives you a sandwich with everything on it when you asked for it plain, and it says plain on the receipt. If they don't want to apply your credit back to the card they won't. I have worked for customer service for a fortune 500 company. I have dealt with the banks one on one and sometimes they tell us that they have to wait that many days to insure they cover their ass as well. Either way I totally agree that this was horrible and hopefully a rare incident dealing with transactions on-line. (note* we also don't know that they filled out the form correctly, and that they understood the terms of service. This may be stated in their policy)
- knetworx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5My company paid me twice for the same pay period last month. But when I checked my bank account an hour later the "problem" had been fixed. Amazing how quick things get taken care of when the glitch is in your favor.
- trekkie, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Actually it's a bit convoluted to try and pay for something with two cards like they did, it's no wonder something went goofy
- TheSolomon, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6To expand upon my reply above: I'm not defending people who are attacking the victim, I'm just deflating the knee-jerk "defend the poor single mother" position. Given she has a mortgage, a new MacBook, and several iPods, she no longer qualifies for the "poor single mother" defense. Being unable to pay your mortgage because of a screw-up is not cool, but let's not blur the issue with undue sympathy. Take your sympathy, instead, and put it into helping the single mothers who can barely afford food and housing, let alone a number of popular high-priced gadgets.
- toxicityj, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Well gee, I'm sure she'll see that link and thank you for your help.
- Akaji, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4"Do you really think a little piece of plastic is better than real money?"
Screw cash, I want my gold. Or do you really think a little piece of paper is better than real money? - mablco, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5this story is bull-[redacted]. This could happen anywhere. She should have just pulled out the cash, give it to the kid and have him out whole thing on his card.
- Billions, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5You getting cheap diggs for dissing Apple 'fanbots/fantards/fans' is sorta sickening too. If a Dell Vista machine (...or do they make those?) fell on a kid's foot, I wouldn't vilify Dell. Is it apologetic to point out that ANY large company might pull a ***** stunt like this? That's not 'pro-Apple' to point that out. You're grasping at straws; I see more people clambering to make fun of Apple enthusiasts than people defending Apple.
- liuping, on 10/10/2007, -42/+45She should just use a credit card. seriously, there is NO advantages to using a debit card, especially if you have the money in your account and can pay it off at the end of the month. and there are many disadvantages...
- akatherder, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5I just bought my first house and our city tax bill came on 7/1 (due 8/1). My mortgage company is supposed to pay our city tax out of an escrow account we pay in to. I kept checking throughout the month and they never paid it. I finally call the mortgage company and they tell me they don't know where I live so they didn't know what city to send the money to. YOU PAID FOR MY GODDAMN HOUSE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE I LIVE?! So I had to scrape together $2000 and pay the city tax myself. The mortgage company said to fax the receipt and they'll reimburse me. Well then the retards decided to send the check to town hall to pay my taxes. The city says they never received it. Where the ***** is my money?
- Vardogr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Almost any credit card worth it's salt offers a grace-period until the end of the current billing cycle during which interest fees do not accrue. Therefore, if you pay off your bill at the end of the month, charges you've made up to that point during that billing cycle are 'free', technically speaking.
- xienze, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4In the middle your intelligent, well-informed rant, you forgot to mention "Number 6."
Still, that "little piece of plastic" helps you build a credit rating. Without a good credit rating, you can look forward to being raped on auto loans (oh I forgot, you were planning on slapping $20K in the car dealer's hand) and never getting a home loan -- whoops, you don't need one of those, you were just going to save $150K+ under your mattress right? - DCstewieG, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Is the store going to give me 1% back on everything?
- johnpaul191, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3maybe a lesson is not to use 2 different credit/debit cards for an online purchase when the cards are in two different people's names. i'm not saying somebody didn't screw up, but that sounds goofy.
personally i have purchased a bunch of stuff from apple.com and i always got an email receipt, or she could have logged into the account and printed one. there is an easy way to verify that the charges were properly split. if there was an error, she could have caught it before the charges went through. if i was doing a purchase like this, i would have double checked it to make sure, especially if the possibility of a $1500 error would have meant my not being able to pay my mortgage. maybe i'm just more cautious than most people. - phill, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I would have just gave the kid $200 cash and let him deal with it.
- ahawks, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Her mortgage, her spending habits, her "single mother" status, and the fact that its her son's first computer are all obviously there to sensationalize the facts. "Poor single mom might lose house because of Apple screwup" makes a better headline than "A rich white guy is temporarily out $3000 while Apple fixes a glitch, but it won't affect him in any serious manner"
I don't see why you bring Dell into this. It DID happen with Apple, and it probably happens with other companies, and the victims have every right to send a letter to Consumerist to let it be known. In this case, it was Apple, so deal with it. - dannyapplesauce, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4How many people wisely do anything? Credit card companies are making money, and they are making money because people don't use them wisely. Maybe she doesn't have the self control to limit her spending on a credit card and the only way she can limit herself is to use a debit because it's money she can actually see. Don't toast her because she wasn't covering her ass 3x from wednesday. JEEZE
- apotropaic, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5he's not stupid, just is willing to look that way in blind defense to apple in any situation. Its a disease!
- LesterWallace, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4You are absolutely right. And anyone that disagrees will change their tune as soon as their wallet is stolen and someone takes that debit card and empties your checking account by buying everything in sight within 20 minutes. It happened to me. Now I have only an ATM card and a credit card. If I make a purchase I put it on the credit card and pay it in full each month, if I need cash I use the ATM card. But the money in my account is safe because there is no debit card, and I'm not a retard that writes the PIN on the back of my ATM card. Credit cards are the way to go for convenience and financial safety/insurance against fraud. People just need to learn some responsibility and stop overspending, then they won't have to be afraid of the EVIL and ALL-POWERFUL credit card companies. Give me a break.
- jtb4, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4go die somewhere
- joshuakuhn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2That requires wanting to have a BofA account though...
- Tantrum, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4The moral of the story : DON'T use Visa/MasterCard check/debit cards when shopping on the Internet. Use a real credit card. Using your debit card to shop online is one of the stupidest things someone can do. If your account information gets jacked, you have very little protection and certainly nothing quick. Using a real credit card when shopping online gives you a bit of a security buffer.
- l0tharnt, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3problem - pay for computer or pay for mortgage
solution - pay for mortgage first, wait, then pay for computer.
solved? - geoffstgermaine, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4It doesn't say she was flat broke, they debited something like $1700 from her account instead of $200. Her son was paying the rest. I have to assume you didn't read the article.
- lokai, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I took the time to read the e-mail that this woman authored to Apple, and I do not see anything wrong with it. I can understand her frustration, and in spite of what has happened I believe that she chose her words well; she's behaving most civilly. Somewhere, somehow, an error occurred and it does not appear to make sense to blame this woman for using a debit card for this online transaction. If you read through her e-mail you will see that she argues her case fairly well.
Yes, it is true that this woman ought to have used a credit card for this type of online purchase. It is also true, however, that she should not be dealing with the headache that she is now facing. It seems as though she and Apple were clear on how the transaction was intended to be set up with the debit cards from what she says.
I understand that this may be entirely unrelated to the incident at hand, but am I the only one who wonders when ***** who bitch and moan, carrying on like children, get their way right away and the ones who are patient and polite, like this woman, keep waiting for things to get fixed when mistakes happen? - mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2No no no, it's George W. Bush and his old Republican dirty tricks.
- bseven, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I'm sure the woman thought using her Visa (or whatever emblem on her card it was) Debit card was safe. I would not have known any differently till I read the comments here.
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