quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
I’ve had my limitless card declined before several times.

Made people in line wait until they restarted their system. Worked fine after that.

I made zero excuses, don’t give a shit if they think I can’t afford it behind me.

Nice. Thanks for reminding me of something.

My post comes off as me being petty, what I was getting at is there are many times one could stand behind me and assume I cannot afford something based off inconsistent electronics or connection at the store. I used to get embarrassed, but as I’ve gotten older I couldn’t care less what people think.

I’ve also used the wrong card before that was to an account with an intentionally small balance, again, to the unknown I’m broke. To me I’ve got enough money that I need to protect it in this way. So perception and reality are often very far off in this particular situation, enough so that I can’t be bothered to worry about it.

Gas pumps are notorious for having double swiping devices installed. I've had lot of credit cards get compromised, though I think most it happened from online purchases. The worst one was when I got a new card, booked a rental car online with it, flew to Munich a few days later, picked up the car (using the card's insurance coverage) and the card was shut down the next day for fraud in Poland. I hadn't left Germany and the card had only once come out of my wallet in Germany, at the rental car counter, and once in the US to book the car online. IIRC, the crook had bought something like 4k Euros worth of furniture. Had that been my debit card, I'd have been stuck in Europe for a few weeks with the little cash I had on me.

hell, about two years ago... I went to check out at the grocery store and punched in my password wrong.... then when I tried a second time I tried to remember it and it was gone from my head.... I could not for the life of me remember it.... it seems for the last couple of years when ever I punched it in it was just muscle memory.... I ended up having to go to the bank and enter in a new pass word.

Now I do have to admit there was a time in my life... decades back when I had to sweat credit card transactions out.....

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
If you use your ATM or Credit card, it will not be approved unless you have more balance on your card that your total bill.

Example: If you have $20 left on your card, $25 in groceries will not be approved. Running it 5 times will not make a difference.

Rookies. The real pros don't pay any attention to item selection while walking through grocery store and then try to pay with the taxpayer funded food program card that has item selection restrictions. After the entire conveyor belt is sorted, then they pull out the underfunded debit card to try to pay for their out of program items. Then, they pull out cash and coins...

quote:

Rookies. The real pros don't pay any attention to item selection while walking through grocery store and then try to pay with the taxpayer funded food program card that has item selection restrictions. After the entire conveyor belt is sorted, then they pull out the underfunded debit card to try to pay for their out of program items. Then, they pull out cash and coins...

Right you are Ken!

This is what I was posting about on page one. I am forever behind this person. It's almost like I am being punished for my misspent youth.

Plenty of times I've paid with a gift card that had less than the amount due left on it. It then let me pay the remainder with a credit card. You can game this system in bars and restaurants at night, if you use a gift card in more than one place before they batch them out at the end of the shift. I wouldn't do that and I used to work at the cc company that gave out these cards. So I figured they'd be able to track such stuff if I had done it.

For me, its the damn coupons. Argue with the checker over whether its expired or to what product it applies to or dig around in some kind of pouch looking for the right coupon. Then after this ordeal, write a check and log in the data in the check register.
I will probably be bound for hell when I die. It will be Hades Foods for Less!

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
For me, its the damn coupons. Argue with the checker over whether its expired or to what product it applies to or dig around in some kind of pouch looking for the right coupon. Then after this ordeal, write a check and log in the data in the check register.

That. Also, the ones who feel the need to chit-chat with the cashier and show them photos of her grandchildren (that she has to search her purse for), and the cashier who feels obligated (or just inclined) to indulge in such.

"LADIES! This is a grocery store, not a social club! Can we please stick to business and move along now?" I want to, I really want to, but I don't. At least, I haven't so far.

quote:

Originally posted by Expert308:

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
For me, its the damn coupons. Argue with the checker over whether its expired or to what product it applies to or dig around in some kind of pouch looking for the right coupon. Then after this ordeal, write a check and log in the data in the check register.

That. Also, the ones who feel the need to chit-chat with the cashier and show them photos of her grandchildren (that she has to search her purse for), and the cashier who feels obligated (or just inclined) to indulge in such.

"LADIES! This is a grocery store, not a social club! Can we please stick to business and move along now?" I want to, I really want to, but I don't. At least, I haven't so far.

I have really enjoyed the freedom grocery pick-up from Walmart and Kroger has afforded me. I mingle with the public much less now, and that is an improvement.

quote:

Originally posted by sasquatch28:
I have really enjoyed the freedom grocery pick-up from Walmart and Kroger has afforded me. I mingle with the public much less now, and that is an improvement.

I've watched the employees at Kroger and Walmart picking up groceries that people have ordered. They don't check expiration dates and they don't pick the best meat and produce, they grab whatever is closest.

I'll go in and pick my own.

Yeah, I know it’s ‘old fashioned’ but I often write the check for $20 over, get some walking around $$.

Now that the machine prints the check, it really isn’t much slower than other options. At times I’ll do the self checkout with a card, with limited items.

Just had a thought.

If you don't want to get caught behind some idiot in the checkout line, do self checkout.

In and out with no problems.

^^^^^^^^
Or just shop more upscale markets.

For the past several years I have had a bank-issued credit card that provides me with 2% cash back on all purchases. I use that for just about everything now (groceries, gas, restaurants, vehicle maintenance, travel, etc). The statement comes once per month and I write one check, instead of writing a dozen checks every month. At the end of the year I call the toll-free number and have the cash-back balance transferred to the account balance (usually 2 or 3 hundred bucks).

Costs me nothing, very convenient, and gives me money back. Also, after paying off the mortgage and having no other debts, this keeps my credit rating active and current with a FICO score at 800. Last time I wanted to buy a new vehicle it took me all of 15 minutes to arrange a pre-approved auto loan at very low interest, and that allowed me to play hardball with the car dealership (over 20% under sticker price), like shopping with cash in hand.

Buddy of mine is a dealership sales manager, tells me that less than half of their new car buyer wannabes qualify for financing. The last thing they want to happen is for a buyer with the money to leave without making a deal.

Only times I have had any difficulty using the card was while travelling outside my home state. I have learned to call the toll-free number and let the bank know I would be travelling. Major charges might result in a text message alerting me and asking me if I was authorizing the charge.

Every now and then I will get a text from the bank card company asking me if I am making a purchase somewhere far away from where I am located. Easy enough to decline the charge.

Occasionally I will spot a bogus charge on my statement, call the toll-free number and report it as fraudulent. The charge disappears and I never hear any more about it.

I have never used a ATM machine. I have never used a debit card. I probably have a PIN number somewhere but I have no idea what, where, or why. I never need it so I don't have any reason to remember it.

Same credit union for 40 years. Same bank for 32 years. They take care of me and I take care of them.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

If you don't want to get caught behind some idiot in the checkout line, do self checkout.

The nicer grocery store in this area, Publix, does not have self checkout, but the cashiers are usually efficient, the baggers are trained, and they typically have plenty of registers working.

Walmart has many lanes of self checkout, but much like the lanes with cashiers, many of the self service lanes are closed. The people who hold up the cashier lanes seem to be incompetent in the self service lanes, although it is not always the customer's fault. I made multiple attempts to scan an item; the barcode was not recognized so I called a staff person and asked her if she could enter the item price manually. She tried scanning, it did not work, she tossed the item into my bag, smiled and said, "It's on the house. Have a nice day."