Unauthorized debit card transactions

Sparx

pmartin86 wrote: »

It probably too late for this now, after you having accused them of breaking the law when they haven't and all that, but perhaps a softer approach with steam would have worked. I've been a user of Steam since back in the early days, around 2005, and I have never had any reason to mistrust them or believe thieve acted anything other than fairly. My only time where I accidentally purchased a game I didn't want (Added to basket, changed my mind and forgot to remove it before purchasing another game at the same time) I E-Mailed them explaining the situation They checked that I hadn't activated the game, removed it from my account and give me the value in "credit" towards another game. Certainly not the actions of a company behaving fraudulently, rather the actions of a comany saying "hey, we know you messed up, you know you messed up, but we'll help you out here anyway!"

Regards
Paul

The only problem with that, is that the OP wants her money back. Not a credit to allow her already very naughty son to buy some different games instead. :rotfl:

pmartin86

Sparx wrote: »

The only problem with that, is that the OP wants her money back. Not a credit to allow her already very naughty son to buy some different games instead. :rotfl:

Fair point, but still, a softly-softly approach would still have probably been the best option rather than randomly and falsely accusing a company of breaking a non-existing law! :P

:rotfl:

SnowTiger

StevieJ wrote: »

I don't see the point of retailers retaining credit card details.

http://metro.co.uk/2011/11/11/credit-card-details-confirmed-stolen-from-steam-216011/

It makes purchasing quicker and easier for customers, which is what retailers want.

For me, buying something from Amazon, for example, is a quick and easy process. Just a few mouse clicks or screen taps and it's done.

If I buy something from a retailer I haven't used before it's a more laborious process, especially if I'm using my tablet or 'smartphone'.

I don't worry about fraudulent transactions. The retailer or card issuer always take the hit if that happens.

aleph_0

grumbler wrote: »

I don't remember agreeing to any 'subscribtions' with Amazon and don't know how they are going to defend themselves should I decide to challenge some transaction with my card provider because they have not asked for the CVV. I don't think that their agreement with Visa will help them, but again, I am no expert.
Thanks, you did clear the situation with Steam.

I'm not sure what's so difficult here. You've verified the card is yours, you authorised the transaction (yes, without re-entering the cvv, but so what), it should be valid. Arguing you hadn't authorised a certain payment method on technicalities, when you have received the goods would be all rather silly (since you have certainly entered into a contract with amazon, so they'll just say "fine, how do you want to pay for those goods you've received"). IANAL but calling them up on the payment method, but without offering an alternative payment sounds fraudulent to me.

If there was a transaction that you hadn't authorised, or your account was hacked, we might get into different territory. I expect, as others have argued, amazon would still be safe in the former if you had previously authorised a transaction on someone else's account, and let them remember the details. If the account was used by an unauthorised person, I'd hope you'd be covered.

In the OP's case, the original transaction was authorised by em. Either ey gave permission for the card details to be retained and reused, in which case, ey has no recourse, or eir son was fraudulently using his card details. I'm not convinced any argument appealing to technicalities are going to go anywhere (and Steam will only respond defending their procedures).

A more fruitful line of attack might be to approach the situation in a more humble matter and find a compromise. Although there's some difficulty in that steam are a marketplace, so your son has purchased software, and then steam has paid the developers. But there might still be room for some purchases to be cancelled and (partially?) refunded.

amuzia

i dont believe i ever mentioned 'law' what i did mention was the t's&c's they agree to when becoming a company that accepts visa payments. these are not laws.

i did not know nor did i come across any information saying that they do not need to use cvv.
i did however look at their site and saw that they did use cvv's

my point is that they either held onto the cvv information or they lead you into a false sense of security by allowing the first payment to be a cvv verified payment and then all subsequent payments to be free of this procedure.

this leads them to be a company that seems to be complacent in the the misappropriation of funds.

they are not the only company to do this and there are some very big companies out there that also follow this route.
especially where online games aimed youngsters are concerned.

aleph_0

But we've covered why the cvv is only asked for the first time around. *You* are the one who allowed your card to be used, and allow the details to be retained for future transactions. You might have *assumed* that they'll ask for the cvv for future transactions, but they don't claim that (Logic 101: they say if they case for the security code, it should be correct. They don't say they'll always ask for the cvv.).

Asking for the cvv wasn't for your benefit - it was for theirs. It verified that the card was being used. It helped verify the person giving permission for future use was actually the cardholder.

The problem here is parents allowing their card details to be used, and retained for payment of future transactions on an account they have no control over. One could also say parents being complacent in the misappropriation of funds.

meer53

Whenever you use your card details (or give them to someone else to use) it's YOUR responsibility to check what you're buying and whether the correct amount debits. How did you not notice until £750 had been spent ?

Your comment about "misappropriation of funds" is ridiculous. Your son bought from this company, where is the "misappropriation"

Jules2012

Surely if he has the games he must have downloaded them? Therefore accepted to pay for them whether he had to input a CCV number or not.

stclair

Who do you bank with out of interest?

securityguy

If you need to provide money for a child to spend on-line for arbitrary purposes, get a pre-pay debit card in your name, and then apply for a second card on the same account in your child's name. Put the money your child is allowed to spend on the account. Give them their card. Sorted. Orange Cash works well.

However, you usually don't need to go that far. Most of the online retailers that children are likely to use have a gift-card or gift-voucher scheme, which does not cost anything to use. Getting a couple of pre-pay cards will cost money either up front or per-transaction or both. Amazon/iTunes/Steam/etc vouchers don't carry a cost. They get money in their account to spend, but cannot spend a penny more. You don't need to show them, never mind use against their account, your debit/credit card. It's the right way.

Alternatively, link your credit card to their account. It won't end well, as this thread shows.