My Shopping - But Its Not My Card Thats Been Charged?

JustKeepSwimming_2

Stupidly posted this on the wrong forum originally :wall: So here it is again....

I did my accounts today & noticed some shopping I bought last month still hasn't cleared my account even though it's been 6 weeks. So I had another look at the receipt - and the last 4 digits of the card aren't mine.

Bit baffled since it's definitely my shopping, & the time & date are correct. My shopping was eclectic (reading glasses, string, a certain DVD, balloons & teacakes) so the chances of someone else buying the same stuff around the same time on the same day are minimal. I always have my own shopping bag, so can't have picked up someone else's receipt. The card machine is one you put your own card into, then enter the PIN & remove your card yourself, so I can't see what I could have done wrong there.

All I can think of is that I didn't put my card in properly & the transaction went through on the previous person's card - but that can't be right as the receipt says PIN verified. I can't imagine I wouldn't have tried to input my own PIN, so surely the card reader would then have picked up if my card wasn't in it correctly?

I haven't had a new card in the last few months.

I only have 1 Mastercard & 1 Visa card, & there isn't anyone else in my home that has either type of card. I also don't have some random stranger's card in my wallet :rotfl:

The other receipt I can find was 10 minutes before the weird transaction & its definitely my usual Mastercard.

Its a shop I've used before, part of a national chain, & oddly I remember a transaction not going through my account over a year ago. I use a home accounting programme to track my spending so I enter my spends every few days & then reconcile them when I receive a statement from my bank/credit card. Up until a few months ago there was a transaction from this shop that just never went through my account. Stupidly I chucked the receipt along with all the ones that had cleared my account, & assumed I'd made a mistake in entering it - reasoned I must have paid with cash at the time & not put it on my card at all I don't usually check that the last 4 digits on each receipt are from my card.

I do feel bad for whoever has paid for my shopping (£7) but I'm not sure what to do about it. If I go to the store then I'm worried they'll charge me but not be able to refund the original card holder. The shop have been paid for the products, so they're not out of pocket & I don't want them to be paid for the same products twice without doing anything, which is what I fear may happen. Of course if someone else has gone to the same store saying they've been charged £7 for shopping they didn't have then it may all work out - but I can't help thinking that's a long shot since most people I know (in real life obviously, not on here) don't bother checking their statements & just merrily pay their bills :eek:

I'd like to know how this could have happened in the first place, & whether it can be refunded to the correct card holder before I visit the shop.

Any ideas anyone?

r2015

Could you not have been given the wrong receipt?


i.e. person before you never took their receipt and you got it instead?

JustKeepSwimming_2

r2015 wrote: »

Could you not have been given the wrong receipt?


i.e. person before you never took their receipt and you got it instead?

I don't think so as its an itemised receipt with all my unusual shopping - can't imagine the person before me would have bought exactly the same stuff as that would be too weird.

It also wouldn't explain why no payment had gone through my c/c account.

I've checked my statement & recent transactions & nothing is showing for this store. I go there at least once a month & the payment has always gone through within a few days (as I'd expect) except for the other time mentioned which I'd assumed was my fault.

I'm convinced my shopping had been paid for by someone else's card. But I can't explain how that could happen so hoping someone with more knowledge than me can because I'd always assumed that was impossible.

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

r2015 wrote: »

Could you not have been given the wrong receipt?


i.e. person before you never took their receipt and you got it instead?

Mega-coincidence that the other person bought exactly the same stuff as the OP.

[Deleted User]

r2015 wrote: »

Could you not have been given the wrong receipt?

i.e. person before you never took their receipt and you got it instead?

That's unlikely, given the eclectic nature of the OP's shopping.

I can only think of three possibilities.

1. The CC company has mixed up the accounts, and paid the bill from someone else's account.

2. The money was paid by the CC company, but not debited from your account.

3.The store's system failed to request the payment from the CC company.

If it's Number one, they'll sort it out, if/when the other CC holder complains.

If 2 or 3, I wouldn't bother about it. I'm sure losing £7 won't kill them.

JustKeepSwimming_2

I have a contactless Visa debit card, but sure it isn't my contactless card that's been charged as -

the last 4 digits still don't match those on the receipt
the receipt says its a Mastercard
no payment has gone through my bank account

I never use my contactless card so don't know what would appear on the receipt, but this receipt states PIN entered & PIN verified - does this appear on a contactless card payment receipt?

Am I going bonkers :rotfl:

JustKeepSwimming_2

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

That's unlikely, given the eclectic nature of the OP's shopping.

I can only think of three possibilities.

1. The CC company has mixed up the accounts, and paid the bill from someone else's account.

2. The money was paid by the CC company, but not debited from your account.

3.The store's system failed to request the payment from the CC company.

If it's Number one, they'll sort it out, if/when the other CC holder complains.

If 2 or 3, I wouldn't bother about it. I'm sure losing £7 won't kill them.

Just spoken to my c/c company - who have no idea how it can have happened, but confirm that the payment hasn't gone thorough or isn't pending on my account. They say the only way to sort it out is to go back to the shop & they should be able to trace the original card that has been charged & that the shop can then write to the original person's c/c company & ask the c/c company to get in touch with the poor soul who has paid for my shopping.

What a mess. I have a feeling if I do this then the shop may ask me to pay for the shopping, & if I refuse I'll be in an even bigger mess. I'm happy to pay once the shop have sorted out how its all gone wrong & refunded the other person, but not until then.

I wonder where I stand if I refuse to pay until its sorted - in a police cell possibly :rotfl:

It may only be £7 (of course it could be much more if the same poor soul has paid for everyone's shopping that day but then at least the store will be aware of the problem & I won't sound quite so insane when I go in) but there have been times when £7 has been a great deal of money to me & a sum I couldn't afford to lose, so I want to try & make sure it goes back to the rightful owner.

stator

Let's see a photo of the receipt (but blank out the account digits)

Lorian

£7 is hardly worth the effort. There is very little chance someone else has been charged. are you sure it isn't you current account card?

JustKeepSwimming_2

stator wrote: »

Let's see a photo of the receipt (but blank out the account digits)

Sorry - no idea how to do that & no smart phone or camera that would connect to my laptop even if I did

Is there any specific bit you want to see? I could type it out if so...

JustKeepSwimming_2

Lorian wrote: »

£7 is hardly worth the effort. There is very little chance someone else has been charged. are you sure it isn't you current account card?

Yes I am sure. The last 4 digits aren't from either of my 2 chip&pin cards. My current account card is a Visa & the receipt says Mastercard.

That £7 may be a lot of money to whoever has been charged - I'd be grateful to have it returned if I was wrongly charged for something I didn't buy.

And I'm baffled as to what has happened :huh: