What would you have done?

happyandcontented

JReacher1 wrote: »

There is no difference between giving your card number over the phone to the pub than giving it to any other retailer. I must give out my card number to hotels, event bookings, restaurant deposit bookings at least 5/6 times a month.

In the very unlucky scenario that they do something fraudulent you know who has committed the offence.

I wouldn't be that happy about writing my card details out and leaving them but not giving the details over the phone is being unnecessarily difficult.

These reputable retailers you're happy to give card numbers to still only pay barely minimum wage to their staff so there is more chance of that staff member writing the card down than this pub manager.

It was the very fact that they asked me to do that which rang alarm bells as to the way they handle sensitive information.

They were being unnecessarily difficult by not accepting a cheue which was already written and signed and being held out to them, in order to resolve a situation not of our making.

happyandcontented

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

I would have asked the friends who live nearby to give their number so they can call in and pay when they're told the system is up and running again.

The management should have told you they wouldn't accept a cheque, then you could have chosen to stop ordering at that point and leave (shouldn't be obliged to pay for what you'd had before that point if the manager won't accept your legal offer of payment).

That's the problem with food or a haircut etc - you have received it and cannot give it back, whereas you could just abandon shopping.

They don't live nearby, we had been at an overnight event with them and were travelling back to their home to stay with them for a few days. This was just a lunch stop en route.

hollydays

Yes , I'd have given them no option-here's the cheque-take it or leave it.
What are they going to do! Although, I never carry cheque book any more.

Poppie68

The manual imprinters are no good for most of today's credit/debit cards, the numbers are generally too flat....Would banks still process them anyway?
You could ask them for their banking details and go into your bank and pay it over the counter maybe?

JReacher1

happyandcontented wrote: »

It was the very fact that they asked me to do that which rang alarm bells as to the way they handle sensitive information.

They were being unnecessarily difficult by not accepting a cheue which was already written and signed and being held out to them, in order to resolve a situation not of our making.

They don't accept cheques. That's not being difficult it's just how they operate.

Asking you to phone up and pay over the phone is a reasonable suggestion. I don't see what your problem with doing that is.

You're basically accusing this place of being criminal! I can't help but feel that's slightly unfair as nothing they have done has warranted that!

ThumbRemote

JReacher1 wrote: »

You're basically accusing this place of being criminal! I can't help but feel that's slightly unfair as nothing they have done has warranted that!

Could you let me have your card details, including security number? Send it me in a PM, thanks.

After all, you know as much about me as the OP knows about the staff member. And if you don't send it me, you're basically accusing me of being criminal.

hollydays

My window cleaner can take a cheque, so why can't the pub.

JReacher1

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Could you let me have your card details, including security number? Send it me in a PM, thanks.

After all, you know as much about me as the OP knows about the staff member. And if you don't send it me, you're basically accusing me of being criminal.

If you invite me to your house, cook me a three course meal (with drinks) then I will happily provide those details.

Feral_Moon

Poppie68 wrote: »

The manual imprinters are no good for most of today's credit/debit cards, the numbers are generally too flat....Would banks still process them anyway?
You could ask them for their banking details and go into your bank and pay it over the counter maybe?

Yes, they do. Just a month ago I was at an event that had a merchandise stall which accepted card payments using the old swipe/print machine as there was no live terminal facility. Anyone accepting card payments should have one as a backup device. They always used to.

JReacher1

hollydays wrote: »

My window cleaner can take a cheque, so why can't the pub.

The OP has said that the pub was in the "wilds" that sounds very rural. They therefore may not have the opportunity to go to a bank very often to cash the cheque.

It depends how much cash they take.