Currys storing my credit card details

Notjustamum_2

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes...

In January my husband and I went into a PC World store and bought a computer part, he paid partly with gift vouchers and partly with a joint credit card, at no point were we asked for e-mail address or anything like that. Two days later I got an email from Currys PC World thanking me for visiting one of their stores and hoping that I had a good experience. The only way they could have connected the purchase to ME was the use of the credit card - so they have credit card details stored along with my email address! Doesn't sound a good idea to me. I contacted them by email, I had a call back in the middle of a church service (fortunately phone on silent) on a Sunday morning and asked to be called back at a more convenient time. I then got a further email saying that as the telephone number I had given wasn't working they would file my complaint.

This weekend we went into a Currys store and bought an HDMI cable. Today I received an email again thanking me for my visit etc. Again I had given no personal details, I simply used our joint credit card.

As I am not at work today I telephoned Currys who assure me that this is impossible and that they don't even have an email address for me on record! Despite the fact that I have received emails from them!

They are obviously storing credit card details somehow, fortunately MY email address is not the one that the bank have as contact for the credit card so the information (hopefully) won't help fraudsters but I am still a little concerned. Has anyone else any experience of this?

grumbler

Many companies store card details along with other personal details.
Amazon for starters.

Some companies allow making online purchases as a 'guest', but most insist on creating an account.

eskbanker

Notjustamum wrote: »

They are obviously storing credit card details somehow, fortunately MY email address is not the one that the bank have as contact for the credit card so the information (hopefully) won't help fraudsters but I am still a little concerned. Has anyone else any experience of this?

If your email address isn't associated with the credit card then how can you conclude that receipt of an email means they're storing credit card details?

Is it possible that the gift vouchers were bought or sent online perhaps?

There's no such thing as a joint credit card by the way, any CC account is always owned by one individual even if a second card is issued to someone else.

grumbler

eskbanker wrote: »

If your email address isn't associated with the credit card then how can you conclude that receipt of an email means they're storing credit card details?

From the fact that a e-mail to this address was sent after this card was used to pay in a store?

Notjustamum_2

eskbanker wrote: »

If your email address isn't associated with the credit card then how can you conclude that receipt of an email means they're storing credit card details?

Is it possible that the gift vouchers were bought or sent online perhaps?

There's no such thing as a joint credit card by the way, any CC account is always owned by one individual even if a second card is issued to someone else.

The gift vouchers were bought my someone else for my brother, I bought them from him for cash! The only way they could know who was in store would be through the credit card (no vouchers used on the purchase at the weekend). They MUST have my email address stored with my credit card...perhaps from an historical purchase of something that WOULD need further information such as a television.... And okay so we refer to it as a joint credit card as we have two cards both with the same number but with different names.....

Notjustamum_2

grumbler wrote: »

Many companies store card details along with other personal details.
Amazon for starters.

Some companies allow making online purchases as a 'guest', but most insist on creating an account.

But you can opt to not have your card details stored. That's what I do. I know it means that I have to enter my payment details each time I shop with Amazon (and others) but my card details are NOT stored on the account.

These purchases with Currys PC World were in store purchases not online and customer services today said they have no record of me ever buying anything online from them.

grumbler

Notjustamum wrote: »

But you can opt to not have your card details stored. That's what I do. I know it means that I have to enter my payment details each time I shop with Amazon (and others) but my card details are NOT stored on the account.

I don't think that all companies offer this option. Usually I opt out too, but have my card details stored by Amazon regardless - I guess because there was no such option there.

These purchases with Currys PC World were in store purchases not online and customer services today said they have no record of me ever buying anything online from them.

Well, I think both you and the CS are mistaken as I don't see any other possible explanation for the e-mail.

20aday

OP I assume you didn't reserve the goods online?

That's one of the ways I could only envisage you receiving email communications from them (even it's based on a purchase in the past).

Notjustamum_2

20aday wrote: »

OP I assume you didn't reserve the goods online?

That's one of the ways I could only envisage you receiving email communications from them (even it's based on a purchase in the past).

No I didn't. It's possible that I have reserved goods online in the past but that doesn't give them the right to store my credit card details without my permission. What if my husband had bought me a gift (what woman wouldn't appreciate a shiny new iron) as a surprise? It wouldn't be a surprise now as they have emailed me and told me that the credit card has been used in one of their stores.

Customer services are now claiming that it just isn't possible unless it is a system set up by the individual store manager! As there were two different stores I find that unlikely AND worrying that they think it possible for a local store manager to access card details which are supposed to be encrypted at point of sale.

grumbler

Notjustamum wrote: »

....that doesn't give them the right to store my credit card details without my permission.

They don't need your permission for this.
Did you not ever notice that refunds normally have to be processed to the same card that was used to pay for the purchase? Yesterday I returned an item to Tesco (Direct) and they didn't even need the card to process the refund.

p00hsticks

The only card details that merchants are forbidden to store is the CVV (card verification value) - the three digit number on the back of the card that is used to verify 'customer not present' transactions