Money Moral Dilemma: Should I have refused to pay again for my shopping?

MSE_Sarah · 14 January 2020 at 3:48PM

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I paid for lunch at a supermarket self-service till by scanning its payment app, so it automatically charges my credit card and awards me loyalty points. I got the usual instant notifications (from that app and my credit card app) that the payment went through - but the till said it didn't. I alerted staff who insisted I pay again and told me I'd get an automatic refund if there was a double charge. I paid again, but should I have kicked up more of a fuss?

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General_Grant · 14 January 2020 at 3:58PM

Is that a MORAL dilemma?

It would depend on how much I trusted the supermarket staff, which wouldn't be very highly in this case as if it went through twice they could say it was two meals you had paid for and not give a refund, certainly not automatically.

VfM4meplse · 14 January 2020 at 4:21PM

I'd like to know if the refund actually materialised? And which supermarket?

MacMickster · 14 January 2020 at 9:59PM

Pay a proper assistant at a proper till with cash.

Keep someone in a job, get a little bit of human interaction and no doubts about whether you've paid. No having to rely on fallible technology.

Simples!

pickledonionspaceraider · 14 January 2020 at 10:16PM

Oh whatevs

Stevia · 14 January 2020 at 10:29PM

This happened to me just before Christmas in Asda and I had bought a lot of stuff. I had no choice but to pay twice. I spoke with both asda HO and my bank, nothing either could do as it was a fault with the till! I did get a refund after two weeks. Apparently it happens often!!!&#55357;&#56900;

shirley999 · 14 January 2020 at 11:09PM

I was chased out of Frankie and Benny’s after paying on their app and like you ended up paying twice. I ended up with a £30 goodwill gesture for the embarrassment caused and never saw the staff member involved again.

PennyPinch · 14 January 2020 at 11:15PM

I paid with card and pin but the real life checkout person told me because we were too busy interacting that I'd removed my card too soon and the payment failed so I had to do it again. Sure enough when statement checked I found two identical payments. Bank said talk to shop. I had to make purpose trip to shop to talk to them as no one answering phone. They said my bank will return it automatically when they realise. Happened on a Friday eve and money not returned until following Friday am. Not happy with the way ASDA dealt with it. Did complain but just wasted more of my time. For some people it could have made them overdrawn.

Bowmill · 14 January 2020 at 11:29PM

When you put in your pin to pay for anything, the card machine gets in touch with the bank to process the payment. Sometimes the connection is lost. Card taken out too soon for instance. The money has been allocated to the retailer by the bank but the retailer's processing company has not received a valid authorisation number. The till shows the transaction as still to be paid. You then do it all again and the transaction is paid. The bank put the first lot of money into a pending account and eventually (7 -10 working days) the money drops back into the customer's account.

Hope this helps people understand what goes on. Xx

harrycrac · 14 January 2020 at 11:39PM

Same happened to me recently using an on line account debit card, payment went through and got an alert on phone to say transaction completed. However the card terminal would not display completed transaction, well that’s what the assistant told me. I had to pay again, the transactions were 3 minutes apart and it took two weeks to get my refund. I should of asked for a void transaction slip at time of transaction and stood my ground. I will next time.

REJP · 15 January 2020 at 12:05AM

No, their faulty machine was to blame. I would have asked to speak with the manager, showed the approved statement on the app, and walked out. And never used their cafe again.

Money Moral Dilemma: Should I have refused to pay again for my shopping?

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