Credit card fraud... but not what you think.

[mikieb]

I have an American Express card that I use on occasion and to pay my Netflix monthly fee.

Last month, the payment was due by Friday May the 5th.

I mailed (the payment by check) from my house in Wisconsin to the payment center in Carrol Stream Il on Thursday April 27th. With first class mail, it should have been in Carroll Stream by Saturday.... Monday May 1st at the latest.

American Express credited my account with the payment on Sunday May 7th. The check was cleared at my bank on Monday May 8th. I do not have a copy of the check from the bank yet.

Friday I got my current statement for this month... and it had a $29 late fee and $4.29 for interest because they didn't prosses my payment and credit my account the day of receipt.

I was wondering if you think this happened because of US mail ? Lac of staff to prosses paper payments on a timely basis... or, did they prosses it timey like the have done for the last 15 years, and just tweeked their computer to credit me for payment 2 days late on a Sunday ?

How many other people did they do this to ? How may other fraud victims are there.... I did not pay this late.

 

[cedahm]

I mailed (the payment by check)

this is the issue. Sending a physical check in the year 2023 is analagous to sending a money order or a horseback courier. Amex offers a number of faster, more secure and auditable payment options (via their website, their iOS/Android apps, even ACH payments or e-checks via phone).

How many other people did they do this to ? How may other fraud victims are there.... I did not pay this late.

Likely very few. electronic payment is the standard that most merchants (and nearly all credit card issuers) operate to. Physical checks and cash are in the substantial minority of payment options for most fees. They require substantial additional effort for all parties, namely the creditor (largely due to their accelerating rarity)

 

[Dave N]

Stop mailing checks.

 

[mikieb]

Stop mailing checks.

I can't.... too old school....

 

[Corn king 60]

I can't.... too old school....

Same

 

[ccc23454]

I can't.... too old school....

Then pay the tax for it...

 

[Tradewind]

this is the issue. Sending a physical check in the year 2023 is analagous to sending a money order or a horseback courier. Amex offers a number of faster, more secure and auditable payment options (via their website, their iOS/Android apps, even ACH payments or e-checks via phone).

Likely very few. electronic payment is the standard that most merchants (and nearly all credit card issuers) operate to. Physical checks and cash are in the substantial minority of payment options for most fees. They require substantial additional effort for all parties, namely the creditor (largely due to their accelerating rarity)

It's ALL secure...until is isnt

 

[Tradewind]

It's ALL secure...until is isnt

I sent a check across a metropolitan area. A 20 minute drive. It got there 5 days later.
No tellin these days w/ the postal service

 

[Wildabeest]

Call them. They will likely waive the penalty and interest.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I have my credit card on auto-pay from my checking account. I've never paid interest on a credit card.

I do have a text sent automatically to me every time the credit card is charged.

 

[longbow51]

Well, here's a credit card story. Watch college football on Youtube TV, cancelled after the playoffs. They kept charging. Submitted cancellation again. Asked for refund. Nothing. Still charging. And good luck trying to talk to a person at Google.

Finally asked for a new credit card so they couldn't keep charging and disputed the charge.

Not much money, but yeah, oh-so-secure until it isn't.

 

[Islander]

Well, here's a credit card story. Watch college football on Youtube TV, cancelled after the playoffs. They kept charging. Submitted cancellation again. Asked for refund. Nothing. Still charging. And good luck trying to talk to a person at Google.

Finally asked for a new credit card so they couldn't keep charging and disputed the charge.

Not much money, but yeah, oh-so-secure until it isn't.

Next stop if vender doesn't do the right thing is a call to your ccard company to dispute the charges. 99.99% of the time, you get all your money back.

 

[more_cowbell]

A month or two ago I talked to a long time USPS employee about mail times, who said their location was 5 positions short, and overtime either wasn’t allowed, or was frowned upon. So mail piles up in the back room. They also mentioned it’s tough hiring qualified people right now.

I always get nervous with online payment via automatic monthly debit card or ach pmt in part because that info is stored online and theoretically vulnerable to cyber breaches. Of course these days people buy st into the blue Mail Drop boxes to steal mail.

 

[thusby]

Call them. They will likely waive the penalty and interest.

Yup, they can typically waive late fees twice per year if you make a stink about it.

 

[MtsPSU]

I have an American Express card that I use on occasion and to pay my Netflix monthly fee.

Last month, the payment was due by Friday May the 5th.

I mailed (the payment by check) from my house in Wisconsin to the payment center in Carrol Stream Il on Thursday April 27th. With first class mail, it should have been in Carroll Stream by Saturday.... Monday May 1st at the latest.

American Express credited my account with the payment on Sunday May 7th. The check was cleared at my bank on Monday May 8th. I do not have a copy of the check from the bank yet.

Friday I got my current statement for this month... and it had a $29 late fee and $4.29 for interest because they didn't prosses my payment and credit my account the day of receipt.

I was wondering if you think this happened because of US mail ? Lac of staff to prosses paper payments on a timely basis... or, did they prosses it timey like the have done for the last 15 years, and just tweeked their computer to credit me for payment 2 days late on a Sunday ?

How many other people did they do this to ? How may other fraud victims are there.... I did not pay this late.

Like others have said, call them and they will waive the fees. Afterwards, migrate to electronic payments through your bank or credit union.

Cheers!

 

[longbow51]

Next stop if vender doesn't do the right thing is a call to your ccard company to dispute the charges. 99.99% of the time, you get all your money back.

As in my post, already done.

 

[mikieb]

I pulled the last 4 statements. I always mail my payments on Thursdays. And the payments have been credited to my account by Monday every time. None of the 4 went past Monday. And one of the 4 was credited on Saturday.

I'm gonna call on Monday and squeek.... I went ahead and canceled my Netflix so there will be no more reoccurring charges after this month and I can just take the card and toss it in a folder in the back of the gun safe and not use it for anything, so they will not be able to do it to me again for quite a while.

 

[Dave N]

Or you could just mail the payment when you get the statement.

 

[longbow51]

One of the things my wife thought of is to pay for subscriptions with gift cards, which we will do with Youtube TV for college FB season. No new cards, no fake charges.

 

[Southern Elk]

I can't.... too old school....

Paying over the phone is easy and basically the same as using a check. You enter your routing number and account number.