HW:Ticketmaster & Visa

[Paul Mather]

On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, Ted Jackson jr. wrote:

=> I'm not sure how using a debit card would be a problem for dispute
=> resolution.  There is still a transaction record.  You mean getting your
=> money back?  Could be a problem there, I guess...

Yeah, I meant getting your money back.  With a credit card, you can
dispute the bill, and even decline payment if you believe the goods were
not of advertised quality, or the company sent you duff merchandise and
were being ornery about it.  You can get the credit card company to go
to bat for you in resolving problems like that.  With a debit card, you
are at an instant disadvantage because the company debits your account
first.  They *have* your money, and so getting it back is harder than
not paying it in the first place, should problems arise.

=> The way to do it [or so I'm told by a friend who does a lot of internet
=> buying] is to have an account just for this purpose, not tied to your
=> regular bank account.  Then maintain a balance just for purchasing.
=> When inactive, keep just a couple of dollars in the account
=> [obviously, some banks won't like this and will likely charge you a
=> service fee].  When you want to use the card for purchases, simply
=> find out what the cost is, and put the appropriate amount in the
=> account...

I had a lot of hassle in the US finding a no-annual-fee debit card.  The
sad thing is that by the time I found a bank that would do one without
having me maintain a ridiculous minimum balance to avoid a monthly fee,
I decided to switch to using a credit card instead. :-)

=> To be honest, I never use my debit card for internet buying, but the
=> original poster was averse to using a credit card...

But, IMHO, a debit card is a worse option.

=> Laws vary, but in most states, you're liable only for the first 50 dollars
=> of fraudulent use, so the credit limit approach isn't necessary.  But
=> make sure you know the local laws!

I'm not sure, but it may be the first $50 of each transaction.  (I'd
have to read the fine print.)  So, a low credit limit would still
protect you from someone going on a spending spree with your card
number and buying several things in different places.

Personally, I like paying with cheque when ordering from Cellsum,
because then you get Al's autograph when you get your cheques back from
the bank. ;-)

Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

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