Credit card version of the missing dollar riddle

[GS3]

I assume we are all familiar with the missing dollar riddle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_dollar_riddle

I just had a similar real-life situation. I am simplifying the story a lot so it was easier to get confused than it may seem now. But still...

With a credit card I was paying monthly for storage and vacated the storage on the 20th day. They had a security deposit which I had paid in cash some years ago.

I told them to not charge the credit card for the 20 days but just keep the security deposit. They charged the card anyway and argued some contrived reason why the security deposit could not be used to pay the monthly rent.

So I disputed the charge with the credit card. Explaining the situation to the credit card person was like pulling teeth. She just did not get it.

- Me: I had $100 deposit and told them to take the $70 from there but they charged the card which I specifically told them not to do.
- CC: Hmmmm, so what do you want from us?
- Me: I want you to cancel the charge and they still owe me $30 after that.
- CC: Hmmm... OK, I need to talk to them and will get back to you.

It seems difficult to believe this conversation in several variations was repeated over and over and she was still confused.

So, a few days later I get notice from CC that they have "made an adjustment" of $30 in my favor.

Of all possible decisions, this one makes no sense.

I would understand them if they said: Sorry but you did not pay the security deposit with this credit card so the $70 charge is good and it stands and you will have to seek reimbursement for the security deposit by other means. That would make sense to me.

It would also make sense if they said: since they agree they have your security deposit we have decided to cancel the $70 charge and you will have to seek reimbursement of the remaining $30 by other means. That would also make sense to me.

But for the CC to say "we are hereby giving you $30"?? How on earth did they get there?

It is obvious that math knowledge is slipping and people serving fast food cannot add two numbers but you would think someone working at a bank could do a bit better.

The matter is finished and if I would have known what a pain it was going to be and the time I would wait on hold I would never had disputed the charge. But, really, I weep for the future of Western Civilization.

[AZgl1800]

been there, dun that.... as is said in the local vernacular.

It amazes me, that I can hand a clerk an extra 13 cents, so that I get a quarter back in change and the clerk looks at me, dumbfounded
I hate pennies with a passion.

in fact, I just simply do not carry pocket change at all anymore.

I handle everything via the debit, CC, or AMEX cards....
the AMEX is used when I am away from my home territory, and need protection from the register clowns who copy your CC info and then have a spending spree.

with AMEX, they just reverse the charges and all is good.

not so, with Debit cards, they are canceled and you are stranded for two weeks until it is replaced.

that happened to me just last May.

after my trip last May, and my only Debit card being canceled, I opened a 2nd checking account and received a Debit card for that. That is now my card to use for "online purchases" our emergency out of town purchases...
I keep it filled to roughly $200 so that "Gas Buddy" can debit it for our gasoline purchases....

we never use any CC or Debit cards for buying gas anymore.... Gas Buddy is your friend, think of it as your Gas AMEX card.... Gas Buddy emails you for every purchase, a feature that I like. it is near instantaneous.

.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Late last year, my Dr.'s office charged me my copay for a Dr.'s visit twice. When I called them about it, I had a hard time getting them to understand what the problem was. They started to just ignore me so, when I next went to my credit union to swap out my backup drives, I explained the problem to the teller, explaining that they needed to back out the duplicate charge and why, so they filed a dispute. When the charge back finally happened, they backed out both charges. I had to go back and explain, again, that only one charge was in dispute, not both of them.

I've had similar experience as AZgl500 on a rare occasion when I had paid cash for a deposit on a motel room and when getting it back, ditzy desk clerk had trouble understanding why I would give her back the change she had given me when I paid the deposit so I would get back only bills (then again, that entire experience had been one massive FUBAR; I'll never stay at a Holiday Inn after that cluster...).

[francisbaud]

It's the first time I head about the missing dollar riddle. It's interesting to read the explanation on Wikipedia. Tendency to add things that aren't related to each others.

[Moem]

I assume we are all familiar with the missing dollar riddle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_dollar_riddle

Nope. I don't care for math riddles.

[Schultz]

I assume we are all familiar with the missing dollar riddle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_dollar_riddle

I like the following paragraph from this link:

An 1880 misdirection is given as "Barthel sees two boxes at a jeweller's, priced at 100 and 200. He buys the cheaper one and takes it home, where he decides he really prefers the other. He returns to the jeweller and gives him the box back and says that the jeweller already has 100 from him, which together with the returned box, makes 200, which is the cost of the other box. The jeweller accepts this and gives Barthel the other box and Barthel goes on his way. Is this correct?"

That would be one dumb jeweller.

[GS3]

There is a very common scam used "against" store cashiers which works in a similar way and cashiers are explicitly taught to detect it and not fall for it. I forget the exact details but it is similar in that the customer gives the cashier a bill and then changes his mind and gives her something else and the cashier does not realize the scam. (ETA: I believe it is called the "quick change scam".)

People are easily confused.

In my case I have no idea how the credit card decided to give me $30 which is the only thing I was NOT asking for. I guess I should not complain because the most probable answer would have been that I got nothing.

Who knows, maybe the credit card person will say that I scammed her by confusing her by ... using numbers!

[Schultz]

(ETA: I believe it is called the "quick change scam".)

That's it. And the person who does it is called a quick change artist. In my younger years I worked at one the big national pizza chains, and I witnessed this scam in person. The cashier kinda knew she was scammed, at least judging by the look on her face as it was happening and after he left. I wasn't quite sure what was going on as it was happening (I was young and dumb) so I didn't intervene, although I could tell something was up.

[Portreve]

I've recently been listening to The Truth About Lies by Aja Raden, and she brings up the whole cashier-scamming thing.

Excellent book, BTW, and as she reads the audio book version herself, I highly recommend it. I love her voice. Anyhow, I have been listening to it in the car on my way to work (along with others) so it's worth checking out.

Audible is one of the best things to come along since sliced bread.

[AZgl1800]

I've recently been listening to The Truth About Lies by Aja Raden, and she brings up the whole cashier-scamming thing.

Excellent book, BTW, and as she reads the audio book version herself, I highly recommend it. I love her voice. Anyhow, I have been listening to it in the car on my way to work (along with others) so it's worth checking out.

Audible is one of the best things to come along since sliced bread.

My daughter loves Audible.... she has Bluetooth over the ear buds, that allow her to have normal conversation with others while the audio is playing..... Very helpful for her, as she is a Rural Mail carrier.

I, not so much, nearly Deaf with Tinnitus that is ongoing, 24/7/365.
I never have a quiet moment of piece from it, it keeps me awake through the night until I pass out from Exhaustion.

[dorsetUK]

Audible is one of the best things to come along since sliced bread.

Ha - I see your Audible, and raise you Harry the Hat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ea3KtXlk8

One more, just cuz he's fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5kCfBOfbtE

[Portreve]

Audible is one of the best things to come along since sliced bread.

Ha - I see your Audible, and raise you Harry the Hat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ea3KtXlk8

One more, just cuz he's fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5kCfBOfbtE

I had no idea he'd done that. I also didn't know he passed away in 2018. That sucks; he seemed like a decent human being. I also didn't know he had been a practicing magician in real life, and even taught a course on how to detect scams and such.

[dorsetUK]

I had no idea he'd done that. I also didn't know he passed away in 2018. That sucks; he seemed like a decent human being. I also didn't know he had been a practicing magician in real life, and even taught a course on how to detect scams and such.

I didn't know anything about him except that role.

Sad though.