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Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

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Funk-O-Meter
Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

It took three days but it fell off. Ridiculous! I really believe there should be legislation that requires merchants to display notice for any pre-auths. It's apparent you just can't let the CC Co's and the merchants regulate it. Stuff like this happens. Not to mention when restaurants and bars pre auth cards without telling customers. They have no way of knowing if it's a check card or not and you have no way of knowing if they're gonna pre auth and that can make you overdraft big time. Or worse. At least I had a healthy CL but if not this could have really ruined my week. I haven't had the chance to go give them the what for but honestly I don't know if half the people that work there would understand what I was going on about anyway.

 

 

Message 11 of 38
Obt3wKLq5t
New Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

Got this happened to me couple of weeks ago on an authorized user's account.  Had to call the user immediately to find out what is going on.

American Express SPG, Chase Freedom, Citi Forward, Citi Dividend World Elite, Discover More, Penfed Platinum Rewards, Kohls
Message 12 of 38
FrugalRican
Blogger

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

It gets done to me for $125.

I'd only be concerned if my CL were 125.

 

Otherwise, it just rolls off in a day or two.

Follow my financial journey: http://www.frugalrican.com


EQ FICO (01/16/2012): 656 - EQ FICO (02/16/2012): 743 - EQ (02/24/2012): 760 - EX (04/28/2012): 739 - GOAL 2013: 800+

AMEX BCE (0/10K) --- BOA 1-2-3 (0/15.9K) --- Discover More (0/6K) --- Chase Freedom Visa (0/1.4K) -- Hyatt Visa Sign. (0/5.8K) -- Barclay's NFL Card (0/7.5K) -- Chase Sapphire Preferred (0/5K)

Message 13 of 38
Scene
Regular Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

IT'S A PRE-AUTH PEOPLE, this may affect people that use debit cards but if you use a credit card it doesn't even factor into your CL. For American Express users the pre-charge is listed under "PENDING CHARGES." Wow you people are basically scared of a charge that never happened.

 

Given the price of gas it's very common in certain areas to pre-auth that much, esp if it is near an interstate or highway (commercial vehicles and the like).

Message 14 of 38
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

I realize it a gas station thing and most gas stations are privatly owned so I would make sure to write a complaint form or letter or just go in and try to speak with the manager to give them a piece of my mind, but tha'ts just me.  500 bucks is a little rediculas.

Message 15 of 38
Watchmann
Valued Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!


@Funk-O-Meter wrote:

It took three days but it fell off. Ridiculous! I really believe there should be legislation that requires merchants to display notice for any pre-auths. It's apparent you just can't let the CC Co's and the merchants regulate it. Stuff like this happens. Not to mention when restaurants and bars pre auth cards without telling customers. They have no way of knowing if it's a check card or not and you have no way of knowing if they're gonna pre auth and that can make you overdraft big time. Or worse. At least I had a healthy CL but if not this could have really ruined my week. I haven't had the chance to go give them the what for but honestly I don't know if half the people that work there would understand what I was going on about anyway.

 

 


NO!!!!  We don't need more legislation in these matters.  Our fine friends in DC have messed up this whole credit situation over the last few years.  No more legislation, please.  They cannot fix these sorts of issues without causing a dozen more.

 

We all know pre-auth occur .... that's the way it is.  $500 is high, so don't use the card there again.  $100 is reasonable as prices were heading to $5/gal.  This is why a gas card is handy......it's a one use card and easier to manage.  Bars pre-auth all the time so they don't get stuck.  Ditto rental car cos. and hotels.  They normally drop off after a couple of days.  It's the world we live in.

Message 16 of 38
Uborrow-Upay
Valued Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!


Watchmann wrote:    NO!!!!  We don't need more legislation in these matters.  Our fine friends in DC have messed up this whole credit situation over the last few years.  No more legislation, please.  They cannot fix these sorts of issues without causing a dozen more.
Thank you, Watchmann!   You've saved me from writing a diatribe about federal interference.
(I read the "there should be legislation" post and d*mn near freaked). 

 

 

Message 17 of 38
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

$500? That's crazy! I haven't bought gas with my Amex card, but every card I've ever used (credit and debit cards alike) seem to just pre-auth for $1, regardless of the gas station I use. I'd almost rather have them pre-authorize for $30-50 so it would be more in line with the actual charge.

Message 18 of 38
Funk-O-Meter
Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

Well yea it's no big deal at all if you've got pleanty of available credit but I had just got back from traveling. I've been rebuilding my credit and I only had a few k worth of avaialble credit on my cards. I really had to do the math and keep track of what hotel was pre authing for what so Id have enough room for everything. I had about grand worth of pre-authes over the week and a half of traveling. I wasn't planing on maxing out the cards just using them for the perks (rental insurance, travel insurance, points, etc.) When I got back I was at bout 60% utilization. Had that occured a week before when I was 3 states away and tied up $500 of available credit I may have had a real problem. I'm sure I may have been able to call AMEX and they would have helped me out but what a hastle it would have been to be declined at the next hotel or has station or restaurant or what have you and stress out on a well planned well needed vacation over something as rediculous. Ass-hatery I say!

 

I've not been back there since. The owner is an @#$%&* anyway. I've seen him be really rude to people. I had done my best to avoid the place anyway but after that it took me a lot of patience not to go give them the "what for."

Message 19 of 38
mikka1
Frequent Contributor

Re: Gas station just pre-authed my AMEX for $500!

What I don't really understand is that a couple of days ago I tried to pay for the gas with my Amex BCE and it didn't go through. Apparently, as I discovered a day later, Amex put a security hold on my account because of $100 that the station tried to pre-auth. But what surprises me most is that my BofA Visa that I used instead has been pre-authed for $1 only at the same pump!

I have not yet tried with Discover, but it looks like there's a particular issue with Amex at gas stations. I might be wrong though and it might have some different story behind it. 

In my wallet now: Amex PRG NPSL, Amex BCE $15k $17k (thanks to recent CLI), Chase Freedom 11k, CSP $6k, Chase United ME $5k, Citi Dividend $5.6k, Discover It $4.5k and a handful of other cards...
TU Dec 2013 - 752Sep 2013 - 764 - new all time maximum

Obsolete data aboveCurrent TU - probably around ~810, only using a few Chase & BofA cards now, not applying for much until we buy a house
Message 20 of 38
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