FURIOUS

[lpayton]

Last night while trying to pay $19.95 to update my TU score, since SW hasn't given me any updates in 3 weeks...I was given an error message at the time of the purchase.  It stated "If you used a credit card for this purchase it was not charged" I tried several times (4 to be exact).  Got the same error message each time.

Imagine my surprise when I check my account this morning and see 4 pending transactions in my checking account from MyFico.  I called and was told by a dismissive, rude woman that "It is only a pre-authorization, not an actual charge.  The funds will be released back to you in 7-10 business days."  That's great.  So for 7-10 business days I don't have access to $80 OF MY MONEY...if it would have told be it was charging my account (whether pre-authorizing, or actually debiting) when I was getting the error message i wouldn't have tried multiple times.  This woman was actually being rude to me, and arguing with me that the funds shouldn't be taken out of my available balance (which it is..) and then told me it is ME FINANCIAL INSTITUTION'S FAULT AND TO CALL THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The forums are amazing...customer service is another story and I am not impressed nor will I continue to tell my friends about the services offered here...I will however tell them about the awful people at the other end of the 1800 number.

[Lel]

Ugh, the preauthorization thing.  I had a similar problem with a car rental company about 6 months ago.

The problem with preauthorizations is that there's no way for the a company (like FICO) to "pull back" the preauthorization once it has been submitted.  Eventually, it does disappear, but it does count against one's credit limit until it clears.  IME, however, any pending amounts on one's online statement due to preauthorizations do not get reported to the the credit bureaus, so it doesn't affect utilization.

Did the customer service rep give any insight about what the error message was all about?  Was it because of something on the FICO side (e.g. inability to verify identity) or was it a problem with your CC company?

[lpayton]

It was my visa/debit attached to my checking account..which is even worse because it is taking $ out of my everyday living fund, bills, grocery etc.  I have been spending every extra dollar to my name to pay off old debts...so $80 frozen for the next week is a hit.  Hopefully it releases sooner.

As far as the error goes, they do not know why.  I guess I could have dealt with it in a calmer fashion, but the CSR was just SO RUDE...and dismissive.  And then when I wanted to cancel my SW she told me I can't because the 3 months hasnt passed.

When I was getting the error messages, it said "if you used a credit card, it has not been charged".  Mis-leading I would say.  If I knew it was charging, I wouldn't have tried 4 times.  That was why I was upset and got even more upset when she said it was my bank's fault.   Whatever, I am over it.

[llecs]

---

@lpayton wrote:

It was my visa/debit attached to my checking account..which is even worse because it is taking $ out of my everyday living fund, bills, grocery etc.  I have been spending every extra dollar to my name to pay off old debts...so $80 frozen for the next week is a hit.  Hopefully it releases sooner.

As far as the error goes, they do not know why.  I guess I could have dealt with it in a calmer fashion, but the CSR was just SO RUDE...and dismissive.  And then when I wanted to cancel my SW she told me I can't because the 3 months hasnt passed.

When I was getting the error messages, it said "if you used a credit card, it has not been charged".  Mis-leading I would say.  If I knew it was charging, I wouldn't have tried 4 times.  That was why I was upset and got even more upset when she said it was my bank's fault.   Whatever, I am over it.

---

I've never had the pleasure to talk to a CSR, and I agree the pre-authorizations are annoying, but I'd bet that it will not take 7-10 days. Many of my purchases like for hotels, car rentals, gas, online purchases outside myFICO, etc., all or mostly have pre-authorizations and I've found that the holds typically release in 1-2-3 days tops. Keep us posted just in case any of us go through the same.

I think Hauling or another poster stressed this on another post, but TransUnion FICO and ScoreWatch are two totally different things. What happened with the TU FICO purchase is unrelated to ScoreWatch because SW pulls EQ and not TU.

I don't know if it was followed up, but a number of things could have resulted in the lack of a TU report. Pull a copy of TU from somewhere and look through it. Make sure you have at least one open and actively reporting (w/in the past 6 months) TL. Make sure that TL doesn't say in dispute. And make sure you are not dead (no joke...there are cases in here where a person is marked as deceased by the CRAs or in some cases, that person shares an account with a deceased person which the CRAs carry over and they see you as deceased). Lacking an undisputed, open TL that has reported in the last 6 months will result in that error message in not getting your TU FICO report since these are the minimum requirements for a score. Sound slike your EQ report is AOK since oyu are able to subscribe to SW.

[lpayton]

Thanks llecs...as usual your advice it always helpful and welcomed.    I am much, much calmer than I was this morning...lol