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From: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Barry Gold)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: ? signing credit card slip without amount ?
Message-ID: <932@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Mar-84 14:37:16 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.932
Posted: Wed Mar 21 14:37:16 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Mar-84 21:01:47 EST
References: <873@cvl.UUCP> <368@ut-ngp.UUCP> <217@opus.UUCP>
Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Barry Gold)
Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica
Lines: 24

Companies that ask you to sign a credit card slip without an amount JUST
PLAIN AREN'T DOING IT RIGHT!

The right way to use a credit card as a deposit (as done by most hotels)
is to take an impression of the credit card on a blank credit slip (which
you DON'T sign) and attach the slip to the registration form (which you DO
sign).  They then have a credit card impression to back up their claim if
you skip, but no signature to use for unauthorized charges.

If a merchant asks you to sign a blank credit card slip, I suggest you
	1) get his merchant number off the slip
	2) get the authorization number (they usually get one for purchases
	   large enough to need a credit card deposit)
	3) dig out your credit card company's complaint number (you DO
	   carry that, don't you?)
	4) Use the merchant's phone (or a public phone if they're being
	   difficult) to call your credit card company and report this
	   practice.  I bet Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, etc. would like to
	   stamp out this sort of thing, as it can involve them with
	   endless hassles under the various federal consumer credit laws.
-- 
		Barry Gold
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