14 May 2005

Computer Woes

If you ever decide to buy a computer online, make sure you phone your bank and have them pre-authorize the transaction on your credit card. I didn't think to do that. Naturally, my card was declined (which would have been very nice, if it was someone other than me trying to use my card). So I phoned the bank, explained things, got transferred to the authorization department and was told by the nice young man that the transaction should go through now. Perhaps I should have been worried that he said "should." Next day, I got another email from Apple saying my card is still being declined. So I phone again (this time I go directly to the authorization department, since I got their number last time). The woman who helped me seemed rather more informed than the young man the last time, and after some rummaging in my file determined that said young man had only noted that I'd phoned to check my balance or something. He did nothing about authorizing the transaction. Now, after much irritation and me thinking that online computer shopping may not be so convenient after all, the transaction should go through (and yes, I am aware I said "should"). If it doesn't work this time, I'm cancelling the stupid thing and going to Compusmart to see if they can bung some more memory in a machine and sell it to me in person. Sheesh!

3 comments:

Rowena Hart said...

Heh - This has happened to me several times. The worst was when I tried to pay tuition online and my card was declined. Another interesting thing about ordering online is when you enter your card number incorrectly. The first time that happened to me the merchant called to get the correct card number. The second time, the merchant simply cancelled my order!

Jonathan said...

Apple? I'm jealous.

Unknown said...

The stupid thing is, I've read about credit card companies declining transactions if you don't pre-authorize, and I still didn't think to do it. But it seems to have gone through now, and my new little machine is due to ship "on or before" the 23rd of this month. Yay! Soon I'll be a Mac person again for real, instead of a Mac person trapped in a PC household. A very poor Mac person, but that's nothing new . . .