XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.books   
   From: lcraver@home.ca   
      
   On Thu, 22 Aug 2013 20:01:27 +0000 (UTC), tmcd@panix.com (Tim   
   McDaniel) wrote:   
      
   >In article ,   
   >Tim McDaniel  wrote:   
   >>Were I to proffer cash, cheque, debit card, or credit card, which   
   >>would you prefer?  (I wish I could get a US answer, to benefit local   
   >>merchants whom I like and to shaft stores that I dont',   
   >   
   >I asked the owner of a local Chinese restaurant.  She immediately said   
   >"Cash".  I mentioned the time needed to count it.  She replied, "The   
   >register does that."   
   >   
   >She mentioned a fee of 35 cents every time a debit or credit card is   
   >swiped, plus a percentage (I forget the exact number -- 2%ish?) of the   
   >amount.  But if the credit-card number is hand-entered, it's $1 -- the   
   >credit-card company sees an extra chance of fraud for over-the-phone   
   >orders.  And if that charge is disputed, it's the merchant who is out   
   >the money.  Hence her charging a delivery fee, and if they instead   
   >order for take-out (take-away?), she refuses to accept the credit-card   
   >number over the phone but requires them to bring payment.   
      
   Funny - I would have thought the main cost in offering delivery was   
   the cost of fuel and the vehicle used to make the delivery.   
      
   As for disputed credit card charges, I don't recall ever seeing a   
   merchant 'victory' in these with the only ones I've ever 'won' being   
   in the nature of convincing the credit card company that they   
   shouldn't reverse the charge BECAUSE I AS A MERCHANT HAD ALREADY TAKEN   
   CARE OF IT FOR THE CUSTOMER AND WOULD NOT APPRECIATE THEM CREDITTING   
   THE CUSTOMER A SECOND TIME (!)   
      
   I have ground my teeth several times at customers who thought the   
   right way to deal with a matter of this nature was to dispute the   
   charge with the bank first and talk to me afterwards. I don't remember   
   the last time there was a problem with an in-store (as opposed to a   
   mail order sale) that we couldn't resolve on the spot ... and I really   
   really have to struggle to be polite when the customer says 'I'm   
   really sorry to have to tell you this but it's already been disputed   
   with the bank...' as in that case I always reprint the invoice and get   
   the customer to sign it saying 'credit received' and when I contact   
   VISA or MasterCard telling them what has happened and saying 'by the   
   way, I've got a signed invoice from the customer acknowledging he/she   
   has already received their credit'.   
      
   This has only happened 4 or 5 times in the last 2 years but it's still   
   incredibly annoying when it does. As I say - I don't recall the last   
   time I had one that wasn't resolvable at the till.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)