Am I a stickler? OR do you agree with me?

[Roadie]

Personally, I think it is the shop owners discretion.

I will admit that I am annoyed with the current trend of using debit/credit cards for low dollar purchases at convienance stores.

I will also say that, IMHO, you should ALWAYS try and have at least $50 in cash on your person. Cash is KING, not every biz accepts the devils buisness card!

Sorry, this is incorrect. See below.

I have been down this road a few times. Here is the facts.

Master Card and Visa has an agreement with the merchants that state the following.

1. You must accept the card without question as long as it is signed and accepted at the POS. No identification required.

2. There can not be any minimum purchase or other requirements.

3. You can not charge extra for use of the card. (Note: A discount for cash may be offered, but a surcharge for card use is forbidden).

I have had a problem with a specific merchant and written MC about two of those violations. Both times MC has contacted the merchant and corrected the problem.

NOTE: These rules DO NOT apply to Discover Card.

100% accurate. I worked at North American Bancard in Michigan, in tech support. It is indeed a violation of both Visa and Mastercard's contracts to set a minimum charge and/or charge an extra fee. The fine varies by contract, I do believe, however I saw a store in Michigan that continued this policy after being warned. At this point Visa charged them $1000 per complaint, and proven claim, that the store was charging an access fee. The store had 100 complaints. You do the math. Consequently, they lost their Visa contract.

Call your card services department and file a complaint. Then, have fellow INGOers go in there in droves and when turned away for the minimum policy, have THEM complain. The store will get the point REAL quick.

 

[Archbishop]

Sorry, this is incorrect. See below.



100% accurate. I worked at North American Bancard in Michigan, in tech support. It is indeed a violation of both Visa and Mastercard's contracts to set a minimum charge and/or charge an extra fee. The fine varies by contract, I do believe, however I saw a store in Michigan that continued this policy after being warned. At this point Visa charged them $1000 per complaint, and proven claim, that the store was charging an access fee. The store had 100 complaints. You do the math. Consequently, they lost their Visa contract.

Call your card services department and file a complaint. Then, have fellow INGOers go in there in droves and when turned away for the minimum policy, have THEM complain. The store will get the point REAL quick.

I did call and complain on both of them. And I would be curious if they still have these policies in a week or so. Because I travel alo it might be awhile before I get back to either of these stores.

 

[originalhonkey]

what up bishop. get that ammo? im with you man i would be P.off if i made a trip to a gun store to be turned down over a fee. i hope they put the smack down on them. it makes me mad when i go into the private owned smaller gun stores to give them my money instead of going to the big chains and they act like that. i think some of the stores are getting a little arrogant because of the gun boom. they need to remember it wont last forever and then its going to go back to the small few of us regs that are still buying.

 

[Archbishop]

what up bishop. get that ammo? im with you man i would be P.off if i made a trip to a gun store to be turned down over a fee. i hope they put the smack down on them. it makes me mad when i go into the private owned smaller gun stores to give them my money instead of going to the big chains and they act like that. i think some of the stores are getting a little arrogant because of the gun boom. they need to remember it wont last forever and then its going to go back to the small few of us regs that are still buying.

Ya man I left you a phone message I got the ammo. And ya it T'd me off. I know I should carry cash, but then I'd have to to go a bank every so often. Deal with loose change in my pocket etc. I'd rather just carry a debit card and be done with it. Some time remind me honkey, I'll tell you the story on this deal that really took the cake.

 

[Prometheus]

Because of the inherent nature of gun sales (not accessories, but firearm sales), I almost always pay in cash.

Cash is king.

A dealer once had something I wanted... Ah the XDM... He had a great price listed and I didn't want to offend him by trying the usual haggle... so I asks a dealer I'd bought from MANY times in the past: 'how much will paying in CASH knock off that?' or something along those lines his reply? "No, sorry I can't budge on that at all" I replied, If I pay cash it'll save you the 3% over someone else charging it, split the difference and take 10 bucks off? He wouldn't do it, keep in mind between my wife and I we bought a good dozen guns from him that year (it was late December)... It was the first OD XDM in 9 I'd seen in person so I bought it and paid with credit. So it cost him 10 dollars more than it should have to make the sale and my wife and I haven't bought another gun from him since. You could say I left him hanging... if you catch the reference to a guy in central Indiana named after a Florida debacle.

Anyway there was a bit more to it than that. He had an attitude that day and honestly... well whatever, we are blessed to have several other good dealers in the region and I don't mind driving an hour or two for my favorite people and deals.

In any event, I charge people 3% if they want to use paypal... I'm not a business though

 

[Vigilant]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but if you are in business, you HAVE to accept that there are certain costs involved with doing business. IF you want the added business that goes along with credit/debit purchases, then you adjust your price accordingly to cover that. I manage a large ticket item business (average $1000+ per sale) and I will offer cash discounts, I will NOT accept personal or business checks, and the sticker price is the credit/debit price, if you do not agree then do not buy. It is simple, cc/dbt brings in business, accept the cost and drive on. As an aside, AMEX and Discover SUCK as far as the merchant is concerned, higher fees, and they deposit money to your account on THEIR terms in THEIR own sweet time. I don't like it, but I have to absorb it to do business.

 

[Duce]

+1 for Mike and Crackshot guns. While I've not done alot of business there I always felt I was treated fairly.

When I worked in a gun shop the owner had to give a cash price and a CC price. The CC company charged him as high as $4 per transaction. The Wally Worlds ect. just pay a straight percentage.................So how would you feel about someone handing you plastice for a .99 cent item and the CC company hitting you with a $4 service charge?????.................Funny how the CC companies can charge you as high as 20 some % on an unpayed balance, plus charge a merchant to accept their cards..............great job if you can find it.................<>< Duce