Please read this letter in its entirety. I believe I have encountered fraud, I have to tell what I have learned before my suspicions are clear...
On Easter Sunday, I made a $75 purchase from a popular Tourist stop called the Second Floor Mexican Market, (upstairs from La Tienda, 123 Alamo Plaza, downtown across from Rivercenter Mall and a couple of blocks from the Alamo). According to my bank statement, on the 19th of April the charge showed up on my account. I expected the first charge, but I did not expect the charge to show up again on my account on April 27th, eight days later. I was unable to find a phone listing for this store. I called my bank, and was told that it was no accident, it was charged twice... And the bank was not provided with a phone contact for the merchant either. On the 8th of May, I made my way back downtown so that I could talk to someone at the store. The girl working that day, Sandy, is just an employee and could not do anything for me, other than make the owner aware of my complaint. I understand that, but I do not understand how there is no phone number for the store or any other way I could have been given to contact the owner or manager, not even their name (s).
I gave them all of my contact information and waited. On May 12th, I was called by Aurelia Gonzales who told me she handles payroll for "John", and that she was the person who took my Debit Card for the purchase. She insists that their records show that my card was only charged on the 19th, and that I was wrong. I asked if I could fax my bank statement as proof ~ but they have no fax machine, or phone line for that matter. I again requested contact information so that I did not have to go downtown again to show them my records. But no, they cannot be contacted at all other than physically in the store. Today, May 14th, I made another trip to the store to provide proof and was told by the worker on duty, Maria Gomez, that the owner was expected in an hour or so.
I left with my family to get something to eat, then we returned about an hour and a half later. Ms. Gomez then tells me he has not showed up and that she cannot guarantee that he will. So I tell her that I am going to leave papers with her and she must sign for them. She said I could not leave them (so, what are my options?). She then produced a mobile phone that she called Ms. Gonzales on and asked me to talk to her. She told me that her boss wants her to get the original receipt from me. I told her that I did not keep it, but I definitely do not want to return my purchase and I have all the proof I need on my bank statement to show that they charged my account twice.
By this point I was running out of patience and I asked her how my card was charged the second time after 8 whole days, and how they could get a merchant account to run credit cards without a business phone number. I expressed my concern that this charge was in fact fraudulent and not a mistake at all. I expected them to take care of this in a business-like manner. When I gave the phone back to Ms. Gomez, she talked to her some more. When she hung up, Ms. Gomez told me she was told not to sign anything for me, but that she was going to sign my paper anyway because she knows it is wrong.
I am curious to know if this may be a regular occurrence. Maybe a lot of the people they sell to wouldn't even notice a second charge or wouldn't pursue it after not being able to contact them. I think their 8-day wait before charging the card again is because most tourists have returned home by that time. What a wonderful way to treat this tourist-town's lifeblood! (sarcasm)
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