I needed an external hard drive to upgrade my storage capacity rather than purchase a new computer. I found what I wanted on eCost.com at a good price. I ordered it on Friday. I was given an order number and the amount was approved by my bank and the amount placed on hold in my pending transactions as a pre authorization.
I only use this debit mastercard for my online purchases and only transfer enough money into the account to cover my purchases. I have used this card for years on ebay, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Abebooks, Lane Bryant, and many other online stores. I have never, ever had a problem with it. It is a verified account on Paypal.
I got an email that there was a problem with my order and I needed to call customer service. I called on Saturday. I was told I had to verify my billing address and phone number associated with my card. I did and the customer service rep who was really rude told me it would be Monday before my order was processed since they had to verify it with my bank. It seemed strange at the time anyway because the charge was already in my pending transactions on my bank's website.
I got an order confirmation email on Monday followed less than an hour later by a notice that my order had not been approved by my bank and my order had been canceled. I called and the even ruder customer service rep told me my card had been declined. What? The charge has been sitting in my pending transactions since I placed the order on Friday.
This really ticked me off. First: the credit department was not available to tell me what the problem was. Second: I could have purchased the exact same product at Sam's club on Saturday for less than a ten dollar difference after the shipping and handling charges eCost stated.
I have written two emails to them and they still have not answered why my card was pre authorized but my order was canceled. They keep telling me it has been addressed. Now that pre authorization is still on my account until it falls off as uncharged. I am told that will take as long as eight business days.
My bank was able to answer my question though. ECost.com tried to double charge my account. They tried to put through another charge on Monday. Since I had only transferred enough funds to cover the single purchase I was making, my bank declined the charge. I do not have overdraft protection on this account for just that reason.
This is why I use a separate card and only transfer enough to cover what I am purchasing at the time. If I had used my actual bank card or my credit card, these thieves would have charged me twice. Since I was too smart to let them cheat me, they canceled my order. I have since purchased my hard drive from Sam's club and am quite happy with it.
Don't do business with these people. They are incompetent at best and conniving thieves at worst. They are the worst example of an online company. I am glad that I was smarter than they were or I would be writing about not getting my double charge refunded.
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