How much do you never want to hear those words come from a cashier making eye contact with you?!
I was at Old Navy returning something…yes Grandma, I know big surprise. haha
The cashier asked me if I would like my return in cash or back on my debit card. I chose debit card because I didn’t need the cash. He ran my card then looked straight into my eyes and said those frightful words, “I’m sorry your card has been declined.” An earlier conversation popped into my head:
When I told Luke I was going shopping to buy a gift for $100 he said jokingly said, “Oh bummer, we only have $98 in our checking account.” I smiled and said “I’ll just use our American Express card then.” “Oh, bummer, we only have $98 left on our credit too.”
So when this happened I was thinking? Was he serious?!
Then reality hit me and although this was impossible for my card to be declined I gave the cashier a funny look, said “really?! for a return? Is that possible?” He shrugged and didn’t say much. I handed him my American Express card and asked him to put it on that card instead. He swiped it and said “I’m sorry this card has also been declined.”
Seriously?! He just stood there looking at me straight in the face.
I was trying to keep my cool, but there was another customer standing by and I’m pretty sure all he heard was that my card was being declined. I took off my coat to cool my recent flash sweat that swept over me. Then I asked him to get a manager.
The manager arrived and said, “Oh, this happened a few weeks ago too, just give her cash.” What does that mean?!
There was no remorse for embarrassing me or stating clearly that it was their machines that were messing up. All the while my kids were in the cart making a ruckus so I just promptly took my cash and left.
I go home and tell my neighbor, Melissa 2, this story. She responds with an equally crazy story. It goes something like this.
She is out to dinner at a local sit down restaurant with her family and an older couple that they are acquaintances with. They get to the end of the meal and the waiter brings her card and the check back and says those frightful words, “I’m sorry your card has been declined.” She is of course flabbergasted, but is also quick on her feet so she attempts to laugh it off and say that she’s sure she has another card that will work. MEANWHILE this acquaintance couple offers to pay for their meal. So now she is really feeling embarrassed. A few more seconds go by and THEN the waiter hands her her check and card and says, “Oh, I was just kidding.” WHAT?! Just kidding? Seriously? She said that they were so busy talking with that other couple that they hadn’t even made small talk with the waiter, so this joke was just out of the blue. That is so not funny.
Do you have a similar story? Do share!