This Couple Almost Lost RM900 After Using Their Debit Card At A Pharmacy
They had insisted on trying for five times using the same debit card before checking their account balance.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 03 Jan 2017, 01:35 PM
A post about a debit transaction gone wrong has been shared widely on Facebook
A Facebook user, Izzat Mustaffa posted a status on Sunday, 1 January about a couple's experience with using their debit card for a transaction at a pharmacy.
The ordeal started when the couple, (referred to as 'customer' in Izzat’s post), was trying to make a payment at a pharmacy with their debit card.
The transaction failed repeatedly three times but the duo had apparently insisted on trying another two times.
"Customer cakap, cuba try lagi. Sebab dia baru guna di ECONSAVE, boleh guna. (The customer said, try again. Because they used their card at ECONSAVE and it worked.)," read the post.
After the fifth failed transaction, the staff informed the couple that they would not try again using the same debit card.
After the failed fifth "transaction error", the couple had checked their account and realised that more than RM900 had been deducted from their bank account.
"Then, the customer asked our staff to return their money. The staff did the right thing and checked with the boss first."
When the pharmacy's staff checked the system, there was apparently no records for the transaction.
"Maka mengamuklah customer tersebut suami isteri. Bertegas agar kami memulangkan semula duit mereka. (The customer got angry and insisted that we return their money.)," explained the post.
Wanting to diffuse the tension and to solve the problem calmly, the pharmacy's staff had asked the couple to sit down and settle the issue
After speaking to the bank and the card terminal's customer service centre, they found out that the money had indeed gone out of the customer's account but the transaction did not go through, leaving the money "floating".
The bank informed the customer that the refund will be made within 15 days.
"We felt sorry for the customer. They said that they were supposed to use the money for their children's school expenses. There's no way we could help them either."
"Moral of the story - if you're using debit card and there's a transaction error, please check your account balance. If there has been a deduction, do not try again."
The Facebook post explained that the pharmacy had promised the couple that they will transfer the cash into their account if the money goes through.