Apple Store UK Payments - PROBLEMS???

[pacs]

Hi guys,

I recently switched to using an iMac 20" bought from my local Apple Store - I have to say its the best move I have ever made. I love my Mac!!!

Anyway, last Monday I order a new pink 4GB Ipod Nano from the Apple Store ONLINE for my girlfriend. The order was authorised and processed that evening, and the iPod was dispatched to me on the Wednesday and received on the Thursday. Great service I thought!

My concern now is that during last week, when using my credit cards online servicing website, I could see that there was a pending transaction for £129 (presumably the authorised amount) and all was well. However, now when I log into my credit cards servicing website, the pending transaction has disappeared, my available credit has gone back up by £129 and I don't seem to have been charged. I have now received an email invoice from Apple stating that the invoice has been paid by credit card.

Is this normal? Anything to worry about? Is it just that in a few days they will actually re-charge my card for the final amount?

Many thanks for you help,

Its probably a stupid question but I thought it best to check!

 

[elisha cuthbert]

Hi guys,

I recently switched to using an iMac 20" bought from my local Apple Store - I have to say its the best move I have ever made. I love my Mac!!!

Anyway, last Monday I order a new pink 4GB Ipod Nano from the Apple Store ONLINE for my girlfriend. The order was authorised and processed that evening, and the iPod was dispatched to me on the Wednesday and received on the Thursday. Great service I thought!

My concern now is that during last week, when using my credit cards online servicing website, I could see that there was a pending transaction for £129 (presumably the authorised amount) and all was well. However, now when I log into my credit cards servicing website, the pending transaction has disappeared, my available credit has gone back up by £129 and I don't seem to have been charged. I have now received an email invoice from Apple stating that the invoice has been paid by credit card.

Is this normal? Anything to worry about? Is it just that in a few days they will actually re-charge my card for the final amount?

Many thanks for you help,

Its probably a stupid question but I thought it best to check!

keep quiet and you might get it for free

WOOOO HOOOO 500 posts for Me!!!!!!!!

 

[pacs]

keep quiet and you might get it for free

WOOOO HOOOO 500 posts for Me!!!!!!!!

well i wouldn't say no to it being free, but I doubt it. I just wanted to know if this happens to anyone else? How quickly from having an item dispatched to you does you credit card get charged? Is this normal? Anything to worry about?

Thanks.

P.S. I think the new packaging on the ipods is fab, and whilst I wouldn't want a pink one myself (maybe a nice blue) it seems much improved compared to my 1gb white nano.

 

[mrploddy]

Don't count on it. Merchants have something ridiculous like 90 days to claim payments off your account and their billing computer might not just have billed you yet.

When they seek authorisation it doesnt always equate to funds being instantly deducted. It is merely a guarentee that they'll get paid. They can then claim the funds at their leisure. For example itunes can take AGES sometimes to claim their money even up to a week.

-mrploddy

 

[pacs]

Don't count on it. Merchants have something ridiculous like 90 days to claim payments off your account and their billing computer might not just have billed you yet.

When they seek authorisation it doesnt always equate to funds being instantly deducted. It is merely a guarentee that they'll get paid. They can then claim the funds at their leisure. For example itunes can take AGES sometimes to claim their money even up to a week.

-mrploddy

Thanks MrPloddy - that's much appreciated. I suppose over the next week the transaction will just re-appear on my account completed. Many thanks-its re-assuring to know its not a problem with my order etc.

 

[dcv]

Some stores make an initial charge to your card as a kind of security check/available funds check or something, then void that transaction, then charge the full amount again. Not entirely sure why this is necessary but I've experienced this before.

 

[pacs]

Some stores make an initial charge to your card as a kind of security check/available funds check or something, then void that transaction, then charge the full amount again. Not entirely sure why this is necessary but I've experienced this before.

Thanks dcv. Is it normal for there to be a few days between the inital charge becoming void and a final charge then re-appearing on the account?

It's really a bit deceptive, because once I had placed the order my available funds on the credit card were reduced, but now that initial transaction has void, my available funds have gone back up. Hopefully in the next day or two they will take the final amount so that I dont end up spending over my credit limit.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has bought from Apple Online with regards to how long after they purchased something their acount was charged?

 

[vincebio]

yeah, im afraid i wouldnt hold on any hope of getting it for free.....a lot of merchants during busy periods take far too long to debit your chosen account, which can lead to a problems if for instance, you have not enough credit on your account due to them debiting it 3 weeks after they were supposed to....

i had the exact same problem as you last year, when i got my invoicing thru the post as usual, but didnt actually get taken from my account until well after that...

in the end, my bank returned the overdrawn fee's to me as i provided a reciept to prove it was not my fault, but they are in no way obliged to do so.

im pretty sure its a problem with apple's merchant rather than apple themselves....somehow i think apple would snal the money out your hand before you get a chance to change your mind

 

[pacs]

yeah, im afraid i wouldnt hold on any hope of getting it for free.....a lot of merchants during busy periods take far too long to debit your chosen account, which can lead to a problems if for instance, you have not enough credit on your account due to them debiting it 3 weeks after they were supposed to....

i had the exact same problem as you last year, when i got my invoicing thru the post as usual, but didnt actually get taken from my account until well after that...

in the end, my bank returned the overdrawn fee's to me as i provided a reciept to prove it was not my fault, but they are in no way obliged to do so.

im pretty sure its a problem with apple's merchant rather than apple themselves....somehow i think apple would snal the money out your hand before you get a chance to change your mind

Thanks for that. It makes perfect sense so I guess it will be taken from my account over the next week or so. Does anyone know which merchant apple store online (UK) uses?

Thanks again.

 

[dcv]

Thanks dcv. Is it normal for there to be a few days between the inital charge becoming void and a final charge then re-appearing on the account?

I think it varies. My experience of this was ordering from Cancom. I had a call from Egg, who'd noticed some "unusual activity" on my account! Basically Cancom had made 2 charges to my credit card and Egg had picked up on this *before* the first transaction had been voided. So in my case there was basically no time at all between the two transactions... nice to see my credit card company are vigilant though

 

[pacs]

Is the general feeling then that this is nothing at all to worry about - and that a charge will be made to my account in the next few days and all is well?