meauxna

I have a pending charge (pending since 4/23) on a CC account that is about a year old and not well used (secondary account). The charge is for $1 and is from Carphone Warehouse, a UK based mobile phone service reseller.
We haven't done any business with them. We haven't used this card for online transactions. We haven't done *any* business in the UK in ages.

Bank of America customer service sucks. Oops, did I say that outloud?
Anyway, the Fraud Dept won't touch it until the charge clears.

Does anyone have a clue? A charge like this is often a 'feeler' to see if they've got a valid card number. I can't fathom how they got the card details (well, if pressed I could think of a couple of vague vague connections) or what they're up to.
Any ideas short of closing the account and getting a new number issued (PITA)??

lisag8070

I don't know if this is the right way but personally I would call carphone warehouse and tell them that they've charged your CC and you want to know what its about and for them to remove it...

Unfortunately it'll cost money to call the UK but it seems you are getting no help from the US side...

Hope you get it resolved soon..

this is the contact page I've found

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/com...X&NODE_ID=7893

Bob

email carphone warehouse? might take a while, but it'll be cheaper than calling....

meauxna

I have thought about contacting them. I also don't want to give them any more info about myself or inadvertently confirm info they have. Totally paranoid, I know.

evoal2003

Then just close the account, you said you didn't use it much anyhows. Problem solved. Or the fraud dept of B of A will give you a new account number.

I recently noticed a charge on one of my cards for $631 that I couldn't remember spending, after calling the card company I got the telephone number of the company applying the charge. Turns out someone was flying to Mass on me, seems crazy to book an airline ticket with all the security. I got me money back and they'll do their enquires.

It seems, from me experience as long as you keep an eye on your things that theres plenty of protection out there.

meauxna

Thanks for the inputs, all (late, sorries). It's still hovering out there, and I haven't done anything about it. But we decided to kill that card; Bank of America customer no-service turned us off & the Alaska air miles aren't being used as expected.
Heaven help me if they actually buy Countrywide.

Longy

Yeah whenever you get a pending charge you know nothing about and then disappears a few days later this is normally something dodgy. I had this happen with my BOA debit card earlier this year. The first one happened and the customer service told me that nothing can be done whilst pending - I guess at this point they don't have much information either. It disappeared. Another one happened and this also disappeared. The 3rd time they sent me a fraud alert as it was for a charge of 0?? This time I spoke to the actual fraud department and they said if you ever get these sort of things to cancel the card straight away.

frrussre

I once had a charge for $1, from a gas station I had used, I called CC company, they said sometimes, its a holding charge. 2 days later, the real charge came in & the $1 disappeared. Now, mine was a company I did buy gas from. Yours is from unknown company, now that sounds like a phishing expo.
Frank R,.

Bob

That happens a lot, especially with debit cards used as credit, they put a block in to make sure that you'll have the readies to pay for the potential transaction unless you pre-pay.

meauxna

The charge dropped off yesterday. Monitoring continues. : l

evoal2003

Chill meauxy baby your in the clear.

Longy

If you want to keep the card I would advise you to get a new one issued - that is the best thing to do and as you say you don't use it much it shouldn't be much hassle.

These charges don't just appear by accident.

Also as a note, not sure how it works with credit cards, but with a debit card when a pending charge disappears doesn't necessarily mean it won't reappear. As an example we paid for some furniture over a month ago on our debit card - the charge appeared as pending for 3 days and then disappeared. It only came back as paid after the delivery last week.