Williams-Sonoma online ordering warning

So...if you try to buy something from the Williams-Sonoma website using a debit card, be prepared to pay DOUBLE the amount of the transaction for several days until someone gets around to crediting half of it back to you.

I placed an order yesterday because a friend's wedding registration is there, and one of the things they wanted was an internet exclusive.  Total came to $50.35.  I checked my online statement today, and what do I see but TWO charges, each for $50.35.  I called W-S, and at first was told it wasn't them, it was my bank.  Seemed odd, as this has never happened with any other company, but OK.  I called my bank, and the person I talked to actually laughed out loud and said that was an outright lie.

Called W-S back, and asked for a supervisor.  Apparently, if you pay with a debit card, that is STANDARD PRACTICE for the company!  When the order is placed, they send for an authorization for the total amount of purchase to make sure the card is good.  Then when they process the order, they send for a SECOND authorization for the total amount of purchase.  "A few days later" one of the authorizations is removed, and the amount spent is available in your account again.  She also told me that has been their business practice for "years and years".  It is complete and utter BS to charge DOUBLE the amount purely because it's a debit card.  She said they do it to make sure the card is valid, but I pointed out that if ONE charge goes through they have no business whatsoever putting through another one just to see if someone has more money.  They should not care (nor should they be legally allowed) to charge double, no matter if it's only for "a few days" just because it is a debit card.  I assured her they had permanently lost a long-time customer as I will never even set foot in their store again after this BS, and immediately reported them to the BBB.  Not that I think they care, or that it'll do any good.  But maybe, just MAYBE, if enough people complain, their practice of "years and years" will be changed.
 
Am I being unreasonable?  I realize it's not their fault I've got several thousand dollars in medical bills and run my account close to the edge, but I cannot fathom a reason why it should be acceptable for them to charge DOUBLE my purchase price because I used a debit card.

No, you're being absolutely reasonable.  I'd be livid.

So it was a total of $100.70 held until the transaction? Sometimes an authorization does not kick in and is removed as soon as the actual charge is processed. Not a double amount at any time. Gas stations used to feel out with a $1 charge but those people who had like $1.79 in their account to begin with drove away with the gas.

Yup, a total of $100.70.  Which until I had it removed meant I could not make my scheduled payment to the hospital for my knee surgery, which would have resulted in a $25 late fee.
 
I get the authorization to make sure the card is good.  What I don't get it authorizing DOUBLE the purchase price to make sure the card is good.  What business is it of theirs if I have ANOTHER fifty bucks if they get theirs?  They claim I was never actually charged the second amount, but the fact remains that once an authorization is called in that money is on hold and unavailable to the account holder until the hold is removed.

If you did not remove it do you know if would it have been removed? That is something.

It would have been removed eventually, but no one could tell me when.

Wonder if  the general  (not about  this situation) 3 easy payments flex pay culture created such issues. No fine print when the transaction happened?

Nope, not a thing.  Standard online purchase I've done a hundred times with other companies using the same card without this happening.

Good luck with your knee surgery.

I have heard of this type of thing with hotel/motel rooms and car rentals (in case you trash the room or damage the car), but never for purchasing items.

Truly an outrageous practice. W-S in my opinion is very overpriced anyway. I was in their store in West Palm Beach recently and looking at the prices was a jaw dropping experience. I was pretty enamored with one of their BBQ sauces but the $12 price tag scared me away.

CCinNJ


Good luck with your knee surgery.

Thanks!  I already had it, I'm just still paying for it.

You are not unreasonable and if enough people follow through as you say they will eventually figure it out and hopefully end the practice. A little publicity about it like this doesn't hurt.

Holy #&%@!!!!  They called me today!  Apparently they received the BBB complaint.

Not that it actually solved anything, but every time she tried to soft-pedal and/or back-pedal and/or try to make it sound like I misunderstood I completely obliterated her arguments.  I took notes while I was talking to them.

I'm sure it didn't actually do any good, but at least I got the attention of someone in their corporate offices.

I hate to be contrary but (1) the typical Williams-Sonoma customer (purchaser of $300 pans and $300 toasters) is not going to be bothered by this and (2) quite a few businesses put a "hold" on a larger chunk of your credit (or bank account in the case of debit cards) than the actual expected purchase.
 
If this does bother YOU, I'd suggest (1) it's probably smarter to use credit cards rather than debit cards for online purchases anyway since they provide more "rights" under federal law in case of a dispute.  Also, many banks now offer a "ShopSafe" feature that allows you to create a unique credit card number with a limit you specify for each purchase.  That way, if you can't put more than $X on the card without, as someone said, endangering the payment for something like knee surgery, you can keep that from happening.
 
And then there's PayPal.  Works like a Debit Card (takes the money out of the bank account--or credit card--you have linked to it) but gives you more control and "rights".

felix4067


Nope, not a thing.  Standard online purchase I've done a hundred times with other companies using the same card without this happening.

 
Sorry, but I've had it happen even with local restaurants.   Usually goes away in 3-5 days but that depends on how long the transaction takes to clear.

BT

felix4067


Nope, not a thing.  Standard online purchase I've done a hundred times with other companies using the same card without this happening.

Sorry, but I've had it happen even with local restaurants.   Usually goes away in 3-5 days but that depends on how long the transaction takes to clear.

There's nothing to be sorry about.  I, personally, have NEVER had it happen outside of a hotel or rental car.  I have been shopping online for approximately 12 years.  If you have it happen regularly, then you obviously shop different places than I do.

BT


I hate to be contrary but (1) the typical Williams-Sonoma customer (purchaser of $300 pans and $300 toasters) is not going to be bothered by this and (2) quite a few businesses put a "hold" on a larger chunk of your credit (or bank account in the case of debit cards) than the actual expected purchase.

If this does bother YOU, I'd suggest (1) it's probably smarter to use credit cards rather than debit cards for online purchases anyway since they provide more "rights" under federal law in case of a dispute.  Also, many banks now offer a "ShopSafe" feature that allows you to create a unique credit card number with a limit you specify for each purchase.  That way, if you can't put more than $X on the card without, as someone said, endangering the payment for something like knee surgery, you can keep that from happening.

And then there's PayPal.  Works like a Debit Card (takes the money out of the bank account--or credit card--you have linked to it) but gives you more control and "rights".

Hooray for the typical Willaims-Sonoma customer!  How nice for them that they can afford to have double their purchase price (even for a $300 pan or toaster) taken away from them for an unspecified number of days without noticing!  Probably because they use actual credit cards, and that amount is gone before they ever get their statements, but whatever.  And as I said above, I have never had it happen for a straight purchase no matter from where, only for hotels or rental cars as a security deposit.
 
If I had a credit card, I would probably do so.  However, I do not, and cannot get one.  So I should be punished because I want to spend money I actually have, as opposed to money I don't have but will probably get later?  I will look into the ShopSafe feature...I've never heard of it, and that would be a handy thing to have.  Unless, of course, it set a limit for ALL purchases.  I would not like for every purchase I make to be limited to some arbitrary amount.
 
To the best of my knowledge, Williams-Sonoma does not take Paypal, nor do most online stores that have their basis in actual physical stores.  I do have a PayPal account, but nowhere in the checkout process did I see it as an option for payment.  Had there been one, I may have chosen it.
 
But thanks for your input!  We are all entitled to our opinions.

Nobody plays fast and hard with your money like Paypal. They can and will freeze every cent of a merchant account if there is an incoming charge dispute with a transaction from someone they are suppposed to verify.

felix4067



If I had a credit card, I would probably do so.  However, I do not, and cannot get one.  So I should be punished because I want to spend money I actually have, as opposed to money I don't have but will probably get later?  I will look into the ShopSafe feature...I've never heard of it, and that would be a handy thing to have.  Unless, of course, it set a limit for ALL purchases.  I would not like for every purchase I make to be limited to some arbitrary amount.

 
If you view the difference between your rights using a debit card vs a credit card as punishment, you have Uncle Sam (Congress actually) to blame since they are the ones who created rights for credit cards ONLY (such as you aren't liable for more than $50 from a stolen card number and considerable rights in the event of a dispute like being double charged).
 
I'm not sure why you couldn't get a credit card but if it's a credit issue perhaps you should look into a "secured" card--that's one with a very low limit (like $400) and you have to keep the amount on deposit with same bank.  But it's still a credit card, not a debit card, and bestows all the rights of credit cards.
 
ShopSafe is hugely handy. For one thing, I always use it when purchasing from anyone other than the big, national internet sellers like Amazon (or, yes, Williams-Sonoma).  I've had my credit card number stolen even from a seller on Amazon's "Marketplace" (bank called asking if I had just used my card for a hotel reservation in Bangkok . . . .)  But it also works for recurring charges like, say, Netflix, where they charge you so much a month and it can be hard to get them to stop.  I just use ShopSafe and set a limit on the number equal to 12 months of charges--when that's used up the number is no longer any good and they have to stop unless I give them a new number.
 
Each purchase with ShopSafe is made with a different credit card number which has a limit and expiration date you set (up to the actual limit on your card and its expiration date).  I don't know if all banks offer it but Bank of America (which I use) does and I'd bet a lot others have something like it (though they may not call it the same thing).

Not quite sure if this is germane, but it may explain what you've experienced.  If not... nevermind.
 
http://www.blurtit.com/q969648.html

It does make sense, but they put through TWO pre-authorizations.  I was good with one, as it would have been the purchase price.  It was when they put a hold on DOUBLE the purchase price that I had an issue with it.