Stupid Guest Tricks

Here is the real test: Did you spaz out on the movie theather employee who asked you when you didn't have your ID? :twisted:

I've had people with SEE ID written on thier card who don't have ANY gov't issued ID, and insist that they intended people to use thier school ID as official identification...

Please don't try to use a card with "See ID" at WDW. Accounting is presently on a tear about requiring a signature *on the card*. The only way around it (at my desk) is to hope that our one wishy-washy manager happens to be on duty at the time. The other seven will all tell you to take a hike ... to the ATM which doesn't care.

We have a fairly new policy where if a transaction is under $25.00, we don't have to ask for a signature on the credit card reciept, and hence don't need to look at the signature panel and ask for ID if it's not signed. I'm not a big fan of it for a number of reasons.

1. Stolen credit cards and fraud related to such. "Woot! I'm going to buy $20 Disney Dollars from Star Trader, then go to Disneyana, buy $20 more Disney Dollars, and then Showcase, Emporium, World of Disney, and Greetings from California. That's $120 in my pocket without having to worry about forging a signature or coming up with a fake ID!"
   
   Granted, they're only getting Disney Dollars, but getting them converted to cash is fairly trivial.
2. People who don't sign the back of their credit card, and have their picture on the front (or sometimes the back) of their card (Bank of America is the most common).
   
   With this, if they hit a transaction that's over $25.00 and are asked for ID, they insist that the picture on the card is good enough, and use the line "I've never been asked for other ID anywhere else!" Card companies such as Visa tell us that we have to see a government issued ID; my preferred form of ID is a passport, largely because all passports look the same, whereas not all driver licenses look the same.
3. People who use their spouses/other family member's card.
   
   This is similar to B. They hit a transaction that's over $25. One of two things happen.
   1. Their card is not signed. They're asked for ID, and it's discovered that the name on the card doesn't match the name on the ID. Thankfully, this usually occurs before the card is processed.
   2. Their card is signed, and because it's not their card, the signature on the reciept doesn't match the signature panel. Unfortunately, this can't be discovered until after the card has been processed. A return thus has to be processed to put the money back on the card if the actual cardholder isn't there to sign the reciept.
   In either case, the <strike>Guest</strike>Customer often uses the line "I've been using this card all day, and nobody said anything!"
4. People who change their last name on their credit card, but not on their ID, or vice versa.
   
   This is simiar to C.1. Not usually an issue if it's actually their card and the card is signed on the back, and they sign the reciept the same way they signed the card, since matching signatures don't trigger an ID check.
   
   If you're an authorized user on your spouse's account and you refuse to change your last name, then get a card issued with the name that you have on your bloody ID. :mad: The card issuers don't care. I have a card on my Disney Visa account that says "Alyssa Jones," even though my last name isn't Jones, and the "Primary Cardholder" on the account is my real first and last name. Again, the card issuers don't care.

I look at the signature panel anyway, largely out of habit. If it says "See ID" on it, I'll ask for ID and a signature on the reciept anyway. Oftentimes people will present a card and ID at the same time, in which case I'll ask for a signature on the reciept because they bothered to take the time to show me ID. The idea that not asking for a signature saves time in Stores isn't entirely valid in my opinion.

Here's my general routine:

1. Ring items
2. Process card
3. Wait for credit card slip, and hand it to the Guest with a pen
4. Bag items
5. Take signed slip and put in appropriate place
6. Present card, reciept, and bag with items to Guest

Doing this:

1. Ring items
2. Process card
3. Wait for credit card slip to be sure that the card wasn't declined
4. Bag items
5. Put credit card slip in appropriate place
6. Present card, reciept, and bag with items to Guest

doesn't save any time at all in my opinion, unless they're getting so few items that you can already have it bagged and ready to go before the reciept prints, like if they're just buying a few keyrings or something and you can bag them as they're being rung up.

Alyssa3467 wrote:We have a fairly new policy where if a transaction is under $25.00

Alyssa, once again you are right on target with a very well worded/thought out post. This new rule is only 4 - 6 wks afloat. I am too "Old School." (Thank you Polar for the line. ;) ) I still ask for ID with every CC transaction. Force of habit & usually the guests expect it. I so rarely sell under $25.00, the "May I please see ID" phrase is automatic. Always forget abt the $25.00 rule at Souvies & Max counters because they are so fast. If I get caught oh well, I'd much rather be safe than in trouble. Market is abt the only place I remember not to ask for ID. No ID needed for a free cup of coffee. :D:

My question about the "under $25" rule is, if the transaction is under $25, does the EDC still print out with a signature line? I know the old registers wouldn't have been able to accommodate this, but the new ones should. If they don't print out with a signature line, then DLR is merely bringing itself in line with Starbucks, gas stations, and supermarket self-checkout stands with this "signatureless" feature. It's probably because more and more banks are guaranteeing that cardholders won't be held responsible for fraudulent charges. Not trying to take DLR's side here, but just trying to offer up another point of view.

Alyssa does bring up an excellent point regarding the Disney Dollars. For years I have believed that the Disney Dollars system is the Stores department's biggest invitation to fraud. When they first rolled out the DLR gift cards many of us thought Disney Dollars would go away. But they were kept around supposedly because many people collected them. There used to be policies where any D$ purchase of over $50, regardless of payment method, had to be called in to Cash Management with the guest's ID. Then Cash Mgmt de-staffed, and most calls during operating hours just prompted us to leave messages. No way to monitor potential fraud real-time. The policies relating to exchanging D$ for cash differed depending on the location, lead, manager, or time of day. I knew guests and CMs who used D$ as their own ATM or a free cash advance on their credit cards.

One night at DLH a guy came to us asking to exchange $100 in D$ for cash. We asked for a receipt and ID per procedure, but he didn't have the receipt because he was given the D$ as a gift from a convention he attended at the hotel. We sent him to the Front Desk, and FD sent him back to us. After my lead tried convincing him he could spend the D$ any time at DLR, WDW, or his local Disney Store with no expiration, she finally gave up and gave him $100 cash. The guy basically walked away with free money instead of using it towards food, merchandise, or theme park tickets, which is what they were intended for.

The point I'm trying to get across is, as long as people know that the D$ system is a free, no-questions-asked ATM service, it is the biggest potential for credit card fraud at DLR. With the gift cards around for 3 years now, I see no need for DLR to continue grabbing their ankles by selling D$ in so many locations. Here's my idea for reducing the D$ fraud potential:
- Only sell D$ at City Hall/Guest Relations, Bank of Main Street, and hotel front desks, and only they should be able to exchange D$ for cash.
- Locations should still accept D$ as payment for merch, food, tickets, accomodations, etc. per California state law, but there should be a separate button indicating that payment was made by D$ and not cash.
- Any returns on D$ purchases that result in a refund should be approved by a lead regardless of the amount.

SRT_GB wrote:My question about the "under $25" rule is, if the transaction is under $25, does the EDC still print out with a signature line? I know the old registers wouldn't have been able to accommodate this, but the new ones should. If they don't print out with a signature line, then DLR is merely bringing itself in line with Starbucks, gas stations, and supermarket self-checkout stands with this "signatureless" feature. It's probably because more and more banks are guaranteeing that cardholders won't be held responsible for fraudulent charges. Not trying to take DLR's side here, but just trying to offer up another point of view.

I had assumed they'd remove the signature line when I heard about this policy, but the EDCs still print as they did before. I asked a Premium passholder for a signature once, and she, knowing about the new policy, questioned me, but I told her that the way the policy is worded, it leaves it at the discretion of the Cast Member. She saw the signature line on the EDC and went ahead and signed. She thankfully wasn't being an idiot about it or anything, just making conversation. According to her though, in Foods locations, the EDCs don't print out at all for transactions under $25.00. Could've been that the Foods Cast Member(s) put away the EDC as soon as it was printed, and she just didn't notice.

Alyssa does bring up an excellent point regarding the Disney Dollars. For years I have believed that the Disney Dollars system is the Stores department's biggest invitation to fraud. When they first rolled out the DLR gift cards many of us thought Disney Dollars would go away. But they were kept around supposedly because many people collected them. There used to be policies where any D$ purchase of over $50, regardless of payment method, had to be called in to Cash Management with the guest's ID. Then Cash Mgmt de-staffed, and most calls during operating hours just prompted us to leave messages. No way to monitor potential fraud real-time. The policies relating to exchanging D$ for cash differed depending on the location, lead, manager, or time of day. I knew guests and CMs who used D$ as their own ATM or a free cash advance on their credit cards.

As far as I know, the policy regarding calling Cash Management is still in effect, but I may have just missed the memo. The last time I sold $50 or more in Disney Dollars in a single transaction, I was at WOD, right around Thanksgiving 2006, and unlike Greetings, they don't have the number readily available. I asked other CMs around me, and nobody knew what I was talking about, so I never called it in.

One night at DLH a guy came to us asking to exchange $100 in D$ for cash. We asked for a receipt and ID per procedure, but he didn't have the receipt because he was given the D$ as a gift from a convention he attended at the hotel. We sent him to the Front Desk, and FD sent him back to us. After my lead tried convincing him he could spend the D$ any time at DLR, WDW, or his local Disney Store with no expiration, she finally gave up and gave him $100 cash. The guy basically walked away with free money instead of using it towards food, merchandise, or theme park tickets, which is what they were intended for.

That would be more or less why I simply said getting Disney Dollars converted to US Dollars was trivial. I initially was going to say something about finding a new Cast Member (not terribly hard to come by these days) or a Lead with no spine (no comment). :D: I'm not saying that the Lead in your story was one of those]The point I'm trying to get across is, as long as people know that the D$ system is a free, no-questions-asked ATM service, it is the biggest potential for credit card fraud at DLR. With the gift cards around for 3 years now, I see no need for DLR to continue grabbing their ankles by selling D$ in so many locations. Here's my idea for reducing the D$ fraud potential:
- Only sell D$ at City Hall/Guest Relations, Bank of Main Street, and hotel front desks, and only they should be able to exchange D$ for cash.[/quote]I'm neutral on this, although I do see how it would reduce the potential amount of money lost to fraud.

- Locations should still accept D$ as payment for merch, food, tickets, accomodations, etc. per California state law, but there should be a separate button indicating that payment was made by D$ and not cash.

I like this idea. As it is, Disney Dollars are the only exception to the "return to the same tender type" rule, since they can't be distinguished from cash on the reciept. I would propose issuing the return to a conventional gift card and not something like a Merch Returns card, unless Disney Dollars were readily available.

- Any returns on D$ purchases that result in a refund should be approved by a lead regardless of the amount.

This, I don't really agree with. In some locations, *cough*Emporium*cough* Leads aren't readily available, and I'd rather not have Guests waiting for approval. On the other hand, not all of our Cast Members are experienced and trusted by the Leads, so umm... yeah... ok... carry on. :p:

Alyssa3467 wrote:I like this idea. As it is, Disney Dollars are the only exception to the "return to the same tender type" rule, since they can't be distinguished from cash on the reciept. I would propose issuing the return to a conventional gift card and not something like a Merch Returns card, unless Disney Dollars were readily available.

I forgot to mention that I used to have a lead on Main Street who was previously a lead at Disney Store (late 1990s, long before it was divested), and she told us that Disney Store had a separate button to indicate payment was made by Disney Dollars. She could not understand why DLR didn't have the same. Your idea about issuing a D$ refund onto a gift card is probably more practical in the real world than my idea about having a lead approve all such refunds.

In some locations, *cough*Emporium*cough* Leads aren't readily available, and I'd rather not have Guests waiting for approval.

While I agree with you that the Emporium lead situation can be bad, I would argue that Hotel Stores is worse. Many times I was in the situation where I was at PPH by myself, the person I had to work with called in, I needed someone to give me a break, and the one lead who was covering all 3 hotels because the other one was on lunch could not be reached because she was walking from DLH to GCH to handle some other issue.

And let's not forget the time that our genius Hotel Stores manager at the time locked all the leads, both on duty and off duty, in the lead office - DURING OPERATING HOURS - for a 3 hour "team-building exercise." They left no leads to cover the floor, didn't ask any leads or managers from WOD or even the BOH leads to cover, and didn't answer the office phone or lead pagers. Try explaining to the guests that you can't process their return because it requires a verbal approval from a lead and all the leads are playing games and having a big group hug downstairs.

Sorry, Alyssa just hit a nerve with me when she mentioned it's often tough to find leads. This thread is supposed to be about credit card tricks. Carry on.

Alyssa3467 wrote:As far as I know, the policy regarding calling Cash Management is still in effect, but I may have just missed the memo.

Alyssa, you missed no memo or check in update. We still must call Cash Control. We must call but they don't need to answer. I haven't seen their # listed since end of summer 05. I'm going to ask today, just to confuse others. ;)

[quote="Main Streeter"]Alyssa, you missed no memo or check in update. We still must call Cash Control. We must call but they don't need to answer. I haven't seen their # listed since end of summer 05. I'm going to ask today, just to confuse others. ]
The number when I worked at DLR was 8232-4040. Don't ask me how or why I remember that.

I was surprised once when I called them from DLH in late 2005 and someone actually picked up the phone. Ever since they made labor cutbacks (2002-2003), I had never gotten hold of a live person there.

Back when I first hired, there was a lot more stuff we had to call Cash Management for, including D$ purchases over $50, personal check purchases over $50 (this was before they installed the MICR readers), purchases with foreign currency, etc. I was always under the impression that they logged guest information and if someone was making suspicious purchases of D$ or with personal checks, they would either decline the transaction or send out a PCO to tail the guest. I guess they don't take this stuff seriously anymore. Maybe it's because so few people write personal checks at DLR these days, and they still insist on the ostrich approach when it comes to people taking advantage of the D$ system.

they don't like to buy them back thou, even if you have all your receipts and all. I once spent 2 weeks at DLR and bought like 50.00+ a day, once after a long night of riding splash mountain and most of the next day, I felt a cold or flu coming on, something about getting wet and the air condtioning and night time cool weather.and I left my bank cards in my room, and I needed some cold meds, the only place in DTD that had cold meds didn't take mouse money. so I ran back to the park to were I bought most of my dollars thru my stay, I only needed 10 in real money for my meds, after getting sent to many places and talking to many supervisors, all of them telling me what great souvineers they make and are good at any disney property and don't expire.
no one wanted to change back 10.00 to real money. I even told all of them I was getting sick and needed some cold meds. all alos said go to the emporium on main street, but they don't have cold meds, only the vicks drops came close. I finally had to hike all the way back to my room to get my stupid bank card. I learned a good lesson that trip. and I had all papers and id from all the perchases with me. spent the rest of my trip on Airborne and it never let my cold or flu get worse than a sniffle. p.s. those bottle lanyards make a good holder for your Airborne container. and a few CM's told me so.