What would have happened if I couldn't pay?

[marinathehummingbird]

This isn't an AIBU and is also hypothetical

Got hair done earlier andon paying (at end of treatment) my card wouldn't work - the salon realised after a couple of tries that their machine needed rebooting - but I got the cold sweats over it being my card!

So this got me wondering - in this or any situation where you pay after the goods have been swapped (and aren't returnable) what would happen?

[OwlinaTree]

When it's petrol you have to fill in a form with your details and go back and pay. That's what happened to my dh anyway. I imagine it would be similar in your situation, you would have to leave your details and if you didn't come back they could report you to the police or something.

[kingfishergreen]

If I had the cash in my account (which in normal circs I would) I'd ask for their bank details and do an online transfer.

If I didn't have the cash (bank had blocked my account, or I'd been a victim of card skimming or whatever) I'd call my husband and ask him to pay by card over the phone.

[marinathehummingbird]

King I was trying to check my online banking to confirm I had the money in there but their wifi was down and I only had a 'U' in the area so that wouldn't have worked. Also single. I suppose I probably would have called a friend and asked them to sort it. But what if I couldn't?

[KrayKray00]

This happened to me recently at the Hairdressers. I had my hair done for a festival I was going to on the same day, it cost me £87 and there had been a huge power cut in the area (town centre). The machines weren't working and the cash points had gone down, the banks had shut to reboot the systems and I had no cash!! I am not exactly a regular as i only have my hair cut 3-5 times a year (not a lot I know) but I kept apologising even though it wasn't my fault. After an hour wait they worked again but I was late for my festival. They did ask me if I wanted to leave my bank details but I decided to wait rather than get bladdered and spend the money with a drunken mind!

In those situations though I supposed you would ring someone you know or fill in details like a pp said such as at a petrol station.

[Windycityblues]

I go to the same hairdresser every six weeks, they know who I am. I would leave and return with the withdrawn cash if that happened. If they didn't k ow me I would leave me details and then return and pay.

[marinathehummingbird]

Ok so leaving details seems the norm. I have quite bad social anxiety and the possibility of something like that happening has been whirring round my brain all day - I couldn't think of a non anxiety inducing way it could be dealt with!

[MsPassepartout]

DH couldn't pay for petrol recently - he had the money in his account but the card machines at the petrol station were all down.

He had to fill in a form with his details and go back later to pay. Although being a petrol station, they had CCTV recording all numberplates, so I guess less chance of someone giving false details and never returning.

[LotisBlue]

I guess if you had some id then they could just give you an invoice, it would be no different to when you pay a tradesperson, or a garage to fix your car for example

[Cakesprinkles]

In my wallet i have three debit cards and two credit cards for various accounts. I never buy anything that I couldn't pay for in at least two different ways, even if I then had to transfer the money later. (Fellow social anxiety sufferer here). Tbf though I very very rarely do a transaction for anything bigger than around £50, so we're not talking mega-bucks.

[HoneyDragon]

Happened to us in a restaurant, offered to leave payment details by they were concerned about data protection issues as the safe was accessible by staff members so they took our phone numbers and called us when they were up and running and I paid by phone. So an element of trust is required I guess.

However, I was in Sainsburys when they were having issues with the tills although just that the computers were glitchy when I went in. Going through my bank statement the following week I noticed the £55 hadn't come off my card.

I called them and explained it had been 9 days, the manager asked the cs man I was talking to if it was ok for them to call me back and they'd look into it but it was probably slow showing on my statement.

They called back .... turns out 21 transactions including mine had failed to a total of about £1800. It was all in a short time frame before the system went down totally after I'd left.

I offered to repay over the phone the manager said not to bother as it would be dealt with and that I was the only person who'd bothered to call in and tell them I hadn't paid for my shopping

[BIWI]

If it's not an AIBU then why did you post here?! There are loads of different topics on Mumsnet!

[BIWI]

But to answer your question - if it was their 'fault', I'd expect them to take my details and take payment later.

If it was a problem with my card, then I'd either phone my bank and ask them for their advice, or I'd go to a cashpoint and get the requisite amount of cash out

[justkeepswimmingg]

I always worry about this every time I pay for something using my card.
Fellow anxiety sufferer , so thank you making this thread. It's reassured me!

[DesignedForLife]

Call your partner/parents/someone who has a card and get them to do a remote transaction over the phone. I did this recently when I filled up with petrol and had forgotten my purse.

[BeepBeepMOVE]

They should have a manual card swipe thing like in the old days. Takes a copy using imprinting on carbon paper and they take some details, you sign it and they process the transaction when the machine is working.

We had to do it in a very fancy shop on opening day as the PDQs refused to work.

[BeepBeepMOVE]

Like these They make a nice satisfying cha-chunk sound.

[notoneofyou]

Don't think data protection would allow that Beep. (Or I hope it wouldn't?)

[singalilsong]

I had this a few weeks when paying for diesel. I was at a garage 45 minute drive away from home. Only put £10 in but my card didn't work. I didn't have my mobile with me and it was in the middle of nowhere. I said I could go home and get cash and come back within 2 hours and he said I would have to leave my CAR as security!!!!!!!! He let me leave when I pointed out that without my car I wouldn't be able to go anywhere!

[HoneyDragon]

They are still in use beep.

You can use them if you have one and your card machine is down

[QuiteUnfitBit]

HoneyDragon The same thing happened to me at Tesco petrol station! I actually went in a few days later to pay, when I checked my Visa online, and saw it hadn't gone through. They were adamant I was wrong though, and wouldn't take my money!

[Heatherjayne1972]

In dentistry we already have your name and address
I once worked for a dentist who would send solicitors letter out for non payment - straight away
Oh and you get struck off until you pay up ( private practice )

[HoneyDragon]

Quite

Sainsburys were the same with me at first.

[StinkyMcgrinky]

I had this at the start of the week. I had an emergency dentists appointment due to toothache and had absolutely no idea what the treatment would be or how much it would cost, DH had gone to work with my bank card so I only had the 'emergency' card with £100 on it. Luckily, it was fine but I did wonder what would happen if it was an absolute emergency and I had nothing?!?

[Heatherjayne1972]

Stinky. It does depend on the dentist but in our place you would be told on the phone how much it would be and you'd be expected to bring money
After all if you've called to book an appointment even if you have raging toothache it's not really unexpected that you'd need to pay
If you genuinely forgot your card your notes would go to the practice manager who would write to you /call/ email etc and there'd be no more appointments until you'd paid up even if you had toothache

[Judydreamsofhorses]

I was at the dentust a few weeks ago and was the last appointment of the day - by the time I was done, the receptionist had cashed up, and asked me to ring in the following day. I was teaching all day, so didn't get a chance to call until after 5 and was so embarrassed - the receptionist said I would be surprised how often people don't bother and they have to phone and chase them for payment.