I had a problem with an agency that I have been using for about  month, they were responsive to the problem,
and I certainly not here to flame anyone, but  I do believe we are having an “ honest” disagreement on
how this incident should be viewed.
Onne hand the admit what the call a small mistake but believe they went above and beyond there obligation to fix a problem from that mistake, on the other hand while I appreciate their efforts ( not every agency would have helped) in my opinion this not great customer but the least they could do under the circumstances

The problem started when I booked the appointment, at that time I was promised a $50.00 discount, ( their normal rates are somewhat higher than most) but the  appointment was made about two weeks in advance, so I knew there was a good chance no one was going to remember the discount by the time the appointment came.
I did not want to have get into this with the provider so I called the agency office, a female handling the calls said she knew nothing of the discount , after a few minutes of not getting anywhere with her I decided not to press the issue
while I was on the phone she asked if I wanted to go ahead and pay this a credit card I have never used a credit card before, however given I had this person on the phone and I had access that day to a corporate card , I decided to go head. I asked if the agency had a preference cash/credit because I was sure they would have to pay a service charge on the  credit card, she it did not matter, it just up to me, although I found out later there was in fact aa $20.00 service charge.
After taking the information she asked for the 3 numbers on the back of the card, I explained that I did not have the actual card. After some delay she came back and said I was all set and “unless you hear from me, there is problem”.
As it turned out the provider needed to cancel so the appointment was set for two days later.
This was one of my favorite providers, and there had been somewhat of a misunderstanding between us, so I really wanted this appointment to go well. During a break about 30 minutes into the appointment, she casually tells me she needs to get the imprint of my credit card, of course I did not have it, as one told me i needed, plus i had already told them, i did not have the actual card anyway, the provider then  called the agency, after explaint why I did not have the card, I am  told  the charge had actually never gone through, apparenly, the female I gave the credit card info to  left prior to getting the error message and left no note for anyone to f/u , (the error was caused because she missed that last digit on the card.)
Given we were in the middle of the appointment I asked if I could finish first, then go to an ATM to get cash
I was told no  that if I did not  have a credit card  with me to use that I needed to go to the ATM before the appointment could continue.

Question:
At this point I had three options: What would you do?

1. Walkout.
2. Get dressed and go find an atm and come back, (although the hour would most likly been up by the  time I got back and there was another appointment behind me).

3. Use a personal credit card, which could lead to me having to explain the charge to my wife later.

Honestly given the position the agency had put me in, I really thought I had a right to walk out, but
I was worried that if I did it could  be a problem for the provider because she waited so long into the appointment to ask about the credit card, so I stayed, but in the confusion I gave my debit card ( looks very similar to my credit card ) which meant rather than having a month to come up with an excuse the charge would immediately be my online statement bank statement which my wife checks every morning, and when sees this charge after I “worked” until 10:00 the night before I am bused.
The session lasted another 10 minutes, as soon as it end I called the agency in a panic and got one of the owners, I told her the story, she said she would try to help, but she acted like she was doing me a huge favor, telling me they don’t  usually allow charge backs but she would try to help in anyway she could, meanwhile I am about to have a heart attack. First I was told only the other owner could do charge backs and he had left and would return the following day, this is not what I was looking for.

After about 30 minutes on the phone she told me the only way they could reverse the charge was if I took cash to the provider i hand seen after her next appointment, at this point I was already 20 miles from the in call site and I would have not have gotten home until after 11:00 or later, if I did this, not a good option. She then agreed to meet me first thing in the morning to pick up cash. The charge was already on my online statement so I went hope and disabled our computer and prayed. The next morning  gave her the full amount  minus the $20.00 service fee, and she said they would  reverse the charges. The agency’s position on this is yes we made a small mistake but we went  above and beyond to fix the problem and have not offered ad refund of any kind, in fact they left the $20.00 service charge on my account, when the reversed the other charges.
I disagree I think  given what happened and the fact that they put me in an impossible situation I should get some refund.

Am I do some sort of refund?. What do you think?

1. They should at least refund $70.00 , to cover the $50.00 discount that had been previously promised and  the $20.00 service charge, I was not told about.

2. They should keep just enough money to pay the provider and refund the rest to me.

3. They should give a full refund

4. They are right to keep the full $420.00.

Thanks everyone.

You should show up with the exact ammount and have a little extra in case you feel inclined to tip. Anything else is careless, especially if a paper trail is a potential problem.

that your wife did not find out about the charges.  The Agency went beyond the call of duty to reverse the charge.  From what I read, you contributed to much of the problem as well.  Be happy that you dodged the bullet and forget about the $70, because if the agency had said that they absolutely will not reverse the charge, you would have offered way more than $70 to change their mind.

But learn this lesson because I learned it the hard way ---

DON'T PLAY UNTIL YOU HAVE CASH IN POCKET

Cash leaves no trail......

I do concurr with you.  Cash is always the best way to go.  That way nothing can come back to haunt you with a long line of papers.... and questions from the significant other or worse the boss!!!

Just my .02cents

MonsterJazz

I think we all know that cash is best,that's a no brainer, I simply wanted a response to the questions I asked.

Ok, I know I am probably going to get slammed for this but here goes.

You are the one who screwed up. You were more interested in getting the $50 discount and being able to put it on the bosses card than in thinking straight and being cautious. You are the one who gave a debit card for them to use.

Now you come back to an agency and say "You guys screwed up, you need to fix it."

To be honest, I am very impressed that the agency went to the lengths they did to cancel the debit charges and then give you till the morning to pay. You must be a very good client to them.

I think they would have every right to charge you the full fee, including the $20 transaction fee, as the bank probably still charged them for all the reversals. You were trying to get a discount after it was offered by booking way in advance, according to what I am reading. I don't blame you for trying, but be accountable. It was your screw-up, not the agencys.

Just my .02.

Good Hunting Pheonix

Nice long post, but you're not using your real screen name.  

I'd have to say, that if I were you I'd change my whole approach to hobbying.  You're giving the agency way to much power in this transaction.  For example, if you'd use cash rather then credit card--you keep more of the power with you--I can understand using a card, some guys actually set-it-up to deduct it.  Yet, this agency does not seem like the type nor professional enough to work anything like that out with you.  

Remember, in this hobby, you have to use both heads.  If I were you, I write off the $70 as a lesson learned.  Learn from this, take back your power and have more fun in the hobby.  $420, that's about 80 bucks short of 2 hours with Keri.  Man!

Joey

But I'm mentioning it anyway...because you don't seem to get it.

You're upset about $70 that you thought the agency cheated you out of, what about the $$$ that you were going to charge on the company's corporate card?

You have a problem with others taking your $, but when it comes to spending other's $, you don't seem to have a problem with that?  Go look at my post 2 links up.  Had the agency charged the business credit card, you would have committed theft.  If discovered, your boss could have pressed charges or at a minimum fired you.  You should count your blessings that the agency kept you from committing a criminal act.

Hobbying is one thing. When you have to steal to play, it's time to do some self reflection.

Big crimes start small...Webster Hubble was sent to jail for committing fraud; it all started because he couldn't afford to pay a $500 Amex bill.

I'm not trying to get on you; just hope you'll think about what you're doing next time you have access to a company credit card.

This was a comedy of errors on the hobbyist's part:

1.  Confirm the appointment and rate (including any special) prior to arrival - especially if it's been booked that far in advance.

2.  Use cash, period.  I don't even TAKE my credit cards with me when I hobby, much less USE them.

3.  When the previously agreed-upon discounted rate was not honored, I would have asked to speak with the owner.  If they were not available, then I would have walked out.  If I cannot get acceptable compensation from the owner at a later time, I won't be back, EVER.  If more folks took this approach, the crappy agencies would simply dry up and go away from lack of business.

4.  When the issue came up regarding payment DURING the session, again, I would have walked.  This is one of the biggest NO-NO's in the hobby!  I'm the customer here, and it's about time they learned that I'm always right.  If I leave, THEY lose -- I still have my cash and can take care of 'business' myself or with another provider, but they can't make rent payments with the image of me walking away giving them the finger.  Repeat business is where the long-term profits are in this industry.


To answer the questions posed by 'The no flame zone',

"At this point I had three options: What would you do?"
Walk out, never to return.

"Am I do (sic) some sort of refund?"
Probably, but you are unlikely to ever get one.  A $70 credit towards a future session seems reasonable to me.  If the agency is unwilling to do correct the situation, then they just lost my business for life.  Bad financial decision on their part.

"What do you think?"
I think you're a real dumbass for using a credit card in the first place.  Take charge of your hobby -- you are empowering the agency by continually thinking with the wrong head.  Learn the lessons of this little misadventure, be thankful it didn't turn out worse, and move on.

- atl_mgr

Eat the Jackson and start thinking about what to call that debit charge.  Something related to a hobby would be a good place to start.  You forfeited the $50 when you knew they'd forget, they forgot, and you agreed to the regular rate.  You stand to lose a lot more than you can win by arguing over $20.

It looks like you didn't have any problem using the Company Credit card when you didn't have the card. My question is how did you get the number?

Sounds like something is smelly here?

Then you want everyone believe, some how you were mistreated or cheated. Some where in you, you thought some thing was not right and that is the reason you didn't name the agency.

No Spam here. You asked for opinion on the board and that is what you got

Option one is not available to you because they have the power to either refund you or not and they clearly are not going to do so.

Option two is not realistic as long as you live in America. Everyone is out to get paid and they did so at your expense.

Option three also is never going to happen. You've already paid and 99% of agencies are just not into your typical customer service. How do they know you will ever come back after they extend you this favor. Also to do so, they would have to ask the lady to kick back her fee. That is not going to happen.

Option four is what did and will always happen in this case. You looked at this experience as if it were a legit normal transaction and unfortunately for you that is not the case when dealing with agencies. As many have put it before, you should have paid cash but that is not one of the four options you listed. But I think you admitted that would have saved your butt in the long run. Also I have a corporate card and NO WAY would I risk my job on something like this. Talk about the ultimate paper trail. "Honey I just got fired for mis-using corporate funds and hiring escorts". No cool especially since you seem very concerned about your personal life. And I'm not throwing stones but dude what did you do at home to F up so bad that your wife checks statements daily? Dude I need to take you under my wing. LOL

Seriously though, it will be okay. Just chalk it up as a lesson learned. But option four is what you should have expeceted.

Something does not add up.  The three numbers in the back of the credit card are there to prevent someone ordering by phone or internet without holding the actual credit card (this is done to prevent theft of credit card numbers from invoices, bills, etc).  If you had access to the card, you should have been able to give them the numbers, so obviously you did not have access to the card, just the card numbers.  The agency should not have accepted that charge as it may have come from an illicit user.

Based on your story, I don't think the agency owes you anything.

No shi* Joey. Use a corporate credit card that isn't yours, and then, frankly, mess up and use your debit card if you KNOW your wife watches everything? A little common sense is in order, and its better to pay $70 to learn a lesson than 1/2 your assets when you your wife divorces you... Come on, man, you can do it smarter and better.

Dude, your story has clear issues, issues that go aganist the very nature of this board (our ter atl community).  If you're going to use a credit card (anyone's card) and you don't know or have not experienced that agency's professionalism,  then I have some Enron stock that I want to sell you (This is not the bad Enron stock you're heard and read about, this is the good Enron stock that few people know about).  I can let you have it for a great price!  

Sure, we are all "guys" and we understand why you would want to switch-out cards.  You're trying to get the pussy.  We know what it's like.  That's the point!  "You never let an agency take advantage of your emotions!"  You never let an agency take advantage of your emotions.  YOU NEVER LET AN AGENCY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR EMOITIONS.  I'd rather be jacking-off in the corner with Rose and her five sisters, then put myself in this type of situation--especially the way I get excited.  

Well, anyway, it's kind of hard putting anymore into this without a true screen name-only to say that I hope the responses here don't seem mean-spirited!!!  I personally will assume that you're speaking the truth--thanks for sharing--welcome to the board. . .


-- Modified on 8/28/2004 5:33:46 AM

so I have to take the responses. I have been posting on the board for a long time under my vip id, in all this time I don't I had very few negative repsonses,  and I would think those who know me, and many of those who responded do, would have been a little easyier on the post if I had not used an alias but I thought I wanted non bias opinions. Now at least I know what it like when you get hit negative, when it true or not it stings.

It's sounds to me like part of you WANTS to get caught. That's why you're taking such STUPID chances. You might want to rethink your involvement in this hobby. No p*ssy is THAT good!

The corporation card is for a corp account that you and the wife are both involved in as partners?  If so, well I wont even go there....

but after hearing that story, I'd be calling you a dumbass right along with everyone else - alias or original VIP ID

I've told a few people my worst ever complete-brain-freeze-screwed-up-and-got-ripped-off-by-a-provider story, and I when I do, it's mostly to have someone call me a dumbass, so I'll remember how stupid I was that time and never-ever-ever do the same boneheaded stuff again.

There needs to be a TER archive, and this thread needs to be listed in the "what not to do" section.

I concur, the $$ is gone, it is somewhat worked out, the agency went through a lot of effort, done deal.  Cash is king!

joc13, you crack me up!! lol - it takes a big man to step up and admit the bonehead mistakes, and then learn from them.

btw, i've heard the story, and you really WERE a dumbass on that one.  Just a friendly reminder...  

Make sure it gets included in the archive thread, too - although I prefer the title, "Bonehead Plays."