I heard here and there about Paxum?s awful services, but i never felt it on my skin until yesterday. This post might be long, but i think i MUST share my story with you guys. Even if you still choose stay/join with Paxum after this (we don?t really have alternative don?t we?), at least you might be more careful.
So my card information was stolen. Not sure how and where, and you can blame me for that - but it?s not the point. Yesterday around 5AM EDT time, Paxum - MasterCard Security contact me about suspicious transaction on my card. It?s took me seven minutes to reply them to thank them for noticing and inform them that i checked the card, and indeed this transaction wasn?t made by me with other 12 (5 transactions and 7 Declined Transaction Fees). At 10AM, after 5 hours with no reply from them i tried to call them to be sure my card was canceled and the thief will not spent the few last bucks left on the card. Did anyone of you called Paxum? If you live in the US or Canada i guess you lucky, but if you live outside of them - you have zero chance to get phone support. Basically after 2 minutes wait you always get the voicemail telling that they are busy and you should leave them message and call you back (even if you press 5 to inform them that you lost your card). The problem is, they can?t call to other countries beside US and Canada? Maybe they can, but with my experience with them they always email me that the can?t get a connection. So i left a message and sent them another reply to the tickets, and at the same time i can see that someone still using my card! I was lost at this point but i was sure that Paxum got my back? i mean, they know that someone stole my card and this is Mastercard damn - they got me covered. I was so wrong?
After 30 minutes i received a ticket reply, first they said that they tried calling me back but a connection could not be established. Later they told me that they forwarded a block request to the bank. Then they told me how much i would need to pay for a new card and shipping and they i understood that something really messed up with Paxum? They wrote me the following:
?Regarding your unrecognized transactions, we suggest that you first try to contact the merchants and ask them to make a refund.
If after contacting the merchants the situation isn't solved, we can initiate a chargeback procedure, procedure that has a nonrefundable $40 fee for each dispute (regardless of the bank's decision, which is final).?
Wait, what? 40 fee for each dispute? But the thief made bunch purchases that the amount of each one of them is less than 40$... So basicly what they asking from me is to pay 800$ to MAYBE get my stolen 500$ back. Make no sense, at least for me?
So i wrote them few question, and i think any Paxum user must know Paxum?s policy about lost\stolen cards.
Q: What about all the "Declined Transaction Fees" that wasn?t made by me? should i open chargebacks for that also?
A: The fees for declined transactions cannot be returned.
Q: There are multiple transactions for the same place, about 10$ each... do i really need to pay 40$ for each one of them?! Basically what you saying that people can steal Paxum cards and buy bunch of stuff, as when the owner finds out his card was stolen - he will need to pay over 800$ to get his stolen 500$ back.
A: The bank charges $40 to dispute each transaction and the fee is not reversible, regardless of the bank's decision so we suggest you only dispute transactions over $40.
At the same point i informed them that i can?t see my Card history at all, as they canceled it and removed it. The agent just told me how to find it (i?m Paxum user for few years now, i know how to find it), and didn?t even check if it?s really there. Basicly i was left alone by paxum. The stolen money is really not the issue here, the issue for me it?s how Paxum handle cases like that.
They won?t even return you a "Declined Transaction Fees"! I mean, someone lost few hundreds dollar and you will argue about 0.50$! At least try to help your customers! Anyway i guess i told you the perfect crime? Just steal Paxum card and buy think that costs 39.99$! Then the owner will never get his money back...
Would happy to hear what you think guys and what should i do. I contacted the companies that the thief bought from, but they all ask for a local police report (the thing is, the companies not in my country). Also i ask from Paxum to return me the money that was left on the card at the point i told them that indeed the card was stolen (as some purchases made after that - while i trying to get Paxum?s support to answer me). I asked them document saying that my card was reported as stolen and it's canceled or something like that? So i can at least send this to the companies.
I asked Ruth?s help on skype and i really was thinking if should post this case on GFY as it?s might hurt me and hurt the services i would get from Paxum. But i really think that you guys must know about that. I really hope that this will be solved, and i will be able to update you with good news. Anyway i will update you with any news
Waiting to hear what should i do next in your opinion, Cheers!