Credit Card conspiracy: No signature required

Anyone noticed that the past several months no signature is required for credit cards now? I've seen this mainly at gas stations, but I'm noticing it at more and more places, including grocery stores. Has anyone ever tried to fight against wrongful debits from a credit card? It's nearly impossible. According to one person I talked to, as long as they have your number, you really can't do anything, but if you do try, you go through a huge bureaucracy of paperwork.

Oh yes, and I have to add that many places use digital signatures, where you sign it on a pressure-sensitive screen. Do you realize how easy it is to "photochop" your signature, especially with such poor quality digitalization? Whenever I see those things, I scribble in a date real fast and make sure the date is over the signature, so they can't "photochop" it anywhere else.

In the UK using a signature for credit cards is being phased out not for the 'chip and pin' system.

you use the same pin number you use for cash machines.

if you are that interested:

Chip and Pin

Originally posted by a3s73rg30ne
Anyone noticed that the past several months no signature is required for credit cards now? I've seen this mainly at gas stations, but I'm noticing it at more and more places, including grocery stores. Has anyone ever tried to fight against wrongful debits from a credit card? It's nearly impossible. According to one person I talked to, as long as they have your number, you really can't do anything, but if you do try, you go through a huge bureaucracy of paperwork.

I have known a few people who have either had a store overcharge their card or had a card stolen and used and none of them had any problems getting these charges removed.

Not seeing it here in Ohio....

I use my CC everywhere... Gas stations, grocery, department stores...

I always have to sign a receipt and sometimes even show my I.D.

Gas stations here have signature-less transactions---at the pump only.

A local grocery had transactions wothout signatures for a while. Lately, you have to sign again. I think they ran into problems, maybe with security, maybe with collection issues.

I HATE having to sign those stupid machines. It never looks like my signature. How would they ever prove forgeries???!???
I don't like the PIN idea either, though.

Whatever is being used, it HAS to be better than paper copies of your card imprint.
A few years ago, we had credit theft. An employee at a major retailer saved an imprint and later did their Christmas shopping on our account number.

I've had credit card numbers heisted before and there is almost no difficulty whatsoever in disputing fraudulent charges.

First - if your card has a Visa or MasterCard logo, you are only liable for the first $50 of any fraudulent transaction. Most banks will waive that liability, though, and cover the entire transaction.

Second - if you dispute a credit card transaction with a vendor, the only way the vendor can fight the dispute is to produce a reciept with an actual signature on it. So, if they don't ask for a signature, then they won't have one on file. If they don't have one on file, they have nothing to submit to Visa/MC and Visa/MC will not pay them for the transaction and will refund your money. If they have a receipt, it's got to have your name on it, signed by you, otherwise, the transaction is deemed fraudulent and Visa/MC will not pay the vendor and will refund your money.

It is the vendor's responsibility to collect a signature and to verify that the signature matches the signature on the back of the card. If the vendor chooses not to verify signature, they are doing so at their own risk and will lose almost any dispute that comes along.

If you have tried to fight a fraudulent charge and lost, you messed up. It's easy to do and most banks are quite accomodating in this regard. Sorry, but you're wrong.

yeah everyone i have known to have problems find it really easy to get it taken care of. ive never had a place use my credit card and not have me sign for it. I think all the places are really good about that stuff including overcharge fees. I have called my credit card company twice in the past year about over charges and they reversed them, you know how us college kids can be......

in CT I have to sign for everything, and most vendors even compare the signatures still....some hand the card back before I sign it, but at least there is still a sig.....

Yes, I have noticed that. The sad thing is that I experienced identity theft and it took years to get all of the fraudulent charges flagged and erased. Because of the bitch who did it, I had a hard time opening up a bank account using my SS#, because somehow, she got a hold of it and was using it to open accounts, rent an apartment and shop. I would never have known had it not been for the bank questioning me about my own SS#, and giving me her name... The funny thing is that I see commercials from various credit card companies from time to time warning people about identity theft and offering ways to stop it. If they are so concerned, they should always have merchants check id and sign... Defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Yup - in the UK everywhere I shop it's Chip and PIN - so convenient
No signature required - no effort
Even better when we get the sub-dermal chip
Just wave your hand over the reader

Had this happen for the first time the other day. The person told me that no signature was required for amounts under $20. I work in banking and I can only assume its because most companies will automatically refund disputed purchases under $50.