Response please for billing issue re stolen credit card

[patwa]

Hello,

The details for my credit card, which I also use to fund my HostGator account automatically each month were stolen either online or over the phone. The thief bought nearly $1200 worth of iTunes on the same day (29th May). I noticed the theft and reported it and now the card has been blocked pending the issue of a new one.

I reported this to HostGator, as I am not sure when my billing date is, or whether I'll have the new card by then, and because I obviously don't want any downtime on my account. But I have not received a reply. I also wanted to know of other means of funding should this become necessary, as well as the time before account barring after the billing date (i,e if the billing date is the 1st, and I get the new card on the 3rd, would the account have already been suspended)?

Now I know that billing probably doesn't receive as high a priority as technical support (I guess this is probably the only sector where this is the case), and I didn't want to send myself back to square one by replying to the ticket seeking an update, but after more than 48 hours I have not received a response. i don't want to have problems because it's said I did not take measures to sort out the problem before the billing date.

Perhaps someone from HG support could advise me on ticket #EIP-101909 ?

thanks.

Hussein.

[Sam]

Sorry to hear about that.

You could use PayPal.. and you can transfer from the bank to your paypal account

[patwa]

Ah, that causes slightly more problems in that I don't have a card which can work on paypal. One of my cards is blocked due to a pending dispute (chargeback after seller messed up a sale last August) and the only other card I had is stolen.

that's why I asked about how long after the billing date account gets suspended - basically how long do I have, if we push the boat right out, to chomp at the bit to get the new card here - I'm already pushing as hard as I can, I'm on holiday at the moment so the loss of the card is really messing up my ability to book flights, hotels, etc let alone get back home.

H.

[Sam]

I think you get a 15 day grace period to pay the bills and you can check when and invoice is due at http://hostgator.com/billing/

[patwa]

Thanks, it's showing a creation date of 08 Jun and a due date of 13 Jun. Does this mean I have until the 23 Jun (15 days after the creation date) to pay it (I can definitely manage that)? What happens to my site in the meantime? do I need to set up e-mail diverts, etc in case the e-mail and site is blocked for that time?

thanks.

H.

[quietFinn]

You have 10 days after the due date before you get this:

Your web hosting payment is now 10 days past due your account has been suspended, and will be terminated in ten days if payment is not received. If you do provide immediate payment you must submit a sales ticket confirming payment was made. Your account will then be enabled and a $10.00 reactivation fee imposed.

So if your due date is 13 Jun and you can pay before 23 Jun you will be ok

[patwa]

Phew, OK thanks.

Should manage that with sufficient clearance.

H.

[bihcode]

I even forgot to pay in a grace period of ten days (in your case until 23.) and when my account got suspended I have just sent a ticket to sales and then I paid 10$ penalty and invoice. My account got back on-line in no time. Great support here at HG!

[patwa]

Just to tidy up this thread, card changed via the billing section, I did not receive any e-mail confirmation but no error was displayed on the site either so I'll know in a couple of days if the payment went through OK.

Thanks again for the tips and recommendations.

H.

[Break the Silence]

Originally Posted by patwa

The details for my credit card, which I also use to fund my HostGator account automatically each month were stolen either online or over the phone. The thief bought nearly $1200 worth of iTunes on the same day (29th May).

Sorry to hear about this...

When I first read your post, it reminded me of a recent Dateline episode where the investigative reporter sold, (and then tracked), a credit card number in an internet chat room. The results were pretty amazing...

Within the first three minutes the card was already at the limit with hits coming in from merchants all across Europe and South America. Even the reporter seemed stunned at how fast it all went down.

Just to tidy up this thread, card changed via the billing section, I did not receive any e-mail confirmation but no error was displayed on the site either so I'll know in a couple of days if the payment went through OK.

Hopefully, all will be well.

[Serra]

Originally Posted by Break the Silence

Within the first three minutes the card was already at the limit with hits coming in from merchants all across Europe and South America. Even the reporter seemed stunned at how fast it all went down.

I think my next job will be credit card fraud. When I've suffered from fraud, I've found it almost impossible to get law enforcement to do anything about it. It seems that if you just defraud people $10 or $20 a pop, they don't seem to be able to get law enforcement to do anything. Plus, I've found that people don't seem to notice charge of less than $10.

Fraud seems like a good way to make a living.

[gwyneth]

Serra, that will integrate nicely with your kiosk at the mall (especially since the original inventory of 100,000 SKUs doubled). "Synergy", they call it at B-school.

[Break the Silence]

Originally Posted by Serra

I think my next job will be credit card fraud. When I've suffered from fraud, I've found it almost impossible to get law enforcement to do anything about it. It seems that if you just defraud people $10 or $20 a pop, they don't seem to be able to get law enforcement to do anything. Plus, I've found that people don't seem to notice charge of less than $10.

Fraud seems like a good way to make a living.

The landscape is really changing in a hurry...

Obviously I don't know if this applies in your locale, but in our parts you don't even have to sign for purchases under $25 anymore. Admittedly, I haven't taken the time to look into the rationale, but on the surface at least, it's hard to see how this is a step in the right direction.

Fortunately, I haven't had to dispute charges too often in the past, but when and if it becomes necessary it seems reassuring to be able to contact the bank and ask them to request a signature from the vendor.

As for your comment about people not noticing the small charges, I'm beginning to think you may be right. In days gone by, I used to get irked when a cashier would ask for photo i.d. for a $10 credit card purchase.

The truth is, I had a hard time understanding why a $10 purchase would make me a likely candidate for fraud, (as I always thought it much more likely that someone with a freshly stolen card would target a big ticket item).

But, as you suggest, perhaps they are intentionally trying to fly under the radar...

[patwa]

Here in the UK now you have to enter your PIN (Personal Identification Number) for almost ALL purchases whatever the value. I have to enter it when using my card to purchase a 28p First Class stamp at the Post Office.

Online fraud is the real problem. Some time ago, banks started offering a system whereby after you entered your card details at a merchant's site, you were transferred to your banks site and had to login there to authorise the payment with your PIN and customer number. But not all sites use that system, in fact only two sites that I've used in the last year have had it.

H.

[GatorWesley]

The ticket ID you provided was closed because it did not have an actual message in it, just your name and contact information.

We are more than happy to help with billing issues, especially anything involving credit card fraud. Please submit another ticket if you have not already: http://support.hostgator.com/

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by Break the Silence

The truth is, I had a hard time understanding why a $10 purchase would make me a likely candidate for fraud, (as I always thought it much more likely that someone with a freshly stolen card would target a big ticket item).

But, as you suggest, perhaps they are intentionally trying to fly under the radar...

Apparently virtually all c.c. thieves use it first on a very small purchase to see if it's been reported yet. In the tv show mentioned earlier in this thread, the first transaction was a five-dollar donation to the Red Cross!