MacFanaticShop displays the logos of several credit cards on its front page and explicitly states on its payment information page: "We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card/NOVUS." So, since you have purchase protection on your card, if you just insist in paying by credit card, you'll be fine, right? Wrong!
Remember from my main page how they tell you "The charge didn't go through, there is a problem with your card." and then ask you to pay by wire transfer? Because of this very suspicious behaviour, I decided to ask these four credit card firms if MacFanaticShop is even an authorized merchant. Take one wild guess what the answer was!
Here's Discover (emphasis added):
Subject RE:General Question or Comment [#1662255]
Date 06/25/04
Sender Discover® Card Customer Service
< Previous Message Return to Your Inbox Next Message >
Thank you for your message regarding MacFanaticShop. I am sorry, may last message should have said that our search showed they do not accept Discover Card. I did go the link you sent me and read that they do accept Discover Card. The first time I looked, I scrolled to the bottom of the same page and it showed the other cards, but not Discover.
Having said that, if you feel they are running a fraud business the best way to check is with the Better Business Bureau. They have the means to check into these issues.
We appreciate your business. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me again. Thank you for choosing to use Discover Card.
Sincerely,
David
Discover, Discover Deskshop, Discover 2GO, Cashback Bonus, and ShopCenter are our trademarks. All rights reserved.
Here's Mastercard (emphasis added):
Re: Is MacFanaticShop authorized? 06/26/04 02:54:40 AM 1 of 1
Customer Service Wrote:
You will need to write in concerning this. We will have to forward this to Mastercard to investigate. This does sound like a scam. Please send request to Citi Cards PO Box 8001, South Hackensack, NJ 07606-8001
Thank you for using our website.
AmericanExpress has not replied to my inquiry at all and Visa tried to put me off with the pre-fabricated serial letter below, completely unrelated to my question. I assume this two firms are not really concerned about their customers' security.
From: Ask Visa USA [askvisausa@visa.com]
Sent: Fri 6/25/2004 11:33 AM
To: [my email here]
Cc:
Subject: 18AW RE: Is merchant authorized to accept Visa?
Thank you for your message. Please notify the disputes area at your Visa member financial institution of any merchant practices that you feel are inappropriate. Your bank has access to the appropriate Visa rules and regulations as well as to the Notification of Customer Complaint forms which should be used by your bank to document and file merchant complaints. It is not necessary for your bank to be the offending merchant's financial institution in order to file a complaint for you.
VISA Webmaster
I'm not sure how "rules and regulations" or "Customer Complaint forms" would help me find out whether or not this actually is a Visa merchant. I will follow up with them and post any new replies here. From the first two replies alone, though, I think the picture is pretty clear and I'm willing to take any bet as to what I will hear from Visa and American Express if I ever get a meaningful response from them!