I think in a lot of the stores where you run your own card in the little ... machine thingie, it's sort of pointless to check, I guess. But we don't use that yet, and my managers are really firm about checking, and what cards we can take, etc.

So much this. I've watched teenaged girls' heads explode.

One time, a girl came back with mall security, demanding that she be allowed to purchase the merchandise. She claimed discrimination in recounting her tale to the guard, but she also left out a few very important facts. Once the guard found out she wanted to pay with daddy's platinum Amex and not a card in her own name, he very politely told her to grow a brain before he hauled her down to the in-mall police station to allow the police to investigate whether it could be a stolen card.

She walked out of the store without a thing, all the while threatening to sue me, the guard, and Banana Republic because we were mean to her.

"With as closely as you were looking at the signature, I'm surprised that you didn't notice MY PHOTO on the back of the card."

I did this more than once when I worked at my friends' store. Oop!

(We checked if signature was missing or if card said "See ID").

::rolls eyes forever::

What really kills me is that parents hand their kids these cards. But who's going to be ranting if Susie's shifty friend lifts it from her purse and uses it?

I've had two nasty encounters with wives who are APPALLED I won't let them use their husband's card. "I can call him on the phone right now!"

And I'm like, "How the hell do I know who you're calling?" It's so ridiculous in this day and age. GET YOUR OWN CARD.

I keep having banana malfunctions.

sara, I'm not sure I want to know....

I did this more than once when I worked at my friends' store. Oop!

It's like the awareness test! We're so focused on the signature we miss the moonwalking bear.

Fuckers won't peel right.

I am so looking forward to going home and ... mopping my kitchen for a second time today. And moving the fridge to mop under there. And possibly mop the cabinets.

Sigh.

Bed Bath and Beyond's purchasing workflow is filled with "Show card to cashier" prompts. They're not looking.

I do know I can grab a card and run to the Starbucks near krav and get pretty much anything I want and they won't look at the card. No signature required. I'm sure (or at least am hoping) that it's just that my dollar value has been low, and that's why they haven't asked for anything beyond swiping it.

it's just that my dollar value has been low, and that's why they haven't asked for anything beyond swiping it.

Yeah, there's a certain cutoff, below which they don't need to have you sign. I think around $8, but I'm not sure.

At Walgreen's, they don't make you sign if it's under $20, at least. Maybe $25.