Six Flags: Pushing Customers Away

[LcHg5265]

So today I received my Six Flags pass that i can "activate" by purchasing it, and not have to wait in line or pay for shipping. I was very happy to receive this and i instantly sat down and got ready to activate it. I followed all the steps and entered all my credit card information and hit the purchase button.

 

While it was "thinking," there was me, smiling and excited to soon have an activated 2007 Six Flags seasons pass in my hands.

 

To my dismay, i got an error message, saying that my bank / credit card company, TD Banknorth / Visa, had denied the charge. I figured that I had just entered some information wrong, so I tried again, and ended up with the same result. It did not tell me what the issue was either, just that my bank declined their verification. It also told me that SF could NOT help me, but it didn't say my bank could help me either.

 

I figured I would call my bank, since they would be more helpful than SF customer support, and in retrospect, I made the right choice. My bank informed me that the transaction was being denied because SF was trying to verify the purchase with a $0.01 amount. The bank claimed that they, and many other banks, allow verifications of $1.00 and $0.00, but not $0.01 due to many fraudulent charges occurring with the one cent amount in the past. She told me that there was nothing they could do and to ask the company trying to make the transaction to change the verification amount.

 

So there i was again, all happy to soon be holding an activated seasons pass in my hands. I was wrong.

 

I called up SF and explained my issue to the service rep. To my surprise, she told me that she was fully aware of the issue, and that there was nothing she could do about it. I asked her who would be able to assist me, and she said that the only thing i could do, was to use another card. I explained to her that i only had one card, and once again she told me that there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even do it manually, and she said that no one else could either.

 

At this point, i was basically laughing at how stupid SF was. They knew about the problem, which apparently many people were having, and were not trying to solve it. I know that if I was not an enthusiest, I would have just given up and brought my business elsewhere.

 

I don't know if this is a VISA thing or just my individual bank, has anyone else had this problem? It just seems to me that changing the verification amount would not be that difficult. I can imagine that many of their customers are dealing with this problem, but SF apparently doesn't care.

 

Its ironic though, I was happy to receive the seasons pass in the mail, so I could save money, but now I'm more pissed off at their poor business practices.

[ginzo]

That's just bizarre, and I think more points to how crappy the banking system is. If it was modern, there would be no need to do these little $1 verifications. All transactions should be instantaneous.

 

But banking computers are like 20 years out of date. So, no real time transactions. Super lame!

[bgwfreak]

I got one of those cards in the mail as well.

 

Good thing I'm not renewing it this year.

 

The .01 transaction thing is a big problem though. Someone got my check card number one time by running one of those.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

OK, I work at a bank. And the systems are not out of date at all. The whole purpose for the $1 verification holds it to help prevent fraud and to verify for the seller that the account is open. As for the reason why they send through a $1 and not the actual charge amount is unknown to me. And for the most part transactions 90% or more do go instantly. It is not the banks that are doing it, it is the merchants. They are not sending the charge over with the authorization, they wait for some reason.

[ginzo]

OK, I work at a bank. And the systems are not out of date at all. The whole purpose for the $1 verification holds it to help prevent fraud and to verify for the seller that the account is open. As for the reason why they send through a $1 and not the actual charge amount is unknown to me. And for the most part transactions 90% or more do go instantly. It is not the banks that are doing it, it is the merchants. They are not sending the charge over with the authorization, they wait for some reason.

 

How does charging $1 prevent fraud? If they use a stolen card that is tied to an active account, the thief gets the item whether the merchant charges $1 or the full amount.

[robbalvey]

This is not actually Six Flags fault so you really can't blame them. It's a problem with the way credit cards are authorized and the fact that there are ass-hats out there who steal them.

 

I'm going to guess that TD Banknorth is not a national bank and probably have chosen to deal with the $.01 situation by just not allowing it because it's a smaller bank that probably doesn't have as much bandwidth as a larger bank to handle as many fraudulent claims.

 

It's annoying and frustrating, yes, and I totally see where you're coming from. But in this case I don't think Six Flags is "stupid."

 

I guarantee you that probably have tried everything they can to take your money, but there will be known cases where the system in place will not work for everyone that uses it.

 

We go through the same problems here with people who are international customers who can't get on PayPal. And sometimes the best solution we can offer will mean someone having to go out of their way in order to purchase our DVDs. We don't like having to do it, but again, no online order/banking system will work 100% for everyone. It's unfortunate, but it's true!

 

So to summarize, this doesn't sound like it's Six Flags fault, it's your bank.

 

--Robb "I hope this has given you a little more insight to the situation." Alvey

[almightyfire]

i have always purchased my pass this way and havent had a problem.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

How does charging $1 prevent fraud? If they use a stolen card that is tied to an active account, the thief gets the item whether the merchant charges $1 or the full amount.

 

Because it is a pre-autherization hold. A monitoring company can see the charge and call the person to verify it before the actual charge goes through. The $1 is not a charge, just a verification hold. But a lot of charges go through immediately, so that is why we have so much fraud.

[larrygator]

i have always purchased my pass this way and havent had a problem.

 

are you sure I thought this was the first year SF is trying this method.

[LcHg5265]

If you don't live in the Northeast area or in Canada, you probably wouldn't know of TD Banknorth. Here is a map of their NE branch locations. Has anyone succeeded with using a VISA card for a transaction with Six Flags?

 

 

[okinawaboy11]

Uh my Dad's credit card worked. It's a Visa through Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU).

 

Or he might have used the United Airlines card. I'm not quite sure. Both are Visa, anyways whichever he used worked.

[AT0527]

I dont think "Pushing Customers away" is the correct term to use..Ive bought tickets for SF multiple times online and never had issues. I doubt its being done on purpose and they are purposely trying to "push" you away.

[Sean Menefee]

i have always purchased my pass this way and havent had a problem.

 

are you sure I thought this was the first year SF is trying this method.

 

I've been getting the "needs to be activated" passes in the mail from SFMW/DK for at least the last 2 or 3 years. I've also never had a problem with activating or purchasing new passes either.

[LcHg5265]

I dont think "Pushing Customers away" is the correct term to use..Ive bought tickets for SF multiple times online and never had issues. I doubt its being done on purpose and they are purposely trying to "push" you away.

 

I say they are "pushing customers away" because they know of a problem, which many people are having according to the customer service representative, and are not trying to fix it. I know that in most businesses, if the customer has a viable issue, they will attempt to fix it, but Six Flags has decided to do nothing, and not care about the aggravation it will cost potential guests. If you are treating an issue in such a manner before your customers even arrive at your destination, what does that say about your company, and your practices.

[Jew]

^So by your logic, you canceled your card with that bank? Because they didn't fix the issue either...just blamed it on SF and said it wasn't their fault SF didn't conform to their authorization charge policy. By your definition, that would fit the bill as "pushing customers away" as well.

 

My understanding is that the $.01 charge is a pretty common authorization charge amount too...I've seen it on my statements numerous times.

[robbalvey]

I say they are "pushing customers away" because they know of a problem, which many people are having according to the customer service representative, and are not trying to fix it. I know that in most businesses, if the customer has a viable issue, they will attempt to fix it, but Six Flags has decided to do nothing

It doesn't sound like they decided to "do nothing." It sounds like it's a known issue that they CAN'T do anything about. Or at least they don't have a solution that doesn't frustrate you or involve going out of your way.

 

It's like I said with our DVDs. Not everyone can use PayPal that is an international customer. It's a "known problem" for us, and the only solution we have requres people to have to go out of their way. They have to physically drive to the bank, pay to have an international money order drawn up then go to the post office and mail it. It now becomes a process that requires them to go to TWO places and pay extra instead of just being able to click "submit" on their computer.

 

I've looked into it, and there really isn't a viable alternative.

 

I refuse to beleive that any business out there that has a known customer service issue hasn't at least done some reasearch on how to take your money more efficiently before they will tell you your only other option to go out of your way and frustrate you.

 

It's possible the person on the other end of the phone might not have done a very good job of explaining this, but I'm willing to put money on it (at least $.01) that they have at least researched the problem to some extent before realizing they will have to piss people off.

 

--Robb

[almightyfire]

Now I have never been able to activate it through the site but I have always been able to purchase.

[pvcoasterguy]

Another company probably designed/runs the online ticketing system. I highly doubt that Six Flags made that system on their own.

 

Unfortunately, online ticketing is very unreliable for almost all venues, due to gaps between systems, and flaws in the online ticketing. It is slowly improving, but it will be some time until a great way of online ticketing is established (other than TicketMaster).

[calcajun]

Well, You know, it is ALWAYS six flags fault and from what i hear on all the boards they have the crappiest parks.

 

But look how many people still go.

[shesaidboom]

I've never had a problem with banking issues and Six Flags, but I did have a problem ordering a seasons pass online last year. Apparently if you don't live within a certain distance from the park you can't order your seasons pass online, or at least that's what happened to us. I've ordered a pass from Cedar Point which is further away, and day passes from parks as far from me as Florida, yet I couldn't order from the closest Six Flags park to me. I thought that was a little silly, but I guess I shouldn't complain since there wasn't a line at the park anyway and maybe there's a good reason for this.