Paying for Mandarake Auctions? UPDATE AGAIN!

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:18 pm

Hey Lynxa! Most cards have a 1800 number on the back where you can call and yell at them about stuff like this!

Don't email the credit card company, that'll take too long! Call them and tell them!

Hope you get your lovely's soon!

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 5:34 am

Lynxa, when I had the problem another time I immediately switched my CC to my bank card (VISA). It was immediately accepted by Mandarake. After paying for that purchase I then switched back to my CC that was originally registered with them. You could try this if you have the money to spare from your bank account.

~Sugar

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:43 am

So after going back and forth with Mandarake (who swore that my bank must have a block on it) and my bank (who swore that payment had never even been attempted and they must not be connecting) I finally managed to make payment!!!

Did either of them help me? Hell no! I had to put money in a different account and use a Visa debit! (the one I was trying was a Master Card) Even thought both parties swore that the Master Card should work (it didn't, even after I sent them a scan of my card and had them put it in over there). I used my Visa Debit and it went through on the first try.

So....yeah.....frustrating, but I hope I'll have my babies soon!!!

And mental note: Use Visa with Mandarake, no matter how many different kind of cards they say they use.

Golden Boy · Post by **Golden Boy** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:13 am

Lynxa,
Pay close attention to that initial failed payment "attempt". It might show up later on your statement. I won an auction earlier this year. I made 3 failed "attempts" and was finally able to pay for it with another card. The only problem now was that those 3 earlier attempts showed up on my statement. I was able to clear it up with Nicolas' help from Mandarake France. So beware!

gb

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:41 am

My three failed attempts made my $630 Mandarake auction win turn into a $690 auction win. $20 was added on each time the transaction didn't go through.

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:49 am

Thanks for the warnings guys, but I talked to my bank and they swore up down and sideways that there was no indication that there was ever even an attempted payment.

The bank said that it looked like the problem was with Mandarake and that the equipment just wasn't connecting with the bank.

rallihir · Post by **rallihir** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:38 am

I have had a couple problems with VISA on Mandarake, and all of them could be traced to the CC company putting a block on international internet transactions. Some CC companies automatically block these transactions because of perceived fraud. Usually if the company you are buying from will process a direct charge rather than using the internet, the charge will be accepted. Alternatives are also to use a different card. I have not had problems with VISA debit cards so far...

I have also tried to get my CC company to unblock specific transactions, but I have found that this is more trouble than it is worth. Usually it will only work for one transaction, then the company does not retain the transaction and you have to repeat the same action with the next transaction.

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:55 am

I used my PAYPAL "mastercard" debit card and it was immediately approved.

I did use my paypal balance. So maybe that's why it went through so quickly?

It sounds like Debit transactions go through easier!

What do you think?

wELCOME cONSUMER · Post by **wELCOME cONSUMER** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 11:03 am

Well, I just tried to pay for a Mandarake auction with my Visa bank/debit
card and it didn't work. Which is weird, considering I've had several transactions
with them before with no problem (always with the same method of payment).

I contacted them and they said it was because the card was probably blocked.
I replied that it wasn't because it's not actually a credit card, blah blah.

Waiting to hear a reply, I asked them to manually charge it for me.

I hope this back and forth doesn't go on too long, I know what the problem
is, if they would just listen.

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 11:10 am

Well I was using a debit card and I'd never had any problems with my bank either (Hibernia) but it got sold (to Capital One) and now I'm starting to.

Even the manual charging didn't work for me. I finally got ahold of my bank and they told me that they started automatically blocking anything from Japan because of the high level of fraud that occurs there AND - get this - THERE IS NO WAY TO UNBLOCK anything in Japan.

So I'm just going to have to use my other bank's debit card for everything now.

wELCOME cONSUMER · Post by **wELCOME cONSUMER** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 11:15 am

Really?

No way to unblock?!

How horrible.

My bank is Wells Fargo, but I don't know their policy (considering it
might've changed recently). Never had trouble before either, but now... *sigh*

I guess I'll start bothering my bank now as well.

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 2:29 pm

Argle bargle??

This entire thing is just too weird for words, Lynxa. I hope the horrific hassle isn't going to ruin enjoyment of the sketches for you!!

So weird. I've had a Capital One card for years and years, have used it on everything from soup to nuts and/or kitchen sink -- including paying for Mandarake auctions (at least I think I used that one...) and never had a second's problem.

Mergers and so forth are such a joy to deal with.

I'm down to just a couple of cards now as I discovered that almost everything was owned by Chase anyway. ("Expletive Deleted").

Hope it all has worked itself loose!!

birdie · Post by **birdie** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 7:32 pm

Lynxa wrote: I finally got ahold of my bank and they told me that they started automatically blocking anything from Japan because of the high level of fraud that occurs there AND - get this - THERE IS NO WAY TO UNBLOCK anything in Japan.

It must be all those Japanese emails asking for 200 million yen to secure their uncle's fortune, finally catching up to them.....

wtf?

What Japanese fraud are they talking about? I'm really sorry you are having such trouble. My bank - PNC - has issued me an electronic debit card that can only be used online and has a strict spending limit. Maybe your bank should look into that sort of thing if they are worried about "fraud".

Hope you have better luck with the other card.

Mandarake · Post by **Mandarake** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:51 am

Hello everybody,

This is Nicolas from Mandarake, I just discovered the forum today (who said late?), and found it very helpful in order to try to meet the demands of all our customers.

Regarding the payment problems, this is a real pain in the neck for us too, as we have to ask each person to contact their bank. Our securised payment system is for sure securised, but the banks policy regarding foreign debits is more and more strict, blocking cards that already made without any problems payments in the past. This problem occurs from all over the world, and the only solution is to contact the bank and ask them to deblock the card for japanese debits. They must know that, don't believe them if they told you your CC is ok! This is a simple operation, it doesn't take time, but they have to do it.

If you cannot make them do their job properly (so often in France

), you have the solution of sending us a copy of your CC (by fax or e-mail), and we will proceed to the payment through our Terminal, just like we used to do few years ago. We just have to check the numbers and the name on the CC are matching.

I am sorry for these problems, be sure we do our our best to make the payments possible the fastest we can!

cutiebunny · Post by **cutiebunny** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:04 am

Thanks for the help, Nicolas.

I'm sure this information will help everyone out, especially during this BWA.