WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Polk County retiree Carmen Hudson and her friends love to travel to new places and explore the food scene. In November, Hudson and her crew visited West Palm, where they stopped at a supermarket/restaurant for lunch.
Hudson, who loves Caribbean food, ordered the Oxtail special for $15.99 plus a drink. She estimated that, with tax, the bill would total around $20. But her math didn't add up with what she saw charged to her bank card.
The menu price may have been $15.99, but Foodtown charged her 175 times the cost of the meal. She paid by debit card and didn’t realize until the next day that the store debited her account for $2,830.
“It shocked me. I am like, oh. My head was hurting and everything,” Hudson told ABC Action News.
She called Foodtown and said a manager instructed her to file a dispute with her bank. In a letter to Hudson, her bank denied the claim, citing a lack of information.
“It was devastating. I really didn't know what to do,” said Hudson.
She emailed ABC Action News asking for our help in getting her money back. We contacted the Foodtown manager. The store quickly reached out to Hudson and promised to return the money to her checking account.
Three days later, the full amount, $2830.32, was refunded.
Foodtown told ABC Action News' Jackie Callaway in an email:
Thank you for getting involved and caring to help Ms. Hudson. Unfortunately, this situation took longer to resolve than it should have because of a processing error by the credit card processor.....I'm glad the issue has now been resolved to satisfaction.
Hudson said she is relieved to have the ordeal behind her.
The story is also a reminder that using a credit card gives you more purchase protection in the event you need to file a dispute, especially while traveling. But it's best to charge only what you can afford to pay when the statement arrives.
