A growing number of Toys “R” Us shoppers on the East Coast have come forward to say that in the scrum of Black Friday sales, the toy retailer charged them twice by accident. Sales errors have been reported in New York, Florida, and Georgia, with more complaints coming in as consumers check their statements, but Toys “R” Us has been less than forthcoming in owning up to the mistake.
Slapped with a double charge on her debit card and facing huge overdraft fees, Jennifer Wilson of Atlanta went to the media with her issue:
Wilson has a receipt showing she purchased $326 dollars worth of merchandise on Black Friday, but says the store charged her check card twice, leading to an overdrawn account and $144 in fees from her bank.
When she discovered the problem on her statement, she called Toys “R” Us.
“I expected them to pay back my fees, and the lady sat there and told me that Toys “R” Us would not be responsible for the fees.”
This kind of mistake can befall even the most responsible of budgeters. Debit cards have long been the frugal shopper’s plastic of choice, but they don’t protect consumers from overdrawing their checking accounts. And the average overdraft fee continues to rise — now to $27.50 this year, up from $25 in 2008.
Moral of this story? Check your receipts and your online bank statements frequently to keep your finances in good standing.
