Applebees lost my debit card

[Horse with no Name]

I gave the waitress my card to pay for our meal, about 20 minutes later, she returned to the table to tell me she had "lost" my debit card. How does that happen?
Apparently, she was collecting money on 4 different bills at the same time--and apparently gave my card to someone else.
Funny thing was--she didn't have an extra card.
My question was why did it take so long for them to come and tell me?
They did comp my bill and give me a gift certificate for my next visit...however, the pure inconvenience of the entire matter irritates me. I am going out of town on Monday and there is absolutely no way I can get my card replaced by then...so I will have to try to figure out how much cash to take because so few places take checks these days.

[MrPerson]

1. Its in the salad bar. David Brooks saw it.

[NeedleCast]

2. Many Banks Can Overnight a New Card Elsewhere, call them

I know AmEx and many other card issuers have emergency replacement options. They usually wont mention them to you, but if you ask they should do it.

I'm sure you have, but I'd call the issuer of the lost card and make sure no other charges have shown up on it. I got ID thefted last year and it was eventually traced back to either a restaurant or a taxi cab company. My folks had their card information stolen (at an Applebees...no joke) by a waitress who was eventually busted.

[iamthebandfanman]

18. shew, not mine!

i didnt receive my replacement card (mine expired) so i emailed my bank and was told id have to go back to the branch i opened the account with! thats 30 miles away!

thanks u.s. bank!

[Mollis]

3. Dang, that really sucks.

How in the world does that happen...you would think that the person she gave it to would notice, right? Maybe they will bring it back.
And does your bank give you temp cards? Mine did that when I lost my wallet.

[Horse with no Name]

6. I bank with a local bank

However, it is not local to me anymore since I moved.
I won't have time to travel down there and get another card before I have to reach my destination on Monday.

[Mollis]

11. Oh, that does suck

Have you checked back to see if anyone has turned it in?

[bottomtheweaver]

4. I read an article in a free weekly once about an underwear kiosk in a mall

where the writer had bought some underwear, then later realized he'd "left" his credit card at the kiosk, by which time fraudesters had racked up several thousand dollars in charges.. so I hope you cancelled it!

[Horse with no Name]

8. It was cancelled. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I was on vacation one time and had to replace my debit card

My bank was wonderful. They had me go to a bank where I was and pick up a new card. It took less than an afternoon.

[Not Me]

7. I had a similar thing happen at a restaurant in Toronto

A pretty high end place, Angelini's on Jarvis St.
When I told the waiter that the card was not in the folio when he brought the bill, he said he was certain it was.
I dug in and said, "No, it definitely was not." He went away for a while and came back more certain that it was.
Neither he or the manager would even consider that they lost the card.

Amid all of this, a man from a couple tables over came by and offered my card...it had fallen on the floor next to his table.

They never even apologized. And I never returned there. And I tell this story to as many people as are willing to listen.

[notadmblnd]

9. The bank can give you a temporary card

I lost mine a couple of weeks ago. I think I threw it in a garbage can at the bowling alley. Anyway, I went to the bank and told them I needed a new one. The guy asked if i needed a temporary one while waiting for mine to come in about a week. I declined as I figured it would save me a little money by not having one to use for a few days. It did take a good week to get my new one though.

[Warpy]

10. She took so long because she was going around to everybody

who had an opportunity to touch that card to find out where it went.

Most banks have a 24/7 hot line for you to call to cancel the card. You should be able to do that rather quickly if you haven't done it already.

I always use cash in restaurants. I understand first hand why wait staff especially appreciate cash gratuities.

[MADem]

15. I do the same. Also, I never let my card out of my physical sight.

Too much can happen, IMO.

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. The Applebees near me got converted into a Bank of America branch

At least it's easier to get a card replaced now.

[Warpy]

20. The food's probably better, too

[JanMichael]

13. And she was probably mortified to have to tell you. I assume

that you chose to be nice about it, and tip her anyway. Cancel your card and figure out how to live without it for a few days. Unless you are 20 years old, you can surely remember how easy it was to not have one.

[liberalhistorian]

16. I wouldn't be so sure of that. It's become a fairly common trick in

restaurants to claim that a card was given to someone else or to take awhile in returning it because they're stealing the card numbers. Believe me, it's happened, and is happening, more and more frequently. Many cases of ID and credit/debit card theft are traced back to restaurants. And I sure as hell wouldn't tip a waitress who "lost" my card and exposed me to potential ID theft and financial theft, not to mention the inconvenience of cancelling cards and having to get new ones. No. Way.

[JanMichael]

23. Oh please. Cut me a break. Major banks now have 24 hour

800 numbers to call and report a card as lost or stolen. In that twenty minutes it is highly unlikely this guy was wiped out.

My wife was a bartender. One night she had two people give her identical cards. Ran em (for the correct amount), laid them down on the bar for the two customers to sign...and they grabbed each others. By the time she realized what had happened, they had pulled out of the parking lot. This was a Saturday night, 2:00 AM. Sunday morning, and several phone calls (on her part) they realized that they had each others cards-- what a snafu.

But, everyone acted like an adult, and the whole thing was taken care of without freaking out or screaming "it's a scam!"

I know we read the news about horrible people all the time-- but, I betcha in this case it was an honest mistake.

[Horse with no Name]

19. I am not a rude person

To say that I was not happy is an understatement. I did not make a scene, but I did not leave a tip. I have been thoroughly inconvenienced. I had to drive home 35 miles and get my checkbook so I can go back to town to finish doing the things I went to town to do. 70 extra miles--over an hour of my day wasted.
I do not use credit cards. I use MONEY that I have.
I am going out of town Monday. I had to cancel my card. Can you travel out of town and figure out how to do it without money?
I do not have full access to my MONEY while I am out of town.
Who takes checks anymore?
I understand people make mistakes. I really do.
However, this goof really sucks.

[JanMichael]

21. I traveled with a backpack and travelers's checks for years

in the eighties-- been to Mexico, Europe, Jamaica....all without a debit or credit card. So, yes, I do know how to do it.

Look. I know it's a pain in the ass-- but, there is a very good chance it was an honest mistake.

[Horse with no Name]

28. I think you miss the entire point

It is Saturday where I live. Not sure which day it is where you live.
The banks do not open until Monday. I bank at a small local bank--no branches. It is where I have banked for years, and the bank is over 6 hours away.
I am leaving town on Monday.
Exactly what don't you understand??
I have absolutely NO time to make other arrangements without my financial tool.
Had this happened on a weekday and I was not going out of town--then it wouldn't be a big deal, however, it isn't and it is.

[JanMichael]

36. Well. Not to be a pain in the ass

but, I'll be damned in this day and age if I would bank at a local place with only one location.

We bank at two different places, one local (like yours, I assume) and one national. And we keep cash in the house should something come up.

Something always comes up-- this is life. There is absolutely nothing you can do about life, and human error except try to be prepared as possible.

[Horse with no Name]

38. I'll handle my affairs, you handle yours

I TRUST my local bank. I do not trust the national banks. Period. I abhor their business practices and I refuse to give them my money WILLINGLY (although Congress does it for me...that I can do nothing about).
I do keep an emergency fund in my house...however, I do not appreciate MY finances being limited on MY vacation because someone else was CARELESS with my property. I am not going to carry thousands of dollars in cash with me "in case of an emergency", however, I will be even more highly irritated if I encounter one and needed it.
I don't want her fired and I sincerely hope that she learned a valuable lesson here, but I find your willingness to completely absolve someone of such a serious error troubling, and I wonder if it is only because your wife is in this profession that you are so willing to do this. I wonder if you would be as forgiving if I, as a nurse, harmed one of your loved ones because I was as distracted as this waitress was. Somehow I don't think so, and honestly, I surely wouldn't expect it. Taking responsibility is part of being an adult.

[Blue Diadem]

22. Tip her?

I've worked in restaurants and retail and there is no excuse for losing a customer's debit card. None. If the waitress handles the bill and payments, then that's as much a part of her job as serving the food.

I wouldn't have left a tip either.

[JanMichael]

25. Yep! They are NOT allowed to make mistakes, oh HELL no!

Whatever.

Read my post above about my wife. It's mortifying when shit like this happens.

Tell you what...you go wait tables for years, or bartend-- and deal with cards that are small, and look so much alike...and then come back and describe your human perfection for me.

[CreekDog]

30. I nearly always tip 20%+, but I think it is reasonable to tip 0$ if the server loses your card

especially if they have taken 20 minutes to bring your bill, don't give you the card with it and then deny losing your card.

that's fair and normally i think 20% tip is appropriate under almost all circumstances.

nobody is saying the server should be fired, but the customer need not tip in this instance.

[Blue Diadem]

32. They're allowed to make mistakes all they want. They just shouldn't expect a

tip for such a serious mistake. Considering I used to ring up thousands of dollars of meals per shift, I know a little bit about those little cards.

We're not talking delayed breadsticks or salad here. This is a longer term inconvenience to the OP.

I also look at your wife's situation entirely different than the OP's. Placing two cards/receipts on the bar is not the same as going to the individual tables.

[Danger Mouse]

24. I'm one of the most easygoing customers you'll ever meet.

I rarely make a big deal out of anything, in fact I'm almost a doormat. However, that would be a dealbreaker for me. I would not leave a tip, and i might even be inclined to have a word with the manager.

[JanMichael]

26. Oh I am sure you would

I am positive that you are like every other Appleby's customer posting on here...the very poster child of human perfection.

Jeeezzz spare me.

This shit could, does, and can happen to anyone.

Please remember your response next time you fuck up and someone isn't willing to forgive you. I don't care if it's a dumb move in traffic, or breaking something, losing something, etc. Think about it.

[Danger Mouse]

29. I'm not claiming to be perfect. I tend to have a short temper.

I've worked in customer service, though, and I know how much it sucks.
However, losing somebody's debit card is a pretty serious fuck-up.

[CreekDog]

31. you're saying the customer should tip the server in this instance?

[JanMichael]

35. Yep. I am. Do you have any idea what those people

work for?
Or how hard the work is?

[CreekDog]

37. yes i do

i think this is one of those times where an exception is appropriate.

[skygazer]

34. Why are you so defensive about this?

No one has said that the waitress should be fired or disciplined. No one has said that they expect perfection. No one has said that they are perfect or never make mistakes and no one has suggested the server be fired or disciplined. But it is ridiculous to expect someone to leave a tip when such a serious mistake was made.

A tip is not a required payment. It is a bonus for good service. I tip around 20% pretty much always and I'm very forgiving of minor mishaps - long waits, incorrect orders, etc. I would be inclined to forego a tip in this case. It is a major inconvenience and part of the server's responsibility. Whether because of inattention or pure bad luck, she is the responsible party here.

If I fuck up, I take responsibility for it. Whether or not anyone wants to forgive me is their own business.

[The Straight Story]

14. That is why you should eat at the olive garden

[BreweryYardRat]

17. Applebee's seems to be a hotspot for this.

Happened to my father once.

[Riley18]

27. Applebees double charged my debit card. They kept $60 of my money for

over a month. When I noticed the "error" and called them, the guy on the phone acted bored with my problem. He basically said no big deal because we plan on giving you your money back.

[XemaSab]

33. Since your card didn't have a name on it

how was she supposed to know it was yours?

[bluedeminredstate]

39. I waited tables for many years

and remember well how difficult it can be to get everything done properly and keep everyone happy. However, this is a HUGE fuck-up and I can't imagine anyone who did such a thing would expect a tip. Of course you were right to withhold a display of your happiness with your service since you obviously were not happy with it. In fact, you seem outraged as anyone would be. Why would you throw ten bucks or whatever on the table after that disaster?

What a pure pain in the ass!! I remember life without debit cards, but these days almost no one writes checks and if you're going out of town practically no one will want to take a non-local check. (BTW, places like Walmart and Tartget will take a check from anyone because it processes immediately like a debit), but I'd be pissed off if I had to go out of town without a card to cover my expenses. That is going to take some serious planning.

Sorry this happened to you. I hope your trip isn't made too awful by the inconvenience.