I-TEAM: Debit, credit overcharges expand beyond Meijer

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

People need to check their bank statements if they did any shopping last weekend. News Center 7′s I-Team has uncovered a problem that has become more widespread than originally thought.

It involves problems with stores taking debit or credit card payments at the checkout. Some people in the Miami Valley said they found charges happened over and over on their cards, and it cost them thousands of dollars in overcharges.

>> RELATED: I-TEAM: ‘Technical issue’ blamed for Meijer transaction problems; customers report duplicate charges

A woman in Troy said it cost her more than $1,700. In Miami Township, a woman said the mistake cost her $1,100

On Tuesday, News Center 7′s John Bedell confirmed the problem with Meijer. But now, we’ve learned customers have been complaining about all kinds of stores.

The list of companies that have been overcharging customers has grown from one to five.

On Tuesday, the I-Team reported how Rhonda Prater is working to get money back into her bank account after a weekend grocery run to Meijer.

“My total was $13.17, and it was charged three times. They credited me one, but one still has not been credited back,” Prater said.

And she wasn’t alone.

Based on Facebook comments WHIO-TV received, one woman said her card was charged 12 times, racking up $1,700 in overcharges.

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Another woman who originally said her card was charged six times for an online order with Meijer said she was charged ever more in overages.

With a little more research, it turned out the charge was actually taken out 20 times, and that her bank denied an additional 33, saying, “got me for over $1,100.”

In a statement, Meijer blamed this on a technical issue with Chase Bank. The company the grocery pays to handle its credit and debit card checkout systems.

Since then, another woman from Troy reached out to the I-Team, saying this happened to her at Walmart. She said on Monday, her monthly Walmart Plus membership, which is $13 was taken out five times.

Aside from Meijer and Walmart, the I-Team has received complaints from customers about debit and credit card transactions at

  • Starbucks

  • Taco Bell

  • Costco

  • Lowe’s

Comments have been asked for by each of those businesses.

Plus, WHIO-TV has reached out to Chase Bank to ask whether any of these other corporations pay them to handle credit and debit checkout systems like Meijer does.

Costco replied and simply said, “No comment.” Meanwhile, Starbucks responded with the following: “On May 21 for a short period of time Starbucks customers who used a credit or debit card for their purchases may have been declined. We resolved the error, and customers will not be erroneously charged. We apologize for the inconvenience. If customers need additional support, we encourage them to contact their financial institution or our customer care team at (800) 782-7282 or via email”