Meijer customers recently reported a host of issues with payment processing, including some who had duplicate charges when paying with a card the past few weeks.
Meijer blames Chase Bank for the problems that the grocery giant and other retailers have been dealing with. Chase has had "intermittent stability issues" with many retailers, Meijer spokesperson Frank Guglielmi said in an email.
In the time since, a spokesperson for Chase said card processing has been restored and that teams are "working to address any duplicate transactions."
Not the first time it's happened
Customers reported problems with being overcharged or other card-relatedissues in May, as well.
Reports indicate those were also because of problems with Chase's payment processing systems. Customers who had problems in that particular wave should have been able to expect their money back within a few days, but some customers said on social media that they still had not gotten money back.
How would I know if I was affected?
For customers, the best thing to do now is check your receipts and your bank and credit card statements to see if you may have been overcharged or charged multiple times.
Card card problems, including not being able to use a card to pay, were more quickly resolved. But those who used debit cards saw problems through the weekend, including multiple transactions for the same amount.
What do I do if I have duplicate or incorrect charges?
Guglielmi said that customers who were overcharged will be credited.
"Most Meijer customers who experienced multiple charges on their credit card because of this issue have already been credited and any remaining customers should see their accounts credited by the middle of this week," he said in an email.
Customers who are still having problems are advised to reach out to Meijer's customer service team at 877-363-4537 (select option zero to speak with a representative who would be able to submit a case on your behalf, according to Meijer's social media) or by visiting the company's website at meijer.com/payment-response.html to find additional information.
What should I do if I overdrew my account?
While customers are expected to be credited back for any overcharges, debit customers who were charged multiple times may find their accounts were overdrew.
If that happened, the first step is to call your bank.
Even if the money has not yet been restored, banks will sometimes waive or otherwise limit overdraft fees for good customers or those who have never overdrawn their accounts before.
Lynsel Mukomel, spokesperson for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office, said the fastest way to get money back into your account is to dispute charges with your financial institution.
Meijer says that customers can expect accounts to be credited by the middle of this week, but spokespeople for Meijer and Chase did not answer specific questions about what will happen to customers whose accounts were overdrawn through no fault of their own.
Can Meijer get in trouble for this?
Erik Gordon, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, said that Meijer has several problems stemming from the payment issues.
One of the biggest? The optics of the problems the store is facing.
"They have a public relations problem that they made worse. If you got overcharged at (Meijer), you don’t want to be told to go work itself out yourself with your bank," Gordon wrote in an email. "After you have pressed a button and been put on hold because of 'an unusually heavy volume of calls' and then pushed three more buttons to wait thirty more minutes, you are going to hate (Meijer) for putting you through bank’s 'customer service' agony instead of treating you like an important customer and taking care of it."
Other possible repercussions, Gordon said, is that the company could get sued by "a hungry class-action lawyer" representing those overcharged. It could also be fined by state or federal consumer protection agencies.
As of Monday evening, Mukomel said the Attorney General's office had received six complaints related to the issue. Nessel's office is in charge of the state consumer protection team, and her office has the authority to investigate such issues.
"Our Corporate Oversight Division has also been proactive since learning of the issue through media reports and spoke with Meijer's in-house counsel at the end of May to learn more about the situation," Mukomel said. "Over the weekend, a second inquiry was sent to counsel in light of social media posts suggesting a similar problem. "
Michigan shoppers who have been overcharged can file a complaint with the AG's office by calling toll free at 877-765-8388 or filling out the online complaint form at secure.ag.state.mi.us/complaints/consumer.aspx.
