Hi guys,

I ordered my IPad from apple.com on the 25th of June and my credit card was billed immediately and my bank called me to confirm the transaction. I received an email today from Apple.com to say that the IPad had shipped and about an hour later my credit card was billed again for the same amount by Apple.com. Again my bank called me, but this time I hadn't authorized the transaction.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so, did you need to sort it out with Apple.com or was it sorted out through their normal processes?

Thanks
Dale

You may find that the initial charge was actually a pre-authorization to insure the card was OK. If you see two itemized charges on your account, Apple will reverse one. Of course, the issuing bank will do a chargeback as well.

When I ordered mine they did a pending for the amount then released the amount then took the money it seemed like two charges but it wasn't

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. Do you think I should call Apple.com to confirm or just leave it to see what happens?

Check your account online it should show if you have a debit and a pending give them a call and they can release the pending but you may find your bank is overly cautious and the first call was for the pending and the second was for the actual debit

If you're concerned, Call the bank...they have real-time access to your account that Apple does not.

Thanks everybody, I checked my account online and there is only today's amount pending so that other pending obviously reversed as figmo10 said. Neither amount has actually gone through but I'll give it a day or 2 and check again to make sure.

They didn't take the money from my account until a day before I got my iPad so it was already in transit for three days before the money was actualy taken not just pending

With all due respect, I don't think Apple trusts you enough to ship your iPad and put the charges through several days later.

I have noticed that some credit/debit activity varies in terms of when it hits the bank's online system. I can buy something at Wal-Mart or my local grocery store on my debit card and it has already posted by the time I come home! OTOH, charges from my gas station (you know, the one that changes their prices 3-4 times a day for some unknown reason), can take several days before it shows up on my account.

iTunes is actually a perfect example of this. My account is tied to my debit card (no, I am not going to give you the number and expiration date!) and it can take several days before I get the email with the charges. But rest assured, Apple has confirmed that you have the money available or you wouldn't even get to download your purchase.

But to dale600rr, if you did not authorize the second call to charge your account, you may want to call Apple and check the status of your order just to make sure. BTW, I find it interesting that a bank would call you to make sure a charge is legitimate. I have been doing business with the same bank for over 30 years and I don't think they offer any such service.

This happened to my friend who bought an iPod Touch. Just call Apple and they will fix it in a couple of minutes.

Your friend was probably double-billed from one of those "offers" that makes you give up credit card info to get a 'free' apple device

They had the money on hold but didn't take it until it had been in transit for three days if you read before you tell me what happened you would have seen that I said it was pending/holding so don't tell me they didn't do it that way

And never be nervous

You are the customer of both Apple and the bank. Mine often calls to make sure and I am happy they do. Speaking about Credit Cards though, not Debit. Personally, I would not have a Debit card. Just my opinion though.

Jeez, calm down!

Not that it really matters since you have your iPad now, but I am wondering how you knew that your card wasn't charged until after it had been in transit for 3 days? I was merely suggesting that if you were looking at your online statement from your bank or credit card company, they are not always in "real time" and that there can be a lag of a couple of days from the time the purchase is made until it shows up on your statement. I promise you that Apple does not ship things unless they have the money in their bank (unless you have a line of credit with Apple).

I don't know what I did before I had a debit card, well actually it is a check card that withdraws the money directly from my account. I probably don't carry more than about $15-20 in cash because I use my card for just about everything any more.

Now back to your regularly scheduled topic...

I had to call apple I was sent a ship notice and checked my account the money was still there so I called apple to see why they told me yes my iPad was on the way and the money was on hold in my account but should be taken in a day or two so I checked the next afternoon and the money was gone and the iPad showed up the next afternoon

OK, fair enough. I didn't mean to start an argument. I just found it to be curious, that's all.

Once Apple gets an authorization code for the charge, that amount of credit (or cash if a debit card) is no longer available to the account holder and is on hold for the merchant.

Thanks! I live in South Africa and my bank (they are a VISA card issuer) call me any time there's a spend outside of my "usual" habits. 95% of my purchases go through without a problem, so it's good to know that if something does happen that is fraudulent that they are likely to pick it up and stop it before it can go through. I also get a text message to my cell phone every time my CC is used with the amount and where and emails with the same information. They say the South African banking systems are some of the best in the world, but that's just speculation

BTW, I did speak to my bank and the original "reserved" transaction was removed when the second one was put through by Apple.com so I'm 100% sure that everything is OK.

I don't think that Apple is going to charge you twice. I am sure that there will be only one charge when the credit card statement comes.