Unfiltered Story #159871

I work in a call center for an online company. We do a lot of phone ordering and helping customers through the order process. We have a standard credit card system which checks credit cards that are run through to make sure the transaction is valid, normal stuff like expiration date, CSV, and billing address to make sure it all matches. An older woman calls in.

Me: Thank you for calling [company], this is [my name], how can I help you?
Customer: It won’t take my credit card!!
Me: Is there a specific error message appearing on the screen when you hit the place order button?
Customer: It says [code].

(I immediately recognize it, as it is our most common code, the card failed to verify due to a billing address mismatch)

Me: What that error means is that the credit card is declined due to-
Customer: (interrupting) That’s impossible!! I know I have thousands of dollars in that account.
Me: Well actually the decline is due to the billing address that you entered on the order form being incorrect.
Customer: (already full of attitude) Well that’s my right billing address.
Me: I understand ma’am, but the only reason that error code comes up is because of an incorrect billing address. If you have checked it for errors and are sure there are none, I would suggest contacting your bank to see what address they have on file for you.
Customer: Can’t you just place the order for me?
Me: I am able to place an order by phone, however if you give me the same address you tried online, I am going to get the same error, unfortunately I can’t bypass the system that checks the card.
Customer: Well that’s my right address!! I have issues with this address all the time because the post office doesn’t recognize it as a valid address.
Me: Our system is not checking the validity of the address, it is only checking the billing information you enter against your credit card records.
Customer: Well then I don’t know why it wouldn’t accept it! I know that’s the right address!!

(this goes back and forth for about 5 minutes, the customer repeatedly insisting that this is the only possible address the card could be billed to, refusing to call her credit card company to check, and assuring me that she’s not stupid enough to “not know her own address”, until finally..)

Customer: OH WAIT! I wonder if this card is under my [other address]? (in her best “I’m more rich than you” tone) I have 5 homes you know, but we’re selling 3 of them right now.
Me: *facepalm* well that is certainly worth trying.

(we go through the order process and lo and behold, the other address she gives me is the correct address for the card, I wish I could say this was the first time I’ve had this conversation with someone, but it is not even remotely close.)