Digital Crosstalk

$23 Quadrillion for a packet of smokes…

Posted by Brian | Filed under blogging

Most people have had to dip into their overdraft at some point or another. Most of us have then had a grumble about the charges and interest charged by our banks on doing so. But where we might only go a few quid into the red on occasion, spare a thought for poor Josh Musznski, 22, from New Hampshire, USA who just happened to buy the world’s most expensive packet of cigarettes.

Josh had used his prepaid VISA debit card to purchase a packet of cigarettes costing just a few dollars at his local petrol station. But his card issuer, the Bank of America proceeded to charge him not just the few dollars those smokes actually cost but instead debited his card to the tune of $23,148,855,308,184,500 – that’s in excess of 23 QUADRILLION dollars which, say CNN is 2007 times the national debt!

And he wasn’t alone either! It was believed that almost 13,000 transactions were posted to a small number of prepaid VISA accounts with incorrect amounts. To rub salt in the wound further, the Bank of America even charged Josh a $15 overdraft fee!

Thankfully for Josh and those affected by the ‘glitch’ – VISA called it a ‘glitch’ (no kidding!) – the $23 quadrillion dollars error was corrected the next day and those affected even got their $15 fees refunded, but only after Josh had spent two hours on the phone to the Bank of America querying the massive charge which apparently was made at Josh’s local Mobil garage.

At the charged price, Josh could probably have bought the company and had change left over…

Tags: banking, cigarettes, money, visa