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A college student from Winnetka, Illinois jumped into a cab for a short ride to a restaurant
in downtown Chicago, but instead of a couple dollars, she was charged almost $800.
In December, 20-year-old Becky Siegel was running late to meet friends at the Sweetwater
Tavern and Grille, so she went immediately from the Metra train to a cab at the Ogilvie
Transportation Center. The restaurant was less than two miles from
the station and Becky’s mother, Susan Siegel, told WFLD Fox 32 News, "He was apparently
very friendly and chatty, and was talking about pedestrians crossing where they shouldn't."
Once she arrived at her destination, the student asked the cab driver if she could use her
credit card for the fare. “He gave her a price and she thinks it was, you know, under
ten dollars,” explained Susan. “And so she said, ‘Can I use a credit card?’ And
he said, ‘Oh, my swiper isn't working. Here give it to me and I'll do it on my Square."
The Square device and app allow merchants to charge customers through a mobile device.
Becky handed over her credit card, told the driver to add a $2 tip, and signed the app.
Becky told the Chicago Tribune, "I guess I didn't pay attention or I didn't look…I
just signed my name with my finger and I left." The problem was, as Susan Siegel found out
while reviewing her transactions, instead of a charge under $12, the card was charged
a whopping $787.33. Ms. Siegel contacted Visa customer service to dispute the charge, but
because Becky had signed off on the transaction, a refund was refused. The Chicago Police department
told Siegel that there was nothing they could do about it either. Angry about what transpired,
Siegel contacted the driver, Ali Ghazanfari, for a resolution. Instead the cab driver stood
behind the nearly $800 charge. Ghazanfari’s tune changed when Siegel got
in touch with the Chicago Tribune’s, “What’s Your Problem?” problem solvers. They reached
out to the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. "I remember
exactly what happened,” the driver told the Tribune. I made a mistake on the fare."
Ms. Siegel said, "He called me two or three times, and he was in a panic. What I do know
is that he is really sorry that he got caught."