MRA Customer Service Bulletins...

Accept Diner’s Club…
Through an agreement between Diner’s Club and MasterCard, newer Diner’s Club cards display a MasterCard logo, indicating they can be swiped and used exactly like a MasterCard. If you accept MasterCard, train your employees to answer “Yes!” to the question “Do you accept Diner’s Club?”

Fraud alert…
A law firm is contacting merchants claiming to be a collection group for the class-action lawsuit that Visa and MasterCard settled two years ago (in which Wal-Mart, Sears and others sued Visa and MasterCard over debit card acceptance). This law firm offers to handle the collection of the prorated settlement that the merchant is owed, keeping 33 percent of the settlement as their fee for service.

Note: Eligible merchants will automatically be paid what they are owed based on their recorded volume during the time in dispute. There is nothing you need to do to collect these fees. Visa and MasterCard know they owe merchants this money and know where to send it.

Voice authorization…
Please call 800.563.5981 option #4 for voice authorizations. Do not use the old number (800.991.9911), which will stop working soon.

Telephone-order fraud…
Members continue to report fraudulent attempts to order merchandise by telephone to be sent to suspicious overseas addresses (Nigeria and Eastern Europe are common destinations for fraudulent orders). Some con artists use the telephone relay service for the deaf to place fraudulent orders.

Please report any phone-order fraud or attempts to MRA Customer Service. For more information, see the article in the July 2004 issue of Michigan Retailer, available at http://www.retailers.com/news/retailers/04julaug/mr0704phonefraud.html.

Medicare Part D…
Medicare-eligible employees may apply for Part D (drug coverage) beginning November 15. Coverage will not be effective until January 1, 2006. Various plans will be available at different rates depending on the chosen coverage. Since Medicare is a federal program, those interested are advised to learn more by contacting Medicare directly at 800.633.4227 or at the program’s website, www.medicare.gov.