Anyone ever be able to opt out of "Verified by VISA" ?

[Stephen Tashiro]

Has anyone found a way to opt out of the "Verified by VISA" service that supposedly makes online purchasing more secure ? (but doesn't)

When I complete a purchase at the online retailer NewEgg.com, I get a screen from "Verified by VISA" that wants me to login and give a password. I don't want the "Verified by VISA" service. It only pops up when I buy at NewEgg, not at other online retailers. It turns out that not filling the screen out doesn't stop an order from being processed but it keeps me from getting notice from NewEgg that my order has been processed.

Here's what I've been told, so far.

Last night in a chat session with NewEgg technical support, the lady said just to hit cancel on the "Verified by VISA" screen. Then I would be redirected back to the NewEgg site and my ordered would be processed. This didn't quite work. I don't see a "cancel" option on the "Verified by VISA" screen. If I just hit the "back" option, I'm not redirected back to the NewEgg site. I get a message from my browser asking if I want to resend information (presumably my login and password for my NewEgg account). Resending the information never returns me to NewEgg.

In a second chat session with NewEgg technical support, I demanded to know who requires the "Verified by VISA" screen ? - NewEGG or VISA ? The second lady said "My information shows it's required by your bank." The lady also pointed out that I had made two orders for identical merchandise this evening. She asked if I wanted to cancel one of them. I certainly did! Because of the "Verified by VISA" feature, I don't get any feedback from NewEgg that my orders have been processed. (At least the first lady was correct about the orders going through even though the "Verified by VISA" screen wasn't filled out!)

Today I went to the bank that issued my VISA card. The banker said that it wasn't the bank that required "Verified by VISA". She suggested I call the customer service number listed on my VISA card. I suggested that she call it for me. She called. The guy who answered had information like account balances, but he said that I should contact VISA to ask about my problem. I said "Aren't you VISA customer support?" He said no. He works for "Credit Card Services". He gave us a phone number for VISA customer support and transferred the call. After we listened to about 20 minutes of music on 800-857-3118, I gave up and went to do other things.

Tonight I called that number, put it on speaker phone, and got an answer after about 20 minutes. I picked "Security questions" from the automated voice menu. The human that answered transferred me to another number that handles "Verified By VISA" The lady at that number acknowledged being technical support for "Verified By VISA" but she couldn't tell me how to opt out of it. She said she only dealt with accounts at financial institutions and that my bank wasn't among those "affiliated". She suggested I go to the verified.by.visa website and login. I told her that no progress can be made on that website unless you fill out the "register your card" information, which I certainly did not want to risk doing. She tried going to the site herself and reached the same conclusion.

[Mike Henderson]

I think I opted in to that at one time but I've never been asked to verify a Visa purchase.

Mike

[David T gray]

yeah just ignore it should have just googled it they have been doing it for over 10 years and people have complained the whole time.

[Art Mann]

There are many, many worthy internet competitors to Newegg. Why not just use them instead? My pet peeve is being forced to "register" with a retailer. This registration requires you to fill out a long form and provide a user name and password, which you must remember forever to do business with them. I already have hundreds of necessary password accounts that I maintain. I don't need any more. There is an otherwise good CNC router bit company that I refuse to do business with for just that reason.

[Stephen Tashiro]

There are many, many worthy internet competitors to Newegg. Why not just use them instead?.

Maybe I will and maybe I won't, but I'm going to get to the bottom this "Verified by VISA" problem. Tying to fix things that are absurdly screwed up is an interesting pastime.

Internet research shows that the only places that answer the question of "How do I unregister a card with Verify By VISA" are the FAQs on pages of banks. Those FAQs say to contact the bank itself. My bank doesn't have a page with such a FAQ, but I think its worth talking to them again. Also, if NewEgg allows someone on a secure login to be redirected to the Verify By VISA screen, they must have some hand in the process or else why would their server permit such a redirection?

[Brian Tymchak]

Since no one, and particularly the bank offering your Visa account, seems to understand what the Verified by Visa security protocol means, it could be a scam. Check this page (http://stopsign.com/blog/verified-by-visa-scam-how-to-spot-the-fake/#.V7MABvkrJQI)out. This indicates a phishing scam under the guise of "Verified by VISA". Maybe you are bumping into that.

[Jim Becker]

Could "Verified by VISA" be something similar to Bizrate or Google's similar shopping verification/review service? Newegg may be using that for promotional purposes. I wonder if that screen would show up for folks like me who use AMEX. :D

[Stephen Tashiro]

Since no one, and particularly the bank offering your Visa account, seems to understand what the Verified by Visa security protocol means, it could be a scam.

The phenomenon I experience isn't an email. It happens while I am logged-in to my account on NewEgg. NewEgg knows it happens.

[Stephen Tashiro]

Could "Verified by VISA" be something similar to Bizrate or Google's similar shopping verification/review service?

Yes, "Verifed by VISA" is billed as a shopping verification "service". However, this "service" only comes up when I try to complete an order on NewEgg. It doesn't happen on Amazon or Walmart or Lowes Hardware sites.

[Brian Tymchak]

The phenomenon I experience isn't an email. It happens while I am logged-in to my account on NewEgg. NewEgg knows it happens.

Was looking at another page earlier, a Wells Fargo page (https://www.wellsfargo.com/credit-cards/features/verified-by-visa/) that mentions "participating online merchants". So maybe NewEgg is ahead of the game a bit. I wouldn't be surprised. Several years ago, someone lifted my CC # and tried to buy a big screen TV at NewEgg. My Visa frad alert stopped that transaction but not some other smaller purchases. When I was talking to the service rep about cancelling those charges, she mentioned that NewEgg seemed to be a common name popping up in the fraud alerts.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, "Verifed by VISA" is billed as a shopping verification "service". However, this "service" only comes up when I try to complete an order on NewEgg. It doesn't happen on Amazon or Walmart or Lowes Hardware sites.
Then there "should" be a way to skip past it...just like with Bizrate and Google's similar setups. I wonder if that option is, um...colored...in such a way that it's hard to see on the pop-up?

[Mac McQuinn]

I buy tools from a site and they're the only company that has presented this when ordering. Not a huge deal although does add another step to the click and order sequence. I'm all for extra security as long as I can validate before using.
Mac

[Stephen Tashiro]

I buy tools from a site and they're the only company that has presented this when ordering. Not a huge deal although does add another step to the click and order sequence. I'm all for extra security as long as I can validate before using.
Mac

In the case of "Verified by VISA" on NewEgg, it isn't extra security since my order will be processed whether I respond to the "Verified by VISA" screen or not.

[Curt Harms]

I buy some stuff from NewEgg - not a lot - and have never run into this that I can recall. I'm certain I've never been prompted for another username/password.

[Stephen Tashiro]

I buy some stuff from NewEgg - not a lot - and have never run into this that I can recall. I'm certain I've never been prompted for another username/password.


You are probably in the majority. If "Verified by VISA" came up to bother all NewEgg's customers, NewEgg would go out of business.

[Jim Koepke]

You are probably in the majority. If "Verified by VISA" came up to bother all NewEgg's customers, NewEgg would go out of business.

This reminds me of my occasional attempts do do business with the local Radio Shack store. They always insisted it was necessary to get my address. A few times I went along with them. Each time the next mailer came out I would get one more copy than the previous time.

After receiving four of their mailers at one mail delivery I would refuse to give my address and for most purchases would use cash. They insisted I had to give my address and besides, every other business requested shoppers addresses. I would usually just leave what I wanted on the counter and leave. It would usually be a year or more before I would forget the unpleasantness of doing business with them before I would return. The last cashier was so rude I will have trouble forgetting that encounter.

It seems they didn't change their ways. Google > radio shack closing < to see what happens to companies that enforce idiotic policies on their customers.

I haven't been into any of the remaining stores to see if anything has changed.

jtk

[Mac McQuinn]

In the case of "Verified by VISA" on NewEgg, it isn't extra security since my order will be processed whether I respond to the "Verified by VISA" screen or not.

Stephen,
The extra security I was referring to are the required codes/password in using the Verified process.
Mac

[Stephen Tashiro]

Stephen,
The extra security I was referring to are the required codes/password in using the Verified process.
Mac

You and I seem to be the only ones in the thread that trigger the "Verified by VISA" screen when we make a purchase. I curious whether you have ever tried canceling the "Verified by VISA" screen. Would your order be processed anyway ?

[Mac McQuinn]

You and I seem to be the only ones in the thread that trigger the "Verified by VISA" screen when we make a purchase. I curious whether you have ever tried canceling the "Verified by VISA" screen. Would your order be processed anyway ?

I could never shake it on the site I mentioned. Plus this is the only time I've experienced a Verification process.
I've had excellent success with this vendor so it wasn't a red flag to me.
Mac

[Allan Speers]

I signed up for that service a few years ago. I remember needing to enter my password exactly ONCE, then never again for any pruchase anywhere, even with that same vendor.

I imagine that a lot of vendors probably dropped it themselves, due to loss of sales from frustrated shoppers.