Having worked for Visa until recently, I don't think the rules, even for purchases, are actually that simple. But Sarah points out the main issue - this was a donation, and the PBS gift analogy is quite apt. <br><br>Doesn't mean everyone did this primarily to support OLPC, but legally (and administratively, from Visa's POV) I think thats the right set of rules.
<br><br> -Gabe<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 24, 2008 3:39 PM, Sarah Mei <<a href="mailto:sarahmei@gmail.com">sarahmei@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
You're right, that rule applies to commercial transactions. But buying<br>an OLPC was a donation that happened to come with a free gift, much<br>like donating to a PBS station nets you a tote bag. Since it's not a
<br>purchase, technically, the same rules don't apply.<br><br>My receipts and all the email communications I have from them are very<br>careful to call it a donation rather than a purchase, for this reason.<br>Of course, there might be loopholes, IANAL, consult your local
<br>provider of jurisprudence, etc.<br><br>On Jan 24, 2008 3:20 PM, Kristian Erik Hermansen<br><div class="Ih2E3d"><<a href="mailto:kristian.hermansen@gmail.com">kristian.hermansen@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> I believed that it was illegal to charge credit cards unless you have
<br>> actually shipped the product to the customer. At least, in 2003 when<br>> I first built ZeroToys.com for a customer, that was the merchant<br>> account's policy. We were not allowed to charge the customer's credit
<br>> card until shipment. Doing so would otherwise be against the law.<br>> Has anyone else heard this policy or can refute it?<br></div><div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c">_______________________________________________
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</div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Gabe Wachob / <a href="mailto:gwachob@wachob.com">gwachob@wachob.com</a> \ <a href="http://blog.wachob.com">http://blog.wachob.com</a> <br>