Customer service at Fabric Depot
 

I just have to comment on this. I was there in Oregon once and loved the store and have shopped on time several times. Apparently their credit card information got compromised back in October of 2012. My credit card was used a couple of times and I have since cancelled it and turned a couple of items over to the fraud department.
What I want to comment on is a letter I got today from Fabric Depot. It explained about the credit card information, what they have done to investigate and protect further information. Also in the letter they gave me an great incentive to order on-line again. The letter explained from top to bottom how it happend, what I can do to protect myself now and how to protect myself in the future. I was really impressed with the way it was handled and even called them after I got the letter to tell them how grateful I am. This is a store I will continue to deal with.

Always so great to read good news about a retailer!

I received a letter from them yesterday also. I was quite surprised since it had been at least 2 years or longer since I ordered from them. I am very impressed with their customer service also.

Nice to know that companies care so much about customer concerns. That gives a person confidence to coninue to make purchases from them.

I got the same email from them. Very nice the way they handled it! I need to go online and see what I "need!!"

I don't have a Fabric Depot around here but I wish that Connecting Threads had done THAT when their records were compromised at end of Dec and early Jan. Two of my debit cards were "used" via their breach. I know it wasn't their fault but I still think they should have send out a notice ASAP.

I got one too. Like you, my card info got used and I had to cancel the card and work with the fraud department. I do wish they had sent out that information earlier rather than waiting and then sent out a followup or two. But I am glad that they are actively addressing the issue.

I don't think my debit card could have been compromised at Fabric Depot. I changed my card info several times before their site was hacked. And any credit cards we used back then were closed quite some time ago. But like others, I am concerned about the Connecting Threads issue. I ordered from them just a couple months ago.

That's really good of them to do that.

What are some of the things to do to protect yourself in the future? I already know not to use a debit card. A credit card company works harder at protecting you and also, all your money could be gone from your checking account before you know anything is wrong.

i also ordered from fabric depot via phone, as i am no where near their shop. i was very impressed that they sent this letter and the incentive to still do business w/them. i certainly will deal w/them in the future. i'm sure they are loosing money by seding out this "incentive", but also at the same time protecting their name and standing behind their product. kadoos to them. i consider them to be very professional and well worth having any of my business.

Lucky for me I get to shop there in person!

I was wondering whether or not to post. I got an email the other day and I just want to tell you all that my card was used fraudulently (in the UK) in January in a large food store to the tune of nearly $200. The money has since been refunded by my bank.

This of course may be coincidental, but who knows?

I wouldn't mind, but I didn't actually go ahead with the order as the shipping was too expensive! Unfortunately I can't get the benefit of their compensation as the phone call would cost more than the goods :hunf:

My credit card was illegally used too, after using it at FD. The email from FD answered the question I had as to how someone got my credit card info. I took advantage of the offer already. I just wished they had better phone service. Sometimes it takes a lot of calls for any one to answer. I'm 3 hours from Portland but hope to visit in person in a month or so. Hearing about Connecting Threads was news, I've used my credit card there, too.

me too. It was an annoyance, but the offer is a nice one.

I also got the letter and my credit card had since been cancelled because of fraud.

Right now Fabric Depot has all of their AccuQuilt stuff on sale for 30% off, and the offer from Fabric Depot included 30% off on my next order. I've been wanting an AccuQuilt Go, and I was able to get one with an additional die for strip cutting and a mat for right around $200. I'm so excited and should have it within a week or so.

They are not accepting credit cards on their website right now, so they call you back within 2-3 days after you place your order to get your cc info. The rep I spoke to was so nice and let me know that the fat quarter bundles in each order (another part of the offer) were just gorgeous. I can't wait to see what they look like.

Great job, Fabric Depot!

I have not ordered from either of these stores so I haven't had this experience, and it is possible that they were hacked but didn't discover it right away either; but as to what you can do....

1. I have read one online tip is to only use one credit card for online purchases, . I use the one I have with the lowest amount that can be charged i.e. one that has $10,000 limit rather than the one that is $25,000. But you could also apply for one that you would only use online and request a specific limit. The one I use I also use at stores I am at in person.

2. I don't use my debit card either, as credit cards do have some protection that the debits don't.

3. Always read you statement for all your cards when they come. Or if you check your statements online too, you can probably check weekly to catch any suspicious activity.

4. If you see a item and you don't know what it is for or don't recognize the company name call or contact the card company. They can look up the transaction code and you can then tell if it was a company you ordered from.

Also check with your bank about any services they may have. My bank offers a separate "free checking' account. If you have an account with them you can open another account with a separate number and card like a credit or debit card. You can check what your balance will be for an online purchase then go to the bank online and move that much money into the account and go back to the online site and submit the order. This way there is only enough in it to cove the payment. I did try this but I would use it so seldom that at one point I had a dormant fee. Banker waived it the first time and suggested I use it for a small purchase every month, such as a cup of coffee just to have an activity so it wouldn't be dormant. But I cancelled it after awhile as I just didn't use it often and didn't want to have to keep making sure I used it in between online use. If I didn't want to use my other one for online I think I would just get one that was only for online.

Hope this helps

They are not accepting credit cards on their website? Are you saying that you have to order by phone? My letter says you can order online. I don't understand. hmmm, is paypal an option?

oh, and congrats on your purchase! I don't really expect you to answer my questions ;-)

Tempting as it is (I also received this offer) I think I will hold off for a while. After being
defrauded twice in the last 3 months and having to change credit card twice, I've been
told to stay away from FD. I guess I better listen or face the consequences.

I ordered from them 2 times in the last year, using different cards, and both cards have been compromised, one about 3-4 months ago, and then on February 18, the other card that I used on their site was used illegally also, and I wondered how it happened twice as I am very careful, yesterday I got the letter from Fabric Depot, this concerns me as I think this is where it happened. Yes, the 30% discount is a great deal, but something went very wrong, their security had to be very limited if at all. I think they were continually being comprised for a long time, and just became aware of it.

You place the order on their website and they call you for your credit card info. Very handy in this situation.

I also received a letter today from Fabric Depot. My credit card was compromised recently and it's been replaced. The fraudulent charges were dropped. I thought it was the Fabric Depot transaction that did it (because I had only recently used the card for that company). It was my first order with them! I'm glad the bank was right on it and that Fabric Depot is doing its best to keep its good customer base.

I had my debit card compromised. I have decided to use a prepaid Visa card for any online purchases. No worries with that but a bit more expensive. I am going to check fabric depots site as I also got the letter today with the deal.

Great. I am glad they care so much about their customers.

As far as I am concerned these on line companies have got to do a better job of protecting us shoppers when we shop on line. That is my opinion. I will not shop at Connecting Threads any more. If it happened once it will happen again.

[Also check with your bank about any services they may have. My bank offers a separate "free checking' account. If you have an account with them you can open another account with a separate number and card like a credit or debit card. You can check what your balance will be for an online purchase then go to the bank online and move that much money into the account and go back to the online site and submit the order. This way there is only enough in it to cove the payment. I did try this but I would use it so seldom that at one point I had a dormant fee. Banker waived it the first time and suggested I use it for a small purchase every month, such as a cup of coffee just to have an activity so it wouldn't be dormant. But I cancelled it after awhile as I just didn't use it often and didn't want to have to keep making sure I used it in between online use. If I didn't want to use my other one for online I think I would just get one that was only for online.

Hope this helps[/QUOTE]

I have a dump account with my bank and have no fees what so ever. I make my purchase on line, then transfer the money. It works great. no extra money for anyone to get.

Believe me, there is only one Fabric Depot, and it is nirvana for sewers.

It's happening all over with every business. By the time the security is in place it's obsolete to the crooks. ID thieves are staying one step ahead of the law. If you use a credit card at any local or online business you are in the matrix. Have you ever paid for a people search? Anyone can find out anything about you. A crook can get a list of credit card info cross reference it with a database of legal records and have info needed. After my cards were taken over I started reading what I could about ID theft. Just a quick search of hacker sites online was enough to realize it's too far out of control. Everyone gets the fake charges taken off the cards, new cards issued and it starts all over again.
I have fraud alert and ID protection from the credit reporting sites and that seems to be working the best so far. I get a alert every time a charge is made to any of my registered cards, DH's too. $30 a month.

It also happened to me, and I called their Customer Service in November 2012, and they totally ignored my warning. Now they send a letter 4 months later??? $1600 spent on my card, my Christmas money. It took my bank a couple of weeks to clear the charges. No thank you Fabric Depot for 30% off on any future purchases. I will not shop w/them again.

I had the same issue a while back, $1800 gone in a flash. However, I called my Credit Union at 8am and was in their office by 9am, had a new card in hand and by the time I got home, the money was back in my account. I have often heard you get much better service with Credit Unions, I guess it might be true. They actually told me to be careful with Paypal. I do still use Paypal, and I have had no issues since, but you never know when its going to hit you, its just good to know that the money will be returned quickly. My DH's card has been compromised several times, and he does not even shop online!!!! Go figure.

I've never ordered from Fabric Depot and two of my cc were hacked. One I haven't used in over two years. The bank and cc company took the charges off immediately. I didn't have to pay or was obligated to pay. Why did you have to wait for the $1600 to be cleared up? I'd change banks.

Interesting - I received the same letter in the mail and was wondering if it was legitimate. Frankly, I checked my PP account, and have yet to call my credit card company, When I called that toll free number, they wanted more info, and I felt uncomfortable giving it. We have a Fabric Depot that I DO shop at, but they take cash and checks ONLY - other than that, I don't remember any other purchases on-line....big mystery, isn't it?

Yeah, another one for Fabric Depot! I love that place! I could just set up a tent and live there if they would let me. My kids know what to get me for birthdays, etc. A gift certificate from Fabric Depot, yeah! Got one right here in my hot little hand. Now, what to buy?? What to order?? Yippee.
Judy

sounds like this is a company to do business with.

Kudos to Fabric Depot to follow-up and tell you what they have done to avoid it happening in the future. Unfortunately, there are computer hackers everywhere and people who want to make a quick buck. I forget exactly why we had to do this, probably because one of us lost our wallets; so we set up a new account; but we left the former account open, as there were charges that had not cleared. We kept only $200-$300 in that account so that if our account was compromised our losses would be minimal. We also do not use a debit card when purchasing online, just as a precaution. But I'm glad that Fabric Depot cared enough about their customers to keep them aprised of what they had done and that's just good customer service.

Same thing happened to me and I got the same letter.
 

I think the least they could have done was to buy everyone credit protection for one year instead of a 30% coupoon. I will not do business with them again.

I also received the letter and was very impressed. My cards were compromised by an online retailer. I do check my cards-all 2 of them-on line weekly to be safe. I shop mainly by internet and find stores that try to protect me my go to stores. Amazon-fabric.com-MSQC-todaysquilting.com-are my favourtie and the ones I use more than others. I also use PayPal as often as I can for extra protection.

It's not even safe to have two accounts at the same bank. Friend of mine had her name on her son's account and his money was stolen out of his account. The bank took money out of her account to cover his bills making several of her checks bounce. Took them a long time to get it straightened out. What makes me mad and I will never do business with her bank is that they never bothered to call them before taking money out of her account. BAD BUSINESS!

I order from Connecting Threads. Is there a site you can go to for more information? I had no idea this had occurred.

I received the letter also. I went online to order and had trouble trying to enter the codes to get the discounts promised. I called the store and was told to call on Monday during their normal working hours and they would take care of it. I will continue to do business with them even though I did have some fraudulent charges on my card. No worries, the credit card company cancelled them and I was not responsible. So I made out like a bandit!

Most credit card companies cancel your card when it has been stolen. Therefore, you don't need the credit card protection because your number is no longer any good and cannot be used. Getting a new number is like starting over.