QUESTION: During a trip to Paris, I entertained friends in an elegant restaurant. When I presented my Visa card to pay the bill, it was returned on a silver tray with the polite but widely audible remark that Madame's card was unacceptable.
When pressed, the maitre d'hotel informed me that the computer would not accept my card because it was demagnetized and manual processing was not possible "in computerized France."Back home a Visa representative confirmed that complaints do periodically occur and stem from the type of wallet in which the card is carried or from airport security checks.
My question is how frequently are travelers inconvenienced and why can't the credit card industry come up with a protective cover?
ANSWER: According to Daniel Brigham, media relations manager of Visa U.S.A., magnetic strips fail about 2 percent of the time.
There are various causes, but the type of wallet is not one of them. A rumor that eel-skin wallets can demagnetize a credit card has been disproved and the amount of X-ray at airports is too low, he said. A money clip, however, can cause damage. He himself had to get a new card after his wife gave him a clip with magnets on the ends.
Despite international standards for cards, which have had magnetic strips since 1979, one is occasionally produced out of true, meaning dimensions are slightly off or the magnetic strip is not in the right position. The encoded information may in time disappear for other reasons, but it usually remains for at least the two years for which most cards are valid.
Brighman said he was surprised that the information on the front of the card was not used for manually filling out a receipt. In any case, cardholders should ask their bank for a replacement, which generally takes less than a week.
Other tips were offered by Allison Weiss, vice president, public relations, American Express: separate the cards in your wallet, making sure that the magnetic strip on one does not touch the strip of another; don't stack the cards so that they come in contact with pens and pencils, and if you think you will be in a magnetic field, say in an industrial area, leave the cards elsewhere.
American Express operates a worldwide, 24-hour authorization unit, and any establishment accepting the card should be able to key in the information manually. Holders of American Express cards, she added, should be able to get an emergency replacement without a magnetic strip in 24 hours, a card with a strip in 48 hours.
Darold D. Hoops, senior vice president, electronic services, business management, for MasterCard International, added that a recent study found that upward of 10 percent of cards cannot be read, the cause being a combination of wear and tear on cards and equipment.
With men the problem can be that the card is carried in a hip pocket and is frequently sat on.
With women the card is often carried in a purse with a strong magnetic latch.
Keeping the card next to a magnetized card used to enter a building can also be a problem. As equipment gets older, its ability to read information is often diminished.
QUESTION: I understand that descendants of Patrick Henry gather each year in Virginia. To whom might I write for details?
ANSWER: About 100 descendants of Patrick Henry meet each year, usually in May or June, at different sites associated with Henry.Prospective members should contact James Elson, executive director, Red Hill - Patrick Henry National Memorial, Patrick Henry Descendants Branch, Route 2, Box 27, Brookneal, Va. 24528 (804-376-2044).