MOUNT VERNON — When power and phone lines go down, it is sometimes tricky for consumers to find stores that are open for business. In Fredericktown on Monday, for example, the Fredericktown Market and Fredericktown Marathon were open. Hot Rods was also open, but only for in-store items such as chips and soda. No gasoline could be purchased.
In this age of automatic deposits and online banking, it can be tricky to pay for things with plastic instead of cash. Some establishments can take only cash, and some have had sporadic problems with debit cards and credit card transactions, although both Fredericktown locations accepted credit cards on Monday. Automatic Teller Machines are also affected by the power outages.
Cindy Hogle, in the First-Knox National Bank Call Center, said the specific location of Automatic Teller Machines determines whether they are functional or not.
“If a particular branch does not have electric,” she said, “then the ATM is not going to work. If our branches have electric, then our machines do. Regarding our stand-alone machines, like those at Knox Community Hospital, Kenyon and Mount Vernon Nazarene University, if the site doesn’t have electric, the machine doesn’t, either.”
Hogle said that should not affect the usage of credit cards.
“Our credit cards go through another company, so it would be fine,” she said.
She said phone lines being down should also have a limited negative impact, because First-Knox has off-line provisions in place that should work if the stores cannot get through on the phone lines.
Neff’s Cardinal Market was doing a booming business Monday afternoon, and only briefly had trouble with debit or credit card authorizations.
“We aren’t having any difficulty now, but when phone lines are down, it is not a very good situation,” said store manager K.T. Colvin. “Right now we are successful with credit cards, because we are on DSL, a high-speed Internet connection. Our credit cards and food stamps are hooked up to the phone lines, but it is a DSL line, and they are functioning. It does use the phone lines, but right now it’s up and running even though we are having trouble with our local phone calls. We’re getting incoming, but having trouble calling out. On the other hand, the Lottery machine runs on a regular phone line and it is not working.”
Colvin said the store was very busy Monday due to the power outage. A lot of people, he said, have no refrigeration and are buying a lot of ice and a lot of water.
Banking transactions at the Mount Vernon branch of Peoples Bank in Gambier were limited Monday afternoon because of the power outage in Gambier, where the main branch is located.
“That means we don’t have computer access at this branch,” siad teller Dawn Tharp. “We are open for business, but for limited transactions. We can’t confirm an automatic deposit or see an accurate account balance, because everything’s online by a specific program. By the power being out [in Gambier], that program is not available to us and we don’t have access to that information.”
Tharp said that situation shouldn’t affect the use of credit or debit cards; the customers should still be able to go to Kroger and go shopping or go get something to eat.
“And,” Tharp said, “as long as they have a debit card, they can come in here and withdraw cash. We’re pretty much still operable, and have been pretty busy so far today.”