That's it now.... the natwest mastercard is in the shredder.
Had a natwest m/c for forty years now! I spent 30K on it last year; worrying when you add it up but I put ALL purchases through the card and EVERY month pay it off in full.
Went to do an online purchase last week (okay it was a biggy, 9K). The site went through to this new thing where they send (text or voice) you an access code - this is coming to ALL credit cards soon. I wasn't located at any of the numbers listed on the screen so I have to phone them up. I then get hit with lots of security questions from someone with poor English; questions like my credit limit and any transaction amount I've done in the last two days. I fail to answer so I suggest, if they wait, I can login into the online account for the info. So I try that and it's by an app only now! So that's it... card is now blocked and the only way to clear it is go into a branch with 2 forms of id. Tried to reason with them but they put down the phone. Phoned them back and got another person also with poor English. Now they won't speak to me at all.
In contrast I phoned my account person at Handelsbanken. No stupid questions just a hi and how are things.... I say I'm going to do a large online transaction. 'That's fine go ahead and I'll make sure there are no issues'.
I had a similar issue with the natwest current account 5 years ago.... never overdrawn, multiple mortgages with them and never missed a payment. Never been over drawn. I'd been with them since I was 18 and went to uni. I needed to speak to them, tbh I can't remember what it was about. The only way was to telephone someone that couldn't speak english. After 30 mins including a ton of security things I put down the phone frustrated with the issue not resolved. Popped into Handlesbanken on the way home from work. They organised the account 'switch' thing and it's been like a breath of fresh air. People you can email and speak to without any hassle or issues.
Fair point and I had a similar event just over a week ago, but I think they're just trying to safeguard your money, which has to be a good intention after all. Starting from scratch in choice between two accounts, one which provided tight security when it comes to a £9k online transaction and one which is looser, I think I'd select the tighter. The mistake they've made, I think, is not making the verification process a little more user-friendly.
Had a similar thing with my Halifax card,phoned me up asking what I was buying for such a large amount ,the bloke I spoke to had very poor English.Told him not to bother ,card was going in the shredder.
What bothers you more, the fact they are trying to safeguard your account or the fact they employ multilingual employees?
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They need to have someone on the phone that can apply some brain cells. If you could understand that person then it's a big advantage!Originally Posted by farquare
I think you’ll find the multi-lingual employee’s aren’t employed by the actual bank, more likely an offshore call centre, who have no room for discretion, so they follow the script and when they reach the end of it, you’re stuffed if your problem isn’t resolved.
Tesco credit card customer service is even worse. The call centre is UK based but I might as well be speaking a different language as they cannot (or refuse to) understand any instructions or information.
Tesco should stick with selling bread and milk.
This is the reason why I dumped my natwest current account 5 years ago and have now dumped their credit card; I want to speak to someone that can apply some nowse and who I can understand.
This is one of the many reasons I have stayed with First Direct since the beginning.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
A very high proportion of fraudulent activity is inadvertently facilitated by call centre employees not following process. This is often done in an attempt to be helpful to the customer, but the front-line staff won't usually have a full appreciation of why those processes are in place.
It's your account that the bank is trying to protect.
^^^^^
This! I've been with First Direct since they first started telephone banking around 30 years ago. It was also the first (or very close to the first) to offer internet banking. I have never had an issue, always straightforward to speak to someone should you need to and the call centre is in the UK so no language issue.
I had a sort of similar problem with Amex a few years ago. I used an Amex Gold/Platium card a great deal when travelling around the World as it had an unlimited spend amount (I'm sure there was a limit but I never hit it and there were aircraft charters put on it!). I had negotiated with Amex to waive the annual fee which they did. All was well for many years until I was billed an annual fee. To cut a long story short it was because I had spent less that £8k on the card in 12 months - the nature of my travel requirements had changed and need for the card had reduced. Amex wouldn't budge so I cancelled the card and have never used them since.
indeed that’s the case, however, some local cultural knowledge and a better understanding of the situation can still help the customer without there being a risk of fraud.
Been with smile for years and all queries and requests have been sorted quickly by experienced and friendly staff in Lancashire. I can't fault them.
However, they've also started doing the access code text thing, which is fine, except I now have to do it in the middle of looking at my account online. For instance, I can be checking Recent Transactions or my other Smile accounts, but then if, for example, I want to check Planned Payments I have to enter security details again and wait for the access code.
It seems a bit overkill to me. I can understand the extra security check if I'm trying to transfer money or set up a new standing order, but just to view another section of my account while I'm already in my account?
If those controls were too relaxed and you were a victim of credit card fraud to the tune of £9k, I'm willing to bet that this thread would be entirely different.
I don't mind the extra security. I've had my card blocked a few times when Barclaycard deemed transactions 'unusual': I remember one particular purchase from an outdoor store in Germany that was blocked because they had the shop down as 'women's clothing store'. I just told them it's none of their business what I'm spending my money on and they unblocked it.
It is annoying in the moment, but it's all done for your own benefit. I do agree that the people on the other side of the phone should speak better English though.
Things won’t change unless people complain in branch and tell someone in charge why they are loosing business?
If you don’t need credit and can do charge card, American Express customer services ave always been great for me.
What about the people who complained about the masses of branch closures, often leaving entire communities with no local banking presence?
A lot of the credit card stuff is nothing to do with the branches though?.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
You can't complain about Banks having slack security if you cannot be bothered to accept a very simple security check.
Modern banking offers facilities that you couldn't even dream about when I opened my account.
Today you can shift money to anyone in the world at 3.00am in the morning and it takes just a minute. In return you have to comply with a few checks. It seems fair enough to me.
Last edited by Mick P; 22nd October 2019 at 13:50.
It might be easier all round to accept a bit of realism. Banks exist to make money and that is all they are interested in. They are not going to be with you all your life looking after your interests with their lovely black horses and smiley bank faces. They don't give a toss about you they just want your money to invest and they want to do it as cheaply as possible hence foreign call centres, online banking etc. not to mention staff reduction.
It’s not your money they are worried about,it’s theirs.
'Multilingual' implies they can speak English, although it's not their native language in this instance I presume? Unfortunately I have often found the people in these call centres only understand the most basic English, and it makes explaining any problem difficult, even though they are obviously doing their best.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
First Direct. Joined nearly 30 years ago to get away from all that cr......stuff.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I too have a NW Mastercard, with an account going back to 1975. I buggered up a hole-in-the-wall withdrawal by sticking my Mastercard in and entering, stupidly, my credit card PIN. It was blocked. When phoned them up I had to get a new card and activate it at my local NW hole-in-the-wall, which is miles and miles away with no parking. They said they'd send me a new credit card and cancel the old one.
It still works for transactions online! They sent me a new debit card rather than the promised credit card. Numpties.
I haven't got round to doing anything about it, but I suppose I'll have to.
Get used to it......new rules from the EU are making this additional authentication a requirement for all online transactions. It was due to come into force in September, but it was pushed out till the end of next year as most of the industry wasn’t ready. Some online shops are just getting ahead of things.
Santander managed to send a new debit card and new PIN number in the same mail delivery! Postie then fed them both to next door who fortunately gave them unopened to me. I called Sant Select line who were not in the slightest bit interested and proceeded to try and blame the postman. It’s getting to the point where it’s safer buried in a box in the garden!!
I have no problem with my HSBC MasterCard, big purchase or when abroad I get a text code or a call to my phone payment sorted. It’s a sign of the times with the fraud these companies get, its inevitable they are resorting to these measures.
I had same a few years ago when buying a db9 on my debit card with Clydesdale Bank ...3 times it was declined before I had to call them,the salesman in showroom thought I was taking the p
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we have the following ongoing issue with our dept's (16 employees) Company Barclaycard Mastercard:
We got the card hacked or spoofed or whatever and started noticing spurious charges to salons in thailand and netflix etc... (fair enough the employees have been using it to book conferences, buy stuff, one of the sites must have leaked)
We get a replacement - we now cannot use it willy-nilly - we have restricted it to paying suppliers only.
after a couple of weeks the same happens - gets hacked - spurious charges ususally shops online or places far away
get a replacement - use bank transfers only for the suppliers - ony use the card once or twice in quite replutable sites
after a couple of weeks the same happens - gets hacked - same story again
(of course each time its 40 minutes on the phone to barclaycard at least)
so revolut business it is, top up and pay on the fly and lock the card in-between
and they wonder why they are losing business.
Oh and don't get me started on Natwest leaving me 3 months with no card and sending me someone elses but with my name on the card...
Last edited by Xantiagib; 25th October 2019 at 08:49.
If you don't already, you'll soon have to revert to Chip & PIN authorisation for certain transactions, even if it's below the £30 contactless limit.
Strong Customer Authentication is being rolled out to combat contactless payment fraud.
Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that all retail staff will know about the changes, and so will tell you that your card has been rejected when in reality you just need to use Chip & PIN to complete the transaction.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49556473
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