Fecking muppets!!!

[gadgetman]

Just had my Abbey debit card declined twice and came home to find 3 internet orders I placed today also declined.

Customer services tell me I need to speak to the fraud dept but they've all gone home for the day. Freaking marvellous

The largest transaction was only for 65 quid and there's over 30k in the account.

[Spacecadet]

I know the feeling, happened to me once when I was abroad and HSBC cancelled my card "just in case".

Luckily though they have got better, and they have a 24h fraud line too

[BrilloPad]

Just had my Abbey debit card declined twice and came home to find 3 internet orders I placed today also declined.

Customer services tell me I need to speak to the fraud dept but they've all gone home for the day. Freaking marvellous

The latest transaction was for 65 quid and there's over 30k in the account.

I withdrew £1000 in a day - they blocked my card! It was the daily limit! If they had contacted me I would not have minded - first I knew was not being able to withdraw more!

Over last 3 years I have paid about £120,000 cash to builders - half drawn from cashpoint. Never a complaint!

[Spacecadet]

Over last 3 years I have paid about £120,000 cash to builders - half drawn from cashpoint. Never a complaint!

£60,000 from a cash point? I'd have been f**king complaining if i was in the cashpoint queue behind you!

[Gonzo]

I know the feeling, happened to me once when I was abroad and HSBC cancelled my card "just in case".

Luckily though they have got better, and they have a 24h fraud line too

Whenever Mrs Gonzo uses her HSBC card abroad a stop gets placed on it, they cancelled it too once "just in case" and that was recently.

She has also had it stopped when she has been out shopping, without spending as much as £40 in any one place.

On the other hand, First Direct never seem to bat an eyelid when I use my cards abroad. Strange.

[gadgetman]

I said to them if there was a suspected problem then why didn't they call me? I just got BS in reply.

It makes me laugh though, last year we were subjected to over £3000 of fraud on our account with them which was perpetrated by an Abbey employee. Their anti fraud system didn't pick up on the fact that 3 inter bank transfers, each for more than £1000 to various banks in the UK and Northern Ireland was a little suspicious.

That incident caused us months of grief to sort out. I opened a Nationwide account after that debacle but in the end couldn't be arsed moving everything over. Maybe this will give me the final incentive to move.

[Board Game Geek]

Yup...missus BGG has been hit by card declines as well when shopping anywhere where she doesn't normally go.

Taking a cue from this, and with a planned surprise day in London to do some shopping, take in a show, have a meal, etc, I spoke to my bank HSBC and informed them that I was going to London on such a such day, and would they please not freeze my card.

After about 20 mins arguing on the phone (they argued that even though I told them I was going to London, what do they do when my card shows a 2K purchase in a shop, which could be me or could be from my card being stolen whilst actually in London)

In the end, I had to give them an itinerary of where I was going to shop during the day, in order for them not to freeze my card unnecessarily. It worked too.

[Fishface]

HSBC told me that in order to raise the limit on my company credit card from 3 to 4 thousand I would have to pay £80 to make a personal guarantee. Which is new.

And that 'the world local bank' is only true for a handfull of countries - its good for those 6 countries but elswhere is half-arsed balls up.

[NickFitz]

The other year I checked into a 5 star (well, so they claimed ) hotel in London using a card that had spent most of its active life paying off the weekly bill at a £30-a-night B&B in Bristol.

The check-in person swiped my card, looked at me as if I'd just raped a baby in front of her, and excused herself as she headed into the back office.

She then returned to ask me my mother's maiden name, or some such, and retreated back to the cavern.

A few minutes later she was back and carried on with the normal check-in procedure.

Well, when I say "a few minutes"... about ten as a queue built up behind me

Me? Embarrassed by the audible mutterings of those queuing behind me, speculating that I must be a fraudster of some kind?

Well no actually, 'cos I couldn't give a monkey's **** what those losers think.

But still.

[Jubber]

Good old Abbey

Years ago - must be at least 10, I opened a personal current account with them with a cheque. While I was waiting to receive my new cards etc, which seemed to be taking a long time, I popped into the branch to draw some money over the counter. They told me there were no funds available as I had been taking lots of money out with my cash card !!

Well I must say I caused quite a stir when I explained I had no cards yet. I got all the money back straight away, which was nice, but I had to fill out a form for every withdrawal I didn't make, which was a pain, as I hadn't made any at all and there were lots.

They never did explain what had happened. I wasn't with them long.