HBOS retail fraud...

[chissit]

I came in yesterday evening from the bar and opened a letter from the fraud department of HBOS. It basically said that there had been unusual spending on my card and they'd like to talk with me to discuss...
Having talked with them, it turned out that they had spotted that I'd recently bought a new large format printer. I picked the supplier from the numerous online stores, I'd heard of them but never actually purchased anything from them.
Low and behold, the bank spotted the 'unusual' transaction and took the initiative to contact me to make sure everything was OK! Apparently the fraudsters like to buy this kind of computer related stuff using stolen card details... this retailer was one of their favourites.

So a big thank you to HBOS for their excellent, proactive service. I'm really chuffed that they're watching out for this.

[Gouezeri]

I, on the other hand had my card blocked yesterday, when I tried to make a legitimate purchase online (tried twice, and once over the phone, all declined). Did Barclays bother to tell me that they had blocked the transaction and frozen the card... did they hell. Thankfully the retailer was very understanding and reserved the item for me whilst I gave the bank a bollocking and unfroze the card.

I later discovered that he knew the problems with Barclays all too well, as the week before he had been skiing in North America with four other people. They had all advised Barclays that they were due to go abroad... who then proceeded to freeze their accounts one by one whilst they were abroad!

As I will be in France late next week, I asked them to make a note of this and to confirm that my card would not be blocked whilst away. Barclays told me they could not guarantee this, but would make a note and try not to!

I wouldn't mind them being proactive if they actually _contacted me_ to state what actions they have taken. Or if they had actually bothered to do something when my wife's details were cloned last year and somebody took her card £1200 over its limit in an online casino (neither of us have ever used an online casino). It then took them more than 2 weeks to refund the money taken.

Most importantly though... what printer did ya get, Chis?

[triptogenetica]

Hmm - i had the same thing - while in Hong Kong, I took some money out at the cashpoint, all was fine.

When I came back a few days later, having spent the cash, to take some more out, my card was declined.

Apparently NatWest can't believe that its customers may travel. Yes, it may be proactive of them, but they do it without warning - and then you have to pick up the cost of phoning the UK, to reverse their mistake.

[CakeBoy]

M&S are very good proactively and manage to get the balance between security and silliness about right. Barclays and NatWest sound mad. Especially Barclays being unable to guarantee that they will not cut you off Dom. For goodness sake, can't they note the system and prevent it? Maybe another company where the computer is in charge and the staff are the tools?

[Gouezeri]

Mate, they've said they have made a note that we will be away, but that this may not suffice!

[bruceb]

Make no mistake about it. The banks only do this to protect themselves. Their customer's insecurity and inconvenience is of little or no interest to them. Amexco did this kind of nonsense 10 years ago and I got frustrated enough when traveling to the US that I returned my gold card to them and told them what to do with it (where to place it).

[Goat]

HBOS like to make a noise about security but never really do anything about it.

Somone stole my new card (a replacement for an expired one) in the post.

Not all that unusual, especially considering where I live.

Somehow they managed to take £2000 out of my account. Over the counter.

No ID, no questions asked.

HBOS fraud department didn't even ask.

Contacted them and explained. Asked them to look at the CCTV. They replied they couldn't do it. So what's the point of having it then? Gits.