Lloyds TSB Debit Card Blocking
Options
SopwithCamel
Posts: 2 Newbie
I'm having a problem with my debit card, and I'm getting to the stage where I just don't know what to do. I live in an isolated area, and therefore most of my purchases are done online, but they have a pattern to them - Tesco.com, a few clothes stores, Virgin Mobile, Argos, the usual sort of thing. However, since September last year I have had my debit card previously blocked on four seperate occasions, culminating in being frozen twice today.
I understand that banks have a responsibility to check for fraud on debit cards, and they can be faintly Luddite when it comes to internet purchasing, but I do think that Lloyds blocking me over purchases from places that I have used before, and for small amounts (£20 top up on my mobile every two months once flagged, as did a direct debit I have been paying every month for four years) is getting rather ridiculous. I don't have any other complaints with the bank, I have been with them for twenty years and they have always been fair, but I am getting to the end of my tether now and am considering another bank.
Does anyone have any advice to give me? They won't remove me from the automatic flagging system, and I am dreading the day where I go to make a payment in a local shop and get declined without any warning. Reasons I have been given for my card being blocked are purchases made on the internet (see above) or incorrect addresses meaning the card being declined and then frozen, even if this is from stores that store details and I have used them before without any problem. It just gets a bit soul destroying ringing them up every four weeks to get this removed. Or is this just one of those things that we people who rely on the internet have to deal with?
I understand that banks have a responsibility to check for fraud on debit cards, and they can be faintly Luddite when it comes to internet purchasing, but I do think that Lloyds blocking me over purchases from places that I have used before, and for small amounts (£20 top up on my mobile every two months once flagged, as did a direct debit I have been paying every month for four years) is getting rather ridiculous. I don't have any other complaints with the bank, I have been with them for twenty years and they have always been fair, but I am getting to the end of my tether now and am considering another bank.
Does anyone have any advice to give me? They won't remove me from the automatic flagging system, and I am dreading the day where I go to make a payment in a local shop and get declined without any warning. Reasons I have been given for my card being blocked are purchases made on the internet (see above) or incorrect addresses meaning the card being declined and then frozen, even if this is from stores that store details and I have used them before without any problem. It just gets a bit soul destroying ringing them up every four weeks to get this removed. Or is this just one of those things that we people who rely on the internet have to deal with?
0
Comments
-
Get a (cashback) Credit Card for internet purchases. Much safer than putting your 'own' money in your current account at risk. And you get Sect 75 protection on most purchases.
Over many years I've only had the CC declined once - and that was over the counter at Comet. The Egg security people later admitted they were referring and blocking most transactions there - owing to an outburst of fraud.If you want to test the depth of the water .........don't use both feet !0 -
I would rather just use the debit card rather than basically be forced to get a credit card just to make internet purchases that I have been making for years without any problem (not a big fan of credit cards but I am looking at the cashback ones now, I never knew you could get them!). That is what I am rather grumpy about - why has this suddenly started now, without any obvious problem activity, when before everything was perfectly fine? Grrr, I say. Jolly well Grrrr!0
-
Having a backup card, either a credit card, or a debit card from another account, is a good idea. The chances of two cards being blocked at the same time is very unlikely.0
-
They're becoming a nightmare!
I changed to their Duo Airmiles Credit Card a few months ago (4 complaints about opening this, as they cocked it up so much - but that's a different story).
Whenever I try to use my card online or over the phone it is immediately declined. This happened again today, when I was trying to buy something from Ebay through Paypal (under £40).
An hour on the phone to find out they'd blocked it on Monday (they didn't tell me) due to a "small purchase" (It was a game from Itunes).
According to them, they will always do this for small purchases as it can be a test from a fraudster, but when I paid for a holiday in November (nearly £4K) they did the same thing.
Having been with Lloyds for over 20 years I cannot remember a time when they have ever been so bad.
Shame, as their internet banking is the best around!
Hope you can sort it, and stick in there. Make a formal complaint if necessary as they have to follow these up, and I've found their complaint advisors sort things pretty quick.0 -
Try a different bank - this is appalling behaviour0
-
Most of the time the bank's don't get their money back from fraud - they're tightening up because of the crunchies!0
-
Even more reason, then, to use a Credit Card for online purchases.If you want to test the depth of the water .........don't use both feet !0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards