Staff at Tesco's cut up my Credit Card

Dammam

I had this happen to me over a year ago in Asda - a full trolley of shopping and they took my card off me and stuck it in a locked box. I argued, stood my ground, asked to see the manager etc but they wouldn't budge! I had plenty of money in my account (it was my debit card) and had already used it in Sainsburys and for petrol that day.
Very embarrassing for me. I went to the bank next day and saw the manager. He was very apologetic, phoned Asda and a few other people, assured me that Lloyds had not asked for the card to be taken and issued a new card and a cash advance to use until the card arrived. He also pointed out that the people who retain the card receive a £50 'bounty'!
I wrote to Asda several times and also emailed them, but never even got the courtesy of a 'we're checking it out' reply.
It left a very bitter taste and until recently I stuck to using cheques for groceries rather than cards.

Incidentally, I forgot to say that I WAS actually paying by cheque that day, and the debit card was being used as a guarantee card. Bank manager told me the supermarket had "No right" to remove the card from me in those circumstances - especially as the bank itself had no problem with my card.

Dammam

shopbot wrote:

Hope this sheds some light on it:
There is no credit card checking agancy as such. Tescos would have phoned Visa/Mastercard/Switch direct. The card operators provide a telephone number for retailers to use for authorisations.

When this number is phoned the card operator will do one of three things: authorise the transaction, decline the transaction or decline and ask the retailer to retain the card.

Whilst it is embarrassing having your card cut up in front of you Tescos would have done this to prevent themselves from allegations of negligence from either yourself or Visa etc. This is to show to you that whilst the card is out of your possession it cannot be used again. They will also have to send it back to your bank so this in turn prevents postal theft.

I am not seeking to defend Tesco here however it does not sound unusual as a retailer. The big difference that Tesco could make in this scenario is how sensitively they deal with you. It is not a nice experience when you don't understand what is going on and why it is happening. It's all down to how well trained the staff and how discreet they are.

My bank manager told me that Asda used a third party agency for this. Even showed me my personal file on the Lloyds computer to show there was no recall authorised by the bank.

dchurch24

Here we go with the usual compensation culture, anything that ever happens to anyone, anywhere needs to be compensated.

Like the credit card company being 'compensated' for a late payment for instance?

If it's good enough for them, then why not the OP?

VenuS

Dammam wrote:

I had this happen to me over a year ago in Asda - a full trolley of shopping and they took my card off me and stuck it in a locked box. I argued, stood my ground, asked to see the manager etc but they wouldn't budge! I had plenty of money in my account (it was my debit card) and had already used it in Sainsburys and for petrol that day.
Very embarrassing for me. I went to the bank next day and saw the manager. He was very apologetic, phoned Asda and a few other people, assured me that Lloyds had not asked for the card to be taken and issued a new card and a cash advance to use until the card arrived. He also pointed out that the people who retain the card receive a £50 'bounty'!
I wrote to Asda several times and also emailed them, but never even got the courtesy of a 'we're checking it out' reply.
It left a very bitter taste and until recently I stuck to using cheques for groceries rather than cards.

Incidentally, I forgot to say that I WAS actually paying by cheque that day, and the debit card was being used as a guarantee card. Bank manager told me the supermarket had "No right" to remove the card from me in those circumstances - especially as the bank itself had no problem with my card.

I bet it was transax, they do alot of checking with cheques. Rubbish too.

System

I cant see any justification in taking the card off someone in full view of everyone, causing no end of embarressment to the card holder and annoyance to those left in queues whilst this is going on.

freddysmith

Thank you all once again for all your comments which I continue to read with interest. Regards.....freddy

M_Thomson

dc wrote:

Epiphone, burbs, and M thomson,
The financial inducement seems to have played a part in this arrogant and high handed approach to customer relations.

Wrong, as I said before the £50 is NOT just dished out everytime. It would be given ONLY if the card usage of the card is fraudulent.

dc wrote:

There has been a cockup for no apparent reason, why should we say ce la vie ?
It should not have happened, why was a third party's word taken as gospel?

You don't know for sure if it was for no apparent reason. Also when you say it was a 3rd party you make it sound they are people who are nothing to do with the banking system. It would have been the merchant service that Tesco use to process card payments ie Barclays or Natwest clearing services.

dc wrote:

Freddysmith is OWED an explanation by Tesco for their error.

I agree with this, but as I have stated before, I think there is more to the story than Tesco just making a decision to take a card. They would not do it for no reason whatsoever.

James

Judi wrote:

I cant see any justification in taking the card off someone in full view of everyone, causing no end of embarressment to the card holder and annoyance to those left in queues whilst this is going on.

Very similar to leaving a store after puchansing something that is security marked and staff have failed to remove the tag thus setting off alarms!

Any other readers had this experience?

dc

M_Thomson wrote:

I think there is more to the story than Tesco just making a decision to take a card. They would not do it for no reason whatsoever.

Why not if it is "company policy"?, that is still not justification, other than if the card was reported stolen by the issuer, and not some other "mysterious" agent's concern.
This post has opened a can of worms regarding card transactions that were unknown to it seems a few retailers and their employees. Lets get it out in the open.

Any comment Martin, or do we just have to put up with the Financial Institutions always being in the right?

If I were a Goldfish manager, I would also want an explanation for the poor treatment of an "innocent?" customer of mine by the financial institutions involved AND Tesco, and the resulting cost to me having to issue another card for no apparent reason.

The usual approach to mistakes, is or should be, "How can we stop this happenning again?" rather than Tuff!

Tesco null point.
dc

patchwork_cat

I agree wholeheartedly with Judi. This would be mortifying - they could at least take you somewhere private to cut it up. If that was me and they did that they would have lost a customer - even if I was overdrawn ,as compassion and privacy should be provided to all. I would have thought that my custom is worth a damn sight more that 150 pounds bounty and stores should think twice before humiliating people in public.