Debit Card Problem for Disabled User

[Deleted User]

Whoah! There's a REALLY SIMPLE answer to this question.

It's so simple, I can't believe everyone has missed it.

Use the service call buzzer, and pay in cash.

zzzLazyDaisy

The point is that he can't easily get to an atm....................

Tally-Ho_2

Hi again (and thanks for the help so far).

To answer a couple of points.

Yes, he has the same problems getting to an ATM so the cash option is not really viable. He gets all his shopping etc delivered so cannot take advantage of cashback.

I have thought about applying for a credit card in my name for him, but he is not happy about that. Neither am I to be honest. Not for one minute that I think he would run amock or do anything stupid. It's just that since he came out of the army (where he served for 16 years until getting injured in Iraq) he has had to learn about things such as budgeting and general living.

We took it for granted he would cope at first, but he got into difficulties pretty quickly as whilst in the army, all his food and accomodation, council tax etc etc were stopped at source. Hence all his salary was disposable. After 16 years of this, he did find the transition to 'civvy life' very difficult, particularly budgeting and bills etc. It didn't help either that such as his credit cards 'protection' insurance and car loan protection insurance wouldn't pay out after he was injured due to it being 'war risks' and although they willingly took the premiums he couldn't claim due to being injured 'at war'. It also took quite a long while for his war pension etc to start and we didn't know about things such as DLA so he was very skint to start with.

So, once we as a family got him striaghtened out financially and tought him how to properly budget etc, he now 'stands on his own two feet' financially if not physically. Hence my and his reluctance for me to get a credit card for him (sorry if i am waffling on here - just that is the picture - sadly it apparently happens a lot with lads leaving the army, particularly if they get invalided out').

Anyway, we will tackle the bank again to see if they will 'play ball'. however the problem also appears to be finding someone at the bank who can make a decision and authorise a card. The branch say they cannot authorise it and the phone line refer him to his branch. What ever happened to empowered staff, like a good old branch manager who can make a decision based on what I think is a bit of common sense without hiding behind policy/credit reports etc and base the decision on how he has run his account for the last three years and his circumstances.

Tally

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi Tally,

If he has run his account properly for the last three years, I wonder if it might be worth going further up the food chain at the bank? Have you have a personal meeting with the manager? (I'm with LTSB, it is only a small branch, but the manager is very helpful and always happy to discuss things in private). Failing that, maybe a letter to the chairman? Or even your MP?

One other thing - I know you are not keen on the Vanquis card, but if he got the card - even if he only used it once, paid it off, and cut it up - just by having the card he would be building up his credit rating, which would help him to get a proper debit card later.

jd87

I'm pretty sure the issue with the debit cards isn't simply that they require authorisation. You say that his Visa card isn't accepted. Can you find out exactly what kind of card this is? What bank is it from?

Basically what I am getting at is this: Barclays do a debit card call a "Visa Connect Electronic" debit card. People with poor financial history can get it because it requires online authorisation, BUT it is still a full Visa debit card, with the Visa logo, and as a result it works wherever any Visa cards are accepted, all over the world.

I suspect maybe your brother has a Visa Electron type card that doesn't have the full Visa acceptability.

Tally-Ho_2

jd87 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the issue with the debit cards isn't simply that they require authorisation. You say that his Visa card isn't accepted. Can you find out exactly what kind of card this is? What bank is it from?

Basically what I am getting at is this: Barclays do a debit card call a "Visa Connect Electronic" debit card. People with poor financial history can get it because it requires online authorisation, BUT it is still a full Visa debit card, with the Visa logo, and as a result it works wherever any Visa cards are accepted, all over the world.

I suspect maybe your brother has a Visa Electron type card that doesn't have the full Visa acceptability.

Hi,

No, it is a full Visa Debit card (not electron) which he has (he can use tesco online shopping with it, which one cannot with a Visa Electron) however it is a 'full authorisation' card.

In the latest update from his other bank, it explains it:

13.3.4 If you have a card that displays the Visa Debit logo and the card does not display a cheque guarantee hologram you will only be able to use your card at a retailer or supplier of services where they can authorise the transaction with us at the time of the transaction being made. If this is not possible the transaction will be declined.

Taken from:

http://www.natwest.com/olb/mandatory_message/downloads/keeping_you_informed_0609.pdf

This is where he gets stuck as the mobile terminals used at the garage cannot authorise his transaction as they are not online.

Anyway, I am taking him into the bank tomorrow to see what can be done.

Tally

zzzLazyDaisy

jd87 wrote: »

Barclays do a debit card call a "Visa Connect Electronic" debit card. People with poor financial history can get it because it requires online authorisation

The problem is that pay at pump, and the old hand-held machines used by the staff who come out to assist disabled customers, do not have the facility to link back to the bank to obtain authorisation. As he is disabled he can't get inside to pay at the till where they would indeed be able to accept payment on a pre-authorisation card.