Egg's automated fraud detection system... are other cards as bad?

djm1972

fozmcfc wrote: »

Never had a problem with my egg card, despite using it numerous times. My Natwest mastercard on the otherhand gets flagged up so often I've stopped using it.

I was considering NatWest actually as an alternative as I bank with them and would be able to see the card through online banking...

What is their procedure? Do they let transactions through but then almost immediately put a hold on your card and try to contact you, same as Egg?

fozmcfc

In my case transcations don't get allowed through, they just get point blank refused in shops and online.

It normally happens every other purchase. In my case I will use the card for say a £250 purchase no problem, but then when I go to use the card again even a few weeks later it normally gets refused.

I've never been able to use the card twice in one day ever.

Although it is foolish to withdraw cash from a machine, sometimes it is the only thing you can do, but I've been refused several times as well.

Once refused I usually receive a letter within a few days to say that they wish to query transcations on my card, I give them a call and it's unblocked. If its refused in a shop and you have the number you can call them there and then, but it's still embarrassing.

Got so fed up with my cards (used to have 3) keep getting flagged up, I closed two of my cards and the only time I use my one remaining card is now in an emergency and I always have the Natwest number to hand, even the number from abroad, just incase.

As I say I used my Egg card a lot more and not once did it get refused.

philatio

I'm just in the process of cancelling my Egg card due to this.

I have a few regular subscriptions in the USA. These are the only things I use the Egg card for.. so its exactly the same amounts, from the same retailers, every month. They now freeze my card EVERY MONTH and I have to go through the automated security call thing EVERY MONTH.
Makes absolutely no sense.. unless you consider conspiracy theories. I pay off the balance every month in full. Hmmmm. Coincidence?

Anyway.. bye bye Egg.

gowgowuk

I use my Egg Money card for everything and pay my balance in full, and I never had this problem in the 1 1/2 year I used it...

hasdogs

Just got an Egg card, is it going to be a pain? wait and see I suppose. Do they insist on you registering and using the Master Securecode crap for online transactions? Are you more likely to have problems if you don't?

Paul_Herring

Just got an Egg card, is it going to be a pain?

I've had the card more years than they've rang me up regarding (potential) fraud.

Do they insist on you registering and using the Master Securecode crap for online transactions?

They don't. Mastercard might though - but that's not restricted to Egg.

hasdogs

Paul_Herring wrote: »

They don't. Mastercard might though - but that's not restricted to Egg.

I have a Citi Mastercard which has never given me the option to register Securecode junk during online transactions. I have a Capital One Mastercard which required me to register Securecode junk the first time I tried to use it online. Backing out of the transaction because I was given no option to decline resulted in two phone calls and two letters from Capital One.

Securecode policy has nothing to do with the issuing bank? Doesn't seem that way.

Money_Grabber13579

I've got a Nationwide card, which has just been used fraudulently. Most of the fraudulent transactions were blocked, with just 1 for £7.23 getting through. They've never blocked a genuine transaction though.

Penelopa.Pitstop

I can't pay for holiday on Expedia. Every time I try to do this transaction is refused. It started at the beginning of 2008. I tried numerous times and it's always blocked. When I contact them they say ok you can try again now, but it doesn't work anyway. I gave up and use different card which is a shame because I'm missing cashback on larger amounts.

work4abank

Hello

I work for a credit card provider who operate a similar system to the one you are all talking about with you egg card, and i too have and egg card that uses to fraud detection system.

The systems are ran and provided by mastercard and visa, they are great facilities that has instant reporting facilities designed to protect you. they are random with some purchases you might think however not so.

they are programmed to detect transaction that will be of high risk to fraudulant activity, these include place style ( ie internet or phone transaction, company and other companies used by the merchant that you ar using, spend abnormal to usual spending, and much more.

you might find a block placed on your card abit annoying, how ever imagine your feeling if you got a statement through and thoudands of pounds had been spent on your card, that you did not spend, which you then may be held liable for and may have to pay, remember fraudsters are very clever and can make any number of transaction look genuine, its sometimes just the smallest things that show it as being fraudulant.

At the end of the day it is set up to protect you as a customer and it is great customer service that in my experience 99% of our customers are gratefull that we use.

Just to give you an example, a about a year ago a large retail merchant had some angry employees who stole the records of thousands of customers this included bank details and card details, this merchant supplied to other retailers and when products where sold by through the names of others, card and payment details went to this company to proccess to purchase. with in less than 24hrs this fraud system knew about it, and instantly brought up for query all transactions with this company. Although many where genuine, thounds of pounds of transactions had gone through fraudulantly, this system stopped these transactions. and still does to this day.

in this situation the customer may have been liable for the fraud as the card details had been given to the company in the first place so under normal investigation, a purchase dispute whould find it a valid transaction.

Dont hate a system that protects you, as not all card companies use it. trust me from experience this thread would have very different topic in hand if Egg amung many did not use these systems. you should all be embracing a company that pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to use a system that protects you the customer at no extra cost to you.