Sainsbury's took her card!

MaKaToM

This is for a Natwest switch card, not credit.

Just after some advice for a friend of mine. She's just been out to the supermarket for food for the week and some petrol to get her to work and back and also through the weekend.

She typed her pin in "PIN OK", but was then asked to step over to the customer service desk, as authorisation was required.

She was fine with this as she had to do it when she bought a £800 TV + Fridge for her home, but was a bit baffled as to why the bank would need to authorise £10 worth of groceries.

A lad got on the phone to the Maestro people, read out her card number, gave the amount and then said "ok, yes she's here with me, ok, bye - sorry cards declined and I must retain it".

She flew off the handle to say the least, demanding that she have an explanation while pulling out her drivers license, counterpart, old university cards, even her passport, but the kid behind the counter simply repeated "declined, I have to keep it".

Getting nowhere she asked if he would phone the bank back so she could speak, after refusing twice he agreed, called and passed the telephone over.

She was asked for her full name, details of the card, details of her adress and the branch that she first opened her account with etc... Only to be told that the card was 'cancelled' and had been for a week or so.

Having spent nearly £300 the week before on christmas shopping, food shopping, petrol etc, she knew this was wrong, so informed the person on the telephone that she had been using it over the weekend and can give the details of when, where and how much as extra verification.

She was then told that the only people who could authorise it closed at 6pm so nothing could be done.

What's going on here?

She informed me that she had checked her account online this afternoon ( she likes to keep an eye on payments) and there was a good few hundred left!

She only has one card that wages go in, bills come out, so has no way of buying her dinner, filling up with fuel for work etc...

I think it is a disgrace that a hard working, young, single woman should have her only method of payment taken away from her without so much as an explanation, apology or without being given another method of paying.

Also, why is it that they can decline cards and retain them 24 hours a day, but can only authorise them until 6pm?!

Ridiculous!

stclair

Has the card been cancelled becuase they have been sent a replacement Visa Debit card???

"When you receive your new Visa Debit card you should start using it immediately. You should destroy your existing card by cutting it through the magnetic strip and through the chip. Your existing card will be cancelled and will stop working before the expiry date stated on the card"

I would ask them to contact telephone banking and ask them if a new card has been issued recentley.

This may not be the cause of the issue but it was the first thing that sprung to mind.

flyingscotno1

Equally the guy at Sainsbury's was correct to retain it if he was asked to by the card company. It happened to me a few times.

stclair

flyingscotno1 wrote: »

Equally the guy at Sainsbury's was correct to retain it if he was asked to by the card company. It happened to me a few times.

I bet the lad will be looking forward to his £50.00 now lol

Saying that im not sure if they only receive the payment if the cards on a hotlist.

firesidemaid

has she phoned/checked with either telephone or online banking if it is a debit card - either to find out what has happened or to make sure there is no fraud on her account?

i would be first in the queue at her local natwest tomorrow to let them do the phoning/talking/sorting etc - then hopefully the apologising if it is their error.

shopbot

The Switch Card is the property of Natwest and not the cardholder. It will say that on the back of the card....and somewhere in the banking agreement your friend signed it will say that it can be retained by agents acting on Natwests behalf.

You mentioned that it happened in Sainsburys but really they don't appear to have done anything wrong here. If the bank tells them to retain a card then they will. If they process a sale against the banks instructions then they will take any subsequent finanical loss. With card fraud costing £610 million in the UK last year there is plenty of potential for loss...and down the line those losses get passed back onto the customer through higher prices.

I don't think anyone reading this thread can really pass comment on Natwest without knowing the full reasons behind their decision to withdraw the card.

The post is a good reminder of is making sure you are protected if this does happen. Having an alternate card or carrying some cash could one day prove very useful.

stclair

I just think the card has been cancelled due to a re-issue or been cancelled in error personally. (not if ive looked at the account but it makes sense on the information provided).

If there was a "Suspicion" of fraud I can imagine there online banking would have been suspended.

deadthings

Shopbot and Wrangler5 win the spirit of Christmas award for support of a person in time of need...

Of course, you are right, that damn fool should have had spare cards, like we all have, and some spare money, like we all carry regardless of the risk of it being stolen from mugging, and the bank are right, and who cares about anyone else having problems because the bank was right. They were right in taking away that card and stopping the account for a week without bothering to write and inform the customer.

Who cares about other people suffering eh guys?

I'm with you!!

D.

koolkid

I feel sorry for the poor Sainsbury's guy who your friend 'flew the handle' at. Hardly his fault is it! Maybe once she's found out she should apologies to him.

To my knowledge- If the card was cancelled it just wouldn't have gone through- there would've been no auth required as the card would be dead.
I think there must have been something flagged suspicious on the account- could be for anything- the same happened to us once in B&Q. We just moved house and had been on a bit of a spree. There was plently of money in the bank but the account was registered as over active- however we did get an authorisation code for the sale to continue- did get frog marched into an office which was a bit embarrassing though

Hope she gets it sorted x

koolkid

deadthings wrote: »

Shopbot and Wrangler5 win the spirit of Christmas award for support of a person in time of need...

Of course, you are right, that damn fool should have had spare cards, like we all have, and some spare money, like we all carry regardless of the risk of it being stolen from mugging, and the bank are right, and who cares about anyone else having problems because the bank was right. They were right in taking away that card and stopping the account for a week without bothering to write and inform the customer.

Who cares about other people suffering eh guys?

I'm with you!!

D.

So what should they have done said "your cards not accepted have all your shopping for free".

I actually feel sorry for the lady but it's hardly Sainsbury's fault is it

shopbot

deadthings wrote: »

Shopbot and Wrangler5 win the spirit of Christmas award for support of a person in time of need...

Of course, you are right, that damn fool should have had spare cards, like we all have, and some spare money, like we all carry regardless of the risk of it being stolen from mugging, and the bank are right, and who cares about anyone else having problems because the bank was right. They were right in taking away that card and stopping the account for a week without bothering to write and inform the customer.

Who cares about other people suffering eh guys?

I'm with you!!

D.

Your post would be more credible if you read my post properly.

I didn't say the bank was right. I said
"I don't think anyone reading this thread can really pass comment on Natwest without knowing the full reasons behind their decision to withdraw the card."

Which is true. Unless you have an undeclared interest you cannot possibly say who was in the right or wrong here.

The OP asked for advice. They got factual advice not an opinion.