Banks calling customers

DCFC79

Can anyone tell me if banks tend to call theyrre customers(in this case lloyds or santander ), i took a call earlier for my mum and the caller was apparently from her bank, do banks call customers to sell extra services or woudl tehy only call if there was a problem with the account eg the account had been overdrawn. I didnt ask which bank it was as that would have answered my question.

Ive got an rbs and natwest and i dont get calls selling stuff

jimjames

First Direct do. Stupidly they then get all uppity when I point out that providing security details to someone who has phoned me isn't the greatest idea! They don't seem to realise that saying "we're you're bank" is exactly what a fraudster would claim!!

imso

Lloydstsb used to ring me all the time when i owed money on my cc, trying to sell me a loan. They also used to send letters saying they had been trying to get in touch with me and could i ring them, the number supplied was always a mobile number. I complained a few times but it didn't stop until i had paid my card off

Loughton_Monkey

jimjames wrote: »

First Direct do. Stupidly they then get all uppity when I point out that providing security details to someone who has phoned me isn't the greatest idea! They don't seem to realise that saying "we're you're bank" is exactly what a fraudster would claim!!

A bit unfair!

First Direct do phone, but they do not ask for sufficient details to breach security. As you know, they will ask you for letter no 1, letter number 4, and the last letter (or similar), as well as one other security question (but not all of them).

I cannot think of a reason they would phone you where they would then go on to ask you any further details. It will be quite obvious from their first sentance why they are phoning and almost certainly it will prove they are 'kosher'.

A fraudster could only 'use' this if he phoned you several times - which would be rather suspicious.

If you are ever suspicious, then all you have to do is quote one security question wrong. Only the fraudster would accept it. The genuine bank would not - but ask you again. Simple! [do the same if you are ever suspicious about online banking].

Back to the question, reasons for ringing would include:

1. To sell you something.
2. To tell you that a forthcoming DD or payment is going to make you overdrawn.
3. (Very common these days) It is their fraud people who have detected 'suspicious' activity.

dealhunter101_2

HSBC have called me loads. They also get First Direct to try to upsell to you as they are part of the same group.

Malory

HSBC have called when me when I've moved a lot of money into an account, to ask if there was anything else they could "help" me with .

claire07

Barclays call me and won't tell me what about until I answer some 'security questions'. They too get quite indignant when I say well you called me and you always say I shouldn't answer security questions on the phone!

missile

I too object to bank phoning for marketing crap then asking security questions, they have just dialed your number !!!!!!.

Rarely is their call confidential or important to me! If it is a secure method would be to ask you to phone back.

Rupert_Bear

We regulary get calls from MBNA trying to get us to accept one of their bt offers. Personally I do not mind because you can sometimes negotiate a reduced fee.

opinions4u

missile wrote: »

I too object to bank phoning for marketing crap

Opt out of their marketing programme then. You have that right.

then asking security questions, they have just dialed your number !!!!!!.

Well they don't know it's you who picked up the phone and if the typical payout for breaching the DPA is £250 a crack, surely you can appreicate the caution.

Rarely is their call confidential

Others would argue that disclosing who you hold a bank account with to another member of your family is a breach of a basic trust. If, for example, you had been saving up money in a secret account with, say, Skipton, in order to treat your other haldf to a cruise. and they rang and said to your other half, "Hi, it's the Skipton, please can I speak to Missile about their account" you wouldn't be best pleased.

Loughton_Monkey

Interestingly, I had a phone call from Halifax this morning.

I have a Nationwide (2.99%) account to which my Halifax account is 'linked'. I had moved £10K into Halifax (doubling up as my min £1,000 deposit) and was actually in process of moving it to Nationwide MySave.

The phone rang.

Me: Hello
Girl at Halifax: Oh. Good morning, is that Mr XXXXX?
Me: Yes, speaking
Girl at Halifax: I see you've had £10,000 into the account this morning. Well you can do a lot better, if I open a ZZZ account you can get 2%......

So much for 'security'. I could have easily been Mr XXXXX but not the correct one, for all they knew.....