Use Co-Op Cashminder at Asda Petrol Pumps

kepar

Why won't any bank give her a Visa card.
I know it is not a bank but I got a Norwich and Peterborough account with a Visa card 2 months after AD. It is a basic account with no overdraft or chequebook but it is a proper Visa card. So now I use my Co-op for dd's and am able to use the N&P account for shopping etc with no problems. Instead of moaning look around and find out what others use etc, I believe some use the Yorkshire( not sure bank or bs).
I don't know what part of the country you live in but I am sure you will find a bank or building Society that will give you a Visa card.

alastairq

Co-Op are not an ethical (or even a particularly good) bank. They identify niches and profit from them. The Cashminder card is a case in point. They are not bankruptcy friendly at all. They have simply identified a corner of the market which is under-supported and they are exploiting it (remember there is no sentiment in business).

Thanks for supporting my own assertions on another thread....

I sincerely believe the Co-op bank...whilst I have few actual 'complaints' on a daily basis, are not what we think they are....or would 'like' them to be.

I note on this particular forum, the Co-op does seem to be viewed with what appear to be.....erm...... financially 'rose-tinted' spectacles?

I also want to observe..changing or shopping around doesn't actually solve the problem.

The problem [in this case, incorrectly charging]....should not exist in the first place..if a moral standpoint is taken.

Moving one's custom does not in itself effect or generate 'change'.....

going toe-to-toe using weapons at our disposal can and does achieve results..if not, it certainly leads to a counter-productive press for the banks concerned.

Just because we are, or have been bankrupt [in itself a valid business method]....does not mean to say we have to tolerate sub-standard services, or , financial abuse.

Our money is just as good as anybody else's..probably more reliable, as it happens?

4$£&*(£$&*(!

alastairq wrote: »

Just because we are, or have been bankrupt [in itself a valid business method]....does not mean to say we have to tolerate sub-standard services, or , financial abuse.

Our money is just as good as anybody else's..probably more reliable, as it happens?

Definitely. I have not been in a bankrupt situation so I am not certain how I would feel in the shoes of others, I can only say what I see with my partner's situation. I was a Smile customer for 10 years and always thought being part of the Co-Op it was all very ethical. If I had to visit a branch, I would look around and see the tired wood panelling on the wall, wait five minutes whilst one clerk served the whole branch, but I would think it's okay, this is all ethical so I don't mind not being surrounded by luxury or amazing customer service.

They did a couple of stunts that impressed me. They gave me a cup of fairtrade coffee whilst I waited one day. Then on another occasion they handed out fairtrade bananas to customers. More ethics, I liked that. Then of course the ethical surveys, the high profile closure of certain accounts used by homophobic groups, not supporting arms trades, the whole gambit.

Last year I saw my first glimpse behind that ethical curtain. On my Smile account I decided I would move my main account to someone else. Then the problems started. One after another until at one point there was almost 30 unique problems with my account. Then the poor customer service. Everyone smiled, everyone sympathised, everyone made promises, everyone got it wrong and the problem repeated itself the next time.

Is having higher rate phone numbers to call their customer services ethical? Is getting problems so wrong time after time ethical? Is paying poor rates to customers and charging uncompetitive fees ethical?

Back to the situation for bankrupts. Why are some people grateful of Co-Op for accepting their business? They are walking all over some people in this forum. Alistairq you are quite right, the money of a bankrupt is just as good as anyone else's, and in the situation we have now on the Electron card issue this should not have happened and Co-Op should have changed the card numbers instead of doing something for the sole benefit of their profits.

The more I consider this situation the more something else becomes clear. Bankrupts shouldn't be grateful for Co-Op's service, they should be furious that this service isn't offered by every bank. A murdering criminal has more financial options than a bankrupt as far as some banks are concerned.

Co-Op are turning into a bank that bankrupts must endure and suffer, rather than enjoy. As a non-bankrupt myself I expect my current bank to offer me great rates, be available when I need them, offer the services I want to use. Why should a bankrupt have to put up with anything short of this (apart from the usual sensible restrictions - no overdrafts, cheque books etc)?

So my fellow FM's, my next question is what are we all going to do about this? Let's get some collective action going and show people like Co-Op we are not grateful for their poor services, we are angry and want to be treated fairly.

dojoman

Whilst I agree with some of your points I don`t with all of them. As you say BR`s should be given access to other bank accounts but in the cold light of day we are not, that is why I for one will defend the Coop against some of the criticism being put forward against it. I have had my account with them for 19 months, and I have nothing but praise for them. Any problems/queries I have had have been answered and dealt with very quickly, and we don`t get diverted to the sub continent call centres:) something of which I am very glad about. If people are not happy with the way they do business it is simple, use another bank, I also have a Barclays account with a Visa Debit that can be used where my Visa Debit card from the Coop cannot.

4$£&*(£$&*(!

That is all fair comment and I don't intend to argue with it, what bankrupts using Cashminder need to understand however is Co-Op are not doing the account because they are nice, or because we should be grateful. They are doing it because it is a nice little earner for them.

FuzzyCub

CitySlicker wrote: »

That is all fair comment and I don't intend to argue with it, what bankrupts using Cashminder need to understand however is Co-Op are not doing the account because they are nice, or because we should be grateful. They are doing it because it is a nice little earner for them.

Surely as a business The Co-Op should do exactly that: run accounts that are "nice little earners for them". Most banks don't accept BRs as we have very little "potential value" e.g. credit lines and savings etc. so represent a bad business decision.

I am glad they've found viable business in operating a BRs account. I don't think they get everything right and can be frustrating at times but it is nice to have options. The Co-Op provide me the option to bank with them - which is nice.

Whilst I'm grateful for that option - it doesn't mean that I'll bank with them forever. When I've rebuilt my financial life, when my BR drops off my file and when I start to build savings for my future I will have even more options. When that time comes I will expected the bank that profits from my accounts to be grateful I picked them and I will expect them to demonstrate their gratitude or I will choose a business that rewards me more handsomely for my customer and they will lose out.

[Deleted User]

It's not just Cashminder that is not accepted, My RBS visa debit card fails at Asda pay at pump too. First 6 digits are 475116 and the AID when I last used it in a shop is 31010.

alastairq

I am glad they've found viable business in operating a BRs account. I don't think they get everything right and can be frustrating at times but it is nice to have options. The Co-Op provide me the option to bank with them - which is nice.

there is a difference between what is nice for us, the customer to feel about not having to lurch about trying to obtain a BASIC bank account...and using nice as a description of Co-op's attitude.......

BR's probably..for the most part, stem from what were, historically, Co-op's core customer base....

BArclays once had a policy of discouraging it's good customers.......that is,those who paid in, paid out and never incurred charges..or made significant banking profits for them...I noted this attitude changed in recent years....and has so far culminated in Barclays targeting BR customers as a potential future market.

It works, probably, as it develops a sense of loyalty towards the bank by the
customer......who feels more secure, and therefore is more likely to indulge in other products from the bank.

It really is about time legislation cam e into place compelling all banks who pretend to have a High Street presence, to offer without restriction, a BASIC bank account to anyone that asks.

The way our economic society works, a bank account is almost absolutely essential.....unlike 30 years ago!

So if our economy is to continue to function as society wants it to, access to a basic banking facility must be made mandatory.

Toe-Jam

Deleted_User wrote: »

It's not just Cashminder that is not accepted, My RBS visa debit card fails at Asda pay at pump too. First 6 digits are 475116 and the AID when I last used it in a shop is 31010.

RBS have blocked that card from use at pay@pump. You need to have the card with a cheque guarantee on the back for it to work. Same with Natwest.

My card does not work in self-service petrol pumps, why is this?

If your Visa Debit card replaces a Solo card (and begins with the numbers 4751 16) this cannot be used in unattended Point of Sale terminals. This card type can only be used at a retailer or supplier of services where they can authorise the transaction with us at the time of the transaction being made and self-service terminals, such as those on trains or at petrol pumps, cannot perform such an authorisation.

The same thing is written in the the booklet that comes with the Cashminder visa debit.

4$£&*(£$&*(!

Has anyone heard back from Asda on this yet? How about we start sending reminders?