Annoyed with HFC bank customer service

stubs

Just under 12 months ago, my partner bought a TV on 12 months free credit with HFC bank. The time has come to pay off the money before they start to take payments etc... so I called them on behalf of my partner, with her personal details and card details.

First off, they told me they could not disclose any details of the account to me as I wasn't the account holder (even though my details were given for the monthly repayments at the time of setting the loan up).. ok so I explained what I wanted to do and why my partner couldn't call (she works the hours that HFC bank are open, and she gets paniky trying to deal with things like this on the phone - don't ask ). They fisrt said it would be fine.. but in order to pay the total balance, I would need to tell them how much it was due to data protection. As the letter wasn't with me, I had to call them back as I hadn't made a note of this.

I call them back, and get the same person, despite calling less than 5 mins beforehand and trying to persuade her to just let me pay the balance, she didn't recognise me.... went through all the same questions, only this time telling me I couldn't pay off the balance as I'm not the account holder - despite telling me last time it would be ok.

After a few cross words, I hang up and call back in hope that I get someone else... only to get the same woman again, who again doesn't seem to recognise me... or is just simply reading what's on her screen. I manage to get to the point of paying after confirming all the details and the amount we wish to pay.. and armed with my partners debit card I explain again why I'm using it, but she would not allow me to proceed as the card doesn't belong to me!! She again quoted the data protection act... but I questioned this, stating that this time, I would be supplying all the "data", not requesting any... but she wouldn't budge. I had already explained on the 1st and 2nd call that I planned to pay with my partners card, but this wasn't questioned. I then asked her how she would know if I were the card owner if I hadn't 1st told her it wasn't mine... she said "sorry" and pretty much hung up on me.

Is this correct? Is it covered in the data protection act? I thought it was ok to use someone elses card to make a payment? Or am I wrong?

Needless to say, a 4th call was made with little regard to trying to be honest.. instead posing as the person they wanted to speak to all along (no accent needed either - crazy!)

Do they have a UK based call centre, or are my suspicions correct that I was speaking to someone from the likes of India with little room to think outside the box?

I was left feeling like they didn't want me to pay the balance off... and that they just try and make it difficult so that you end up paying fees.

CHR15

Of course they don't want you to pay up, they are in for a pretty penny if they can stall you long enough!

I can't see what they are doing to wrong through, they are protecting the account holder.

The simple solution is to sit down with your OH and get her to speak with them. Take a morning off work if necessary, the half day loss of pay is nothing compared to the amount you will pay if you don't get this sorted in good time.

stubs

It's all sorted now... but I just wasn't happy that they didn't tell me right from the start that I wouldn't be able to use her card to make the payment without her present.
She was very "robotic"... no advice or suggestions offered, other than "just pay with your own card".
Also, is it correct that the reason the card holder only can make payment is due to the data protection act? When making card payment, I wouldn't need to ask for any details - I would be giving them the details.. so how does that affect data protection?

rtho782

With a cardholder not present transaction any fraud will be down to the retailer, or the ones taking the money.

You can see why they would want to put processes in place to reduce this, very few companies will let you pay on someone elses card over the phone. In theory, they need the cardholders permission to take money - you aren't the cardholder, so they can't take the money.

PNPSUKNET

Unless its a joint account, you cant make payments over the phone with your partners card