Lloyds TSB lost a customer this week

dunstonh

Rather than waste my time writing a formal letter of complaint, I thought I'd offer a warning to anyone looking for a new bank account.

If there is an issue with the retailer then chances are all the banks are going to have similar low floor limits on him.

I take debit card payments to submit for investments and two banks in particular play up more than others. Barclays (ridiculously low floor limits) and First Direct (multiple times they have failed the transaction even with funds there but created an earmark on the account preventing the card from being used again).

So, I hope your first direct experience doesnt match mine. Ironically, I am with Lloyds and have never had a card problem. Indeed, I spent nearly £50,000 in a card transaction a couple of years ago and had the phonecall to do and it was painless. If anything, I felt it was too easy.

Pugwash69

The first time they started this on me was when I bought a motorbike about 8 years ago. The garage had a card reader but no chip-and-pin at the time. I paid about £3k out and rode home. Then the insurance company told me my payment for bike insurance had failed.

Last time was just before Christmas buying from Play.com using Verified by Visa for about £80. It happened again last month buying a camera online from Jessops for about £300. This week was also Play.com with Verified with Visa for £115.

Clearly verified with visa is not all it's cracked-up to be?

They have NEVER tried to contact me to say they think my card has been compromised, which is strange I think.

Plus - I have an rather active account with play.com, so if a human had been involved with checking the details they may have realised it was nothing unusual?

dunstonh

They have NEVER tried to contact me to say they think my card has been compromised, which is strange I think.

Did you register for contact? I have and have been contacted.

so if a human had been involved with checking the details they may have realised it was nothing unusual?

A human isnt involved. I wanted to close a mortgage account with C&G and used my LTSB debit card. Shortly after I got the declined due to security concerns (it was that which led to me getting my contact details registered). If a human was involved that would not have happened.

seriousDFW

Thanks for posting your experience.

I am now with First Direct and I am very happy with the service and products I have with them.

I don't think anyone minds really that there are issues/problems from time to time, but it is important for many customers for them to be dealt with efficiently. This is never more true than when dealing with money, so I understand your frustration.

I also understand how it can feel that you have trusted a bank for so long with something important to you and then you feel let down.

Well done for not accepting the substandard service you have received and I hope First Direct continue to provide an excellent standard of service.

Joe_Bloggs

@Pugwash69
Is there the possibility that your contact details with the offending institution are incorrect ? Can you instruct them to test their mailing /email system ?
J_B.

Pugwash69

dunstonh wrote: »

Did you register for contact? I have and have been contacted.

Well they have my mobile number, home number and email address. When it happened in December they claimed to have tried to contact me but had the wrong number, even though I know they had the correct on according to my online banking. What more could I do? I know the mobile number was correct as they text me a mini statement weekly.

coolesticeking

Just thought I would add my views to this one, been with Lloyds TSB for around 2 years now.

Only had the account for a Month, and they declined my card with a trolley full of shopping in Asda (Very embarrassing!) thankfully, thats been the only time in a face to face situation.

No Phone call, No Text, No E-Mails nothing... I had to call them and wait around 25 mins answer everything to get it unblocked - Wrong, they didn't unblock it so when I had to be escorted to the Customer Services Desk to try and pay again guess what it declined AGAIN!!! Didn't take as long to answer the next time about 5 mins and thank goodness it worked as the queue was getting longer and longer

Then for about a year - All was well, never a decline or an issue. It has all started again about 6 months ago now. Not in shops thank goodness but with online and it's nothing out the blue you know. Infact, 7 times.

No phonecall, no texts just nothing - They have my Landline, Mobile, E-Mail and my wages...

I have to call them each time which is very annoying... Even if I just got a text from them that said we blocked your card, please call I would prefer this!

That's why I got myself a Credit Card and for the very first time, they did call me over a transaction I did in Tesco. What I prefered about Capital One was they let the transaction go through, but kept it as pending. Called me, Left a Voicemail and even sent me a text asking to call them as soon as possible.

This was a Freephone number, call was answered in less than 30 seconds and although it was an offshore call centre it was dealt with in a professional manner and not that I was a crook!

When i've got through to the Lloyds TSB Security Team I feel like i've committed an offense and have done something wrong..

nearlyrich

Pugwash69 wrote: »

I opened a First Direct account an hour after my Lloyds debacle. After coming to this web site and checking the information they sound much better. I rang them up and went straight through to a human operator. It can only be better from here on.

I left TSB in 1979 because they took charges they were not entitled to and deleted my O/D facility without notice which caused a cheque to bounce (very embarrasing at the time) I went to Natwest and if you have a week or two to spare I can tell you how awful they were and how badly they treated me, eventually moved to Halifax Bank who did something horrendous too. In April 1992 I was in despair of ever finding a bank who cared when someone mentioned a new kind of bank and I have never looked back. I am aware that they are not perfect and people do have issues but for me First Direct are as good as it gets. I hope you have many issue free years with them as I have.:beer: