Halifax Credit Card Helpline NOT 24/7

sfax

AdamJK wrote: »

They both are open.

Lost & Stolen is not an automated task - therefore you always speak with a human.

Customer Services - 70% of the calls to this line are answered and resolved by the automated service with no human contact on the bank side. This line is also open. One of the services offered on this line - namely 'advisor' isn't available due to the bank holiday.

I'm really not seeing where the difficulty in understanding this is. The OP had a fraud block on the account, the only way to resolve that would be to speak with the fraud team. The fraud team don't work bank holidays so when the card details were put into the automated system, it would recognise that that account has been flagged for fraud and attempt to transfer. The problem seems to be that no information was provided when transferred and the OP was disconnected.

More and more pedantic as you struggle to make a case for an argument that is nonsense. Define open in your open special way if it pleases you to do so. Again, back in the real world...

chattychappy

It does make a bad impression. I recently had my first block on Nationwide Select.

I got repeated automated calls on both my UK landline and my mobile telling me it was an "urgent" message and I must call the number they gave me. I acknowledged the calls (by hitting the key they wanted), but this didn't stop them. As I'm in Taiwan, I got them over 2 days until 2am local time.

In parallel to receiving these calls, I was trying to return them but getting through was all a bit of a palava. (Anyone keen can look at my posts at the end of https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4340185)

OK mine was a one-off experience, so I'm being a bit unfair. We know that this is not high priority stuff for the CCs - the card has been blocked in the meantime. But this is beside the point - it rather undoes the marketing about taking security seriously if when Joe Public needs to call a fraud line he can't get through when he expects to.

dalesrider

chattychappy wrote: »

That is the problem - ideally they would be profiling both. Not taking into account a customer's spending pattern is having one arm tied behind your back.

True.

But how can you devise a program that can do that. Fraud programs are based on rules.
Thankfully fraudsters are beasts of habit. Unlike yourself as a customer.
Some people wont use a card for ages. Then use it a lot in a short space of time with no issues. If you idea was used. They would get a check.

Yes the systems are not perfect. Sadly they never will be. There are just far to many variables to take into account and it all has to be done in under 10 secs.
While 10 secs sounds like a long time. Remember these systems cover every transaction, every customer makes. So that is one hell of a lot of computing cycles.

chattychappy wrote: »

The more information you have to base a risk assessment on, the fewer false positives you need to have in order to get the true positives.

Our false positive is less that .5% and we are considered to have one of the tightest systems going.

AdamJK_2

sfax wrote: »

More and more pedantic as you struggle to make a case for an argument that is nonsense. Define open in your open special way if it pleases you to do so. Again, back in the real world...

I think special is probably a word you hear a lot don't you?

It's not my definition, it's the established definition of the vast majority of UK financial institutions. Pedantic or not, it is what it is.

sfax

AdamJK wrote: »

I think special is probably a word you hear a lot don't you?

It's not my definition, it's the established definition of the vast majority of UK financial institutions. Pedantic or not, it is what it is.

No, it's your definition and only your definition. What automated phone lines are not open 24/7? If you advertise 24/7 telephone customer service that means someone answers the phone, not that you get a machine telling you to call back on Monday at 9am if you need to do anything other than checking your balance or making a payment.

Do you think HSBC write "Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year" on their website to describe their automated service?! Wow, impressive, you mean you keep that server running on Christmas Day? Incredible.

Halifax have 24 hour customer service (the real definition, not yours) most of the year but there are exceptions on certain days that they don't tell you about explicitly, hence this thread.

You are hopelessly wrong.

reclusive46

Are the fraud systems based on the card network as well? I've noticed often if one network gets blocked for a transaction in one place, they all will. I.e. My Visa credit card was blocked in New York, then my Visa debit but I had no problem with an Amex.

Also with that unblocking with a note, I know for a fact Amex will ignore a yellow flag as such (Not sure whats its called but will tell the fraud team to look at the transaction without the card actually being blocked first) if they see flights were booked for the destination or they see a travel notification note then they will normally not block it. I'm not sure if any other issuers do this but I guess Amex are used to their clients travelling.

jackjones01

sfax wrote: »

No, it's your definition and only your definition. What automated phone lines are not open 24/7? If you advertise 24/7 telephone customer service that means someone answers the phone, not that you get a machine telling you to call back on Monday at 9am if you need to do anything other than checking your balance or making a payment.

Do you think HSBC write "Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year" on their website to describe their automated service?! Wow, impressive, you mean you keep that server running on Christmas Day? Incredible.

Halifax have 24 hour customer service (the real definition, not yours) most of the year but there are exceptions on certain days that they don't tell you about explicitly, hence this thread.

You are hopelessly wrong.

Regardless of your lovers tiff. It was the fraud department the OP needed to speak to and they was closed so they should just get over it for now.