TSB - idiotic security?

frontera2_2

Hi here,

I recently joined TSB and, after having the account with them for a month, needed to contact them by 'phone for the first time with a query.

I rang them from my mobile whilst taking a walk and the first security question was whether I could confirm to the penny, the amount of a specific transaction I had made. Now. as I was calling from my mobile and didn't have the receipt with me, I couldn't answer the question.

Next, they asked me to confirm to the penny, the exact amount of my most recent salary payment. Again I couldn't answer as I don't generally carry my payslips round in my pocket.

At this point they said they couldn't talk to me, but would send a security number to me which would arrive in 5 days which would then mean I wouldn't have to answer these sort of questions. But in the meantime, they wouldn't help me unless I could answer these questions.

Is it just me or is this plain daft? People calling from mobiles aren't likely to have this sort of information immediately to hand. Effectively they are saying that unless you are pre registered, you can't call to discuss your account unless you are in front of your internet banking,

Seems pathetic to me and totally inflexible and a bit amateurish. Or a, I being over sensitive?

Hominu

frontera2 wrote: »

Is it just me or is this plain daft? People calling from mobiles aren't likely to have this sort of information immediately to hand. Effectively they are saying that unless you are pre registered, you can't call to discuss your account unless you are in front of your internet banking,

Seems pathetic to me and totally inflexible and a bit amateurish. Or a, I being over sensitive?

Likewise, if I ring up and pretend to be you (I got your name, address and bank from a letter that was half hanging out of your letter box), they wouldn't speak to me either, but that's a good thing. I'm sure you wouldn't want the bank thinking I'm you and allowing me to do whatever I want with your account.

Although I've never been asked your kind of questions, it's more like "Do you have an overdraft and if so how much", "How many direct debits do you have" and "What was the most recent transaction that you remember".

If I decide to ring the bank from my mobile, I call from work or home and make sure I can identify myself before placing the call. I don't try and do it whilst wondering around the streets.

YorkshireBoy

I've never been asked for transactions "to the penny"...and I rather suspect you haven't either.


If I was asked about a specific transaction on my account I'd have been able to answer near enough I suspect. And my salary I'd know to within a few quid. I'd like to think those answers would have sufficed, but if they didn't I'd volunteer other transactions I could remember exactly.


And I do bank with TSB, along with around 8 or 9 other banks!

Frontera2

Err, as the person who made the call I was asked to confirm the exact amount, and resent any suggestion to the contrary.

Because I couldn't give precise answers to the contrary they refused to deal with me.

Of course security needs to be there but reasonable questions please!

Should have known that I couldn't expect nothing but sarcastic answers on MSE these days.

GingerBob_3

frontera2 wrote: »

Hi here,

I recently joined TSB and, after having the account with them for a month, needed to contact them by 'phone for the first time with a query.

I rang them from my mobile whilst taking a walk and the first security question was whether I could confirm to the penny, the amount of a specific transaction I had made. Now. as I was calling from my mobile and didn't have the receipt with me, I couldn't answer the question.

Next, they asked me to confirm to the penny, the exact amount of my most recent salary payment. Again I couldn't answer as I don't generally carry my payslips round in my pocket.

At this point they said they couldn't talk to me, but would send a security number to me which would arrive in 5 days which would then mean I wouldn't have to answer these sort of questions. But in the meantime, they wouldn't help me unless I could answer these questions.

Is it just me or is this plain daft? People calling from mobiles aren't likely to have this sort of information immediately to hand. Effectively they are saying that unless you are pre registered, you can't call to discuss your account unless you are in front of your internet banking,

Seems pathetic to me and totally inflexible and a bit amateurish. Or a, I being over sensitive?

Totally agree, and no, you're not being over sensitive.

There's sensible security and stupid security. Unfortunately the majority of organisations now practice the latter. A couple of examples; MBNA ask ridiculously over-the-top questions and lots of them. Those scum at NPower refuse to talk to you and force you to ring back (with consequent long wait) if you make the slightest error in your answers (and they aren't even a financial institution, !!!!!!!).

Many organisations now impose "security" when there's absolutely no need to do so. You can't even ring up to book a washing machine service without some clown "taking you through security". Most of it is bollo-cks, big time. Those questions from TSB are ridiculous.

GingerBob_3

Frontera2 wrote: »

Err, as the person who made the call I was asked to confirm the exact amount, and resent any suggestion to the contrary.

Because I couldn't give precise answers to the contrary they refused to deal with me.

Of course security needs to be there but reasonable questions please!

Should have known that I couldn't expect nothing but sarcastic answers on MSE these days.

Correct. The majority of posters here are on a ego trip. They don't want to give advice or sensible opinion and are only here to tell people how fantastic they are and how stupid you are.

CKhalvashi

Hominu wrote: »

Likewise, if I ring up and pretend to be you (I got your name, address and bank from a letter that was half hanging out of your letter box), they wouldn't speak to me either, but that's a good thing. I'm sure you wouldn't want the bank thinking I'm you and allowing me to do whatever I want with your account.

Although I've never been asked your kind of questions, it's more like "Do you have an overdraft and if so how much", "How many direct debits do you have" and "What was the most recent transaction that you remember".

If I decide to ring the bank from my mobile, I call from work or home and make sure I can identify myself before placing the call. I don't try and do it whilst wondering around the streets.

This is the crux of the matter.

HSBC called me today to check I am where 2 transactions were made, confirmed the first half of the question, and asked for the second part (for example confirmed my postcode starts with LLNN, and asked me to conform NLL)

If I'm calling them and didn't get through security automatically, I'd expect questions to be asked regarding who I am and what I know with the account.

Thrugelmir

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

I've never been asked for transactions "to the penny"...and I rather suspect you haven't either.

Lloyds has used it as one of their security questions for some time.

Thrugelmir

Frontera2 wrote: »

Of course security needs to be there but reasonable questions please!

If it's not personal to you. Then the information would be easily accessible.

If fraud is committed it's the bank that pays out. So they are looking after their money not yours. Something which too often gets overlooked.

YorkshireBoy

Frontera2 wrote: »

Err, as the person who made the call I was asked to confirm the exact amount, and resent any suggestion to the contrary.

Did you see the quotation marks?

I've been asked:

"What was the value of your last ATM withdrawal?"
"£100"

"You made a debit card transaction last Thursday. What was the value?"
"About £80 to Tesco Petrol"

"What was the value of your August salary deposit?"
"About £x,xxx"

And in all my years of calling banks "about" has always been good enough.

...but I've never been asked...

"You made a debit card payment last Wednesday. Please tell me to the penny was the amount was"

GingerFurball_2

Frontera2 wrote: »

Err, as the person who made the call I was asked to confirm the exact amount, and resent any suggestion to the contrary.

Because I couldn't give precise answers to the contrary they refused to deal with me.

Of course security needs to be there but reasonable questions please!

Should have known that I couldn't expect nothing but sarcastic answers on MSE these days.

You wouldn't have needed to confirm the exact amount.