Halifax & Withheld Telephone Numbers.

Steve_xx

colsten wrote: »

Juts answer the call and ask who is calling and who they wish to speak to. Depending on the answer, you can then decide whether the person is available or not.

That's the only way to do it unless you have one of those clever devices that I mentioned. I'm plagued with sales type calls depsite being registered with the Telephone Preference Service. It's getting worse, sometimes two calls a day from people wanting to sell all manner of things. Annoyingly it happens very often when I'm just nodding off.

Traveller11

In summary response to all the replies:

I am very surprised that no one has commented on being asked to provide answer to security questions when being called by a 'Withheld number' and a voice that cannot and will not prove who they are, or have you all signed up to have your Computer 'problems' sorted out by the 'Engineer' who is calling on behalf of Microsoft who also calls you from a Withheld number and has just taken all your Credit Card Details.

I live in the UK and use 141 before the 'Outside the UK' alternative number, while 0800 numbers are even better.

My TSP (Telephone Service Provider) does not have a feature or service that collectively blocks all Withheld numbers as you as customers can also opt to have their numbers withheld.

While I saw that the transaction had been blocked but was being reviewed within 24 hours from which I expected the transaction to be approved as it was going to a UK Bank from a UK Bank, then why did they even try to contact me and then suspend my account?

They also tell you on their website that you can electronically transfer up to £25,000 each day, yet while this request was considerably lower it was still 'referred for review'

Halifax make the rules but don't abide by them, and at the end of the day it is my money NOT theirs.

agrinnall

Any transfer (although more often over £5000) can be investigated for anti-money laundering purposes, and the fact that they suspended your account suggests that they had some grounds for suspicion about your transaction.

Nobody here with any sense would suggest answering security questions from a withheld number (if it hadn't been withheld would you have been any the wiser who it was from anyway?), but once you know who is calling and why you should call back on a known/published number to get the issue resolved.

Steve_xx

Traveller11 wrote: »

While I saw that the transaction had been blocked but was being reviewed within 24 hours from which I expected the transaction to be approved as it was going to a UK Bank from a UK Bank, then why did they even try to contact me and then suspend my account?

Part of the reason that they do this is to try and protect you from any fraudulent activity on your account. It is very likely to happen if you suddenly move money to a new payee.


When a payment of this nature is stopped the bank normally provides a number to call at the time that you tried the transaction. If you really want the cash to go there and then you call that number and they progress it for you.

Steve_xx

agrinnall wrote: »

.... and the fact that they suspended your account suggests that they had some grounds for suspicion about your transaction.

That's probably not actually the case. Just at the moment the banks seem jittery and will often stop payments to new payees. Sometimes for safety you might set up a new payee and send £1 to test that it arrives, followed by a much larger amount. If you do that you can be almost sure that the second payment will be held.

mgdavid

You had a call from a withheld number.
You didn't answer it.
The message content was then relayed to you by text.
You checked online to confirm the situation was genuine.

What exactly is the problem? (apart from maybe having too much time on your hands).

agrinnall

Steve_xx wrote: »

That's probably not actually the case. Just at the moment the banks seem jittery and will often stop payments to new payees. Sometimes for safety you might set up a new payee and send £1 to test that it arrives, followed by a much larger amount. If you do that you can be almost sure that the second payment will be held.

I agree, but suspending an account is a rather more drastic step than holding up a single payment.

Helix

Its possible to spoof Caller ID so even if the bank call you from one of their numbers you don't know for sure it is them.

Traveller11

mgdavid wrote: »

You had a call from a withheld number.
You didn't answer it.
The message content was then relayed to you by text.
You checked online to confirm the situation was genuine.

What exactly is the problem? (apart from maybe having too much time on your hands).

Methinks from your comments you only read what you wanted to read and not what was posted.
So I will not respond any further.

Traveller11

In following the 'process' as defined by Halifax Bank while any transfer under £25,000 is supposed to be acceptable on the last 3 occasions over a 6 month time frame each one has been 'referred', while all 3 transfers were well under even £5k.

That 'referral process' is supposed to take just 24hours to make a decision from which you are required to log back into your account where there will be a message in your 'In Box' as there was also a message left when the transaction was 'referred'.

In looking at the transfers Halifax could see if they bothered to look that the transfers are being made to a UK based bank, but don't bother to do so.

So I have to say that in all 3 occurrences Halifax are not following their own process, which I also find infuriating as I then have to take time out to resolve the 'problem' while I am quite happy to wait for them to do their review within their 24 hour commitment and make a decision, but that seems to be beyond their capability.

While I would also be less concerned if when receiving a call from a Withheld Number the caller provided me with a form of identification that confirmed from whom they were calling, 'Halifax Bank' just does not cut it for me.

Lets not forget that when we call them, before we can get to talk to a Human Being about 'the problem' you have to enter all your account and personal details using the keypad, then when you finally get connected we are expected to go through even more security questions with the person you are eventually connected with.