Why Won't Halifax Let Me Spend My Money?

dollydiva

For the third time in as many months, Halifax have yet again thwarted my efforts to use my debit card online. I use my debit card a lot online, so that's not unusual activity in any way.

This time the sum I was attempting to spend was £300 and with the SAME retailer they'd stopped me from buying from back in August. I was told that 'things would be fine now' but evidently not.

Late August they stop me buying from Currys. That was for £699 and again a retailer whom I've bought from online and in store many times.

Each time they place a stop I get a text message from their Fraud team and every time I text back to confirm 'Yes' it's me who is trying to buy and each time after waiting a good half hour (it tells you to wait 10 mins before trying again) the transaction fails AGAIN. So what on earth is the point of the text message?:mad:

This at best is making me appear as if I'm trying to buy stuff I don't have the money for as the Orders appear as 'cancelled' - a synonym for 'we couldn't get the money.'

Each time I have to call them up to remove the restriction - last time I was on the phone half an hour waiting and then was told that they could only refund me a maximum of £2 for the call, even though it cost me near to £4 as Virgin don't cover 08456 numbers (I know now to dial the the International one).

Is there any resolution to this? How come I can use PayPal - which is linked to my debit card - no problem whatsoever when paying for higher value items? But trying to use the debit card directly is a nightmare; I've even stopped using it in store for fear of it being declined by the over-zealous Fraud team.

averageish

dollydiva wrote: »

For the third time in as many months, Halifax have yet again thwarted my efforts to use my debit card online. I use my debit card a lot online, so that's not unusual activity in any way.

This time the sum I was attempting to spend was £300 and with the SAME retailer they'd stopped me from buying from back in August. I was told that 'things would be fine now' but evidently not.

Late August they stop me buying from Currys. That was for £699 and again a retailer whom I've bought from online and in store many times.

Each time they place a stop I get a text message from their Fraud team and every time I text back to confirm 'Yes' it's me who is trying to buy and each time after waiting a good half hour (it tells you to wait 10 mins before trying again) the transaction fails AGAIN. So what on earth is the point of the text message?:mad:

This at best is making me appear as if I'm trying to buy stuff I don't have the money for as the Orders appear as 'cancelled' - a synonym for 'we couldn't get the money.'

Each time I have to call them up to remove the restriction - last time I was on the phone half an hour waiting and then was told that they could only refund me a maximum of £2 for the call, even though it cost me near to £4 as Virgin don't cover 08456 numbers (I know now to dial the the International one).

Is there any resolution to this? How come I can use PayPal - which is linked to my debit card - no problem whatsoever when paying for higher value items? But trying to use the debit card directly is a nightmare; I've even stopped using it in store for fear of it being declined by the over-zealous Fraud team.

Sounds like they have been fobbing you off. If it's a call centre, contact them and ask to speak to a manager located in the UK and explain. Failing that, go into branch and demand an appointment to see the manager.

Assuming no account issues in the past, that is shockingly bad service. No amount of excuses about fraud checks should cut it, fraud is their problem, not yours, assuming you've taken proper precautions.

~Beanie~

I had this problem a few weeks ago, same bank and same retailer. I also text YES after the message from the Fraud Dept but tried again half an hour later and was able to complete the purchase.

I had also tried with two different credit cards and had the same problem with those, when one of them phoned me up to check the transaction (8 hours later...) they said that there was a high level of fraud associated with Currys so it looks like it isn't just Halifax that have this issue.

dollydiva

Ive never had any Account issues, nor suffered any fraud. It seems that once you are on their radar, it keeps happening.

I realky wish Id used PayPal! Evidently, Halifax are happy for PP to handle the transaction, but not themselves!

bouicca21

I've been having trouble with Halifax declining online transactions too. See my pointless rant under stoozing! I have at last been able to make the online purchase that caused the trouble, took three goes. Their explanation is that most fraudulent purchases take place online so they have to be wary. I find the best way of dealing with them (ditto Santander, EE, EDF, and others) is to make a formal complaint. This takes the issue out of the usual loop and gets you to a person who knows the system and to whom to talk to resolve matters. The complaints person I spoke to yesterday was lovely. I wouldn't say the same about the lady in the fraud department though; she definitely needed to go on a customer care course.

Steve_xx

bouicca21 wrote: »

I've been having trouble with Halifax declining online transactions too. See my pointless rant under stoozing! I have at last been able to make the online purchase that caused the trouble, took three goes. Their explanation is that most fraudulent purchases take place online so they have to be wary. I find the best way of dealing with them (ditto Santander, EE, EDF, and others) is to make a formal complaint. This takes the issue out of the usual loop and gets you to a person who knows the system and to whom to talk to resolve matters. The complaints person I spoke to yesterday was lovely. I wouldn't say the same about the lady in the fraud department though; she definitely needed to go on a customer care course.

There seems to me to definitely be a marked increase in payments being stopped in the way you mention. I don't know why it is but it does make you wonder if there has been a marked increase in fraud activity that has caused the banks to be so reticent to let you do what you want to with your own money.

bouicca21

You may be right. Halifax did make it clear that it wasn't so much the amount but the fact that it was an online transaction for a large amount that was the problem. They said that it would have gone through in store as it would have been protected by chip and pin. And come to think of it, it wasn't three goes, it was six. Since I tried to order three times on Sunday, did not get the text asking if it was really me and had my account blocked.

dollydiva

Just spent 25 minutes getting through to Halifax Fraud only to be met by snippy Agent who was trying to convince me that £300 was 'a large sum of money' to spend online. But it's not is it? And bearing in mind Christmas is coming, it's REALLY not.

No explanation from her at all - nor none attempt made - as to WHY my answering 'Yes' to the text messages never helps one jot in letting the transaction then go ahead.

I pointed out that I'd bought from this Retailer (GTech) before, the latest being just a month ago (£100) with no problem - but again I get the 'large sum of money' - and 300 quid is not a large sum for an online transaction.

Hubby is also with Halifax and he has no issue whatsoever - over the past year he's bought 2 guitars online using his Debit Card - now those ARE' large sums', but he's had no Stop put on the Account ever.

Agent kept talking over me and was a right cheeky cow. So I'm finished with Halifax now, and I told her so.

dollydiva

bouicca21 wrote: »

I've been having trouble with Halifax declining online transactions too. See my pointless rant under stoozing! I have at last been able to make the online purchase that caused the trouble, took three goes. Their explanation is that most fraudulent purchases take place online so they have to be wary. I find the best way of dealing with them (ditto Santander, EE, EDF, and others) is to make a formal complaint. This takes the issue out of the usual loop and gets you to a person who knows the system and to whom to talk to resolve matters. The complaints person I spoke to yesterday was lovely. I wouldn't say the same about the lady in the fraud department though; she definitely needed to go on a customer care course.

Must have been the same snippy cow I just dealt with!:rotfl:

System

Halifax (like all banks) are fine if you don't need to speak to anyone

averageish

dollydiva wrote: »

Just spent 25 minutes getting through to Halifax Fraud only to be met by snippy Agent who was trying to convince me that £300 was 'a large sum of money' to spend online. But it's not is it? And bearing in mind Christmas is coming, it's REALLY not.

No explanation from her at all - nor none attempt made - as to WHY my answering 'Yes' to the text messages never helps one jot in letting the transaction then go ahead.

I pointed out that I'd bought from this Retailer (GTech) before, the latest being just a month ago (£100) with no problem - but again I get the 'large sum of money' - and 300 quid is not a large sum for an online transaction.

Hubby is also with Halifax and he has no issue whatsoever - over the past year he's bought 2 guitars online using his Debit Card - now those ARE' large sums', but he's had no Stop put on the Account ever.

Agent kept talking over me and was a right cheeky cow. So I'm finished with Halifax now, and I told her so.

Wow, this sounds ridiculous. No, £300 is a tiny sum in the great scheme of things and if you have an account in good standing with funds available, it is horrific service to continually deny you access to your own money, especially after notifying them directly that the transaction is legitimate.

The whole point of debit cards is that they should have no limit (subject to *reasonable* fraud prevention measures) except the limit you set yourself. In my case, transactions over £2,000 result in a call to me from the bank to verify the transaction.

On an unrelated note, I had issues many years ago with Halifax cards. I changed jobs and for the 2 week period where I was on garden leave, since my salary came in late, they took away my cheque book and Switch facility (debit card) and replaced it with a Solo. Solo was a lower tier of card and not widely accepted at the time, so fairly pointless. This was despite me having cash available and never being unemployed.

I told them where to stick it and moved to another bank taking my mortgage and three family members with me, so its cost them a fair few quid over time.