Nationwide - Reduced Security.

James

Got a Nationwide Card and travelling overseas? Read this it may save you wasting time on a phone call.

Advice to Card Holders used to be if you’re going abroad tell us.

I’ve made a point of doing this over the years and last did this with Nationwide in June of this year.

To my surprise Nationwide have removed this facility.

So don’t waste your time calling them to inform them you’ll be in such and such and country from and to such and such a date. They've removed the facility for recording this information.

From APACS Card Watch Web Site:

Some card issuers actively encourage cardholders to let them know before travelling abroad in order to avoid difficulties. The best advice is for you to always take the telephone number of your card issuer with you when you are travelling, then if you get into any kind of difficulty you can contact your card issuer for immediate advice.

noonesperfect

Thanks for the info James.

I'm actually opening a Flexaccount with the Nationwide tomorrow just to have some "back up" money in for our holiday next month. Hope we don't have a postal strike or I might'nt get the card and pin number in time :eek:

lolarentt

Thanks for the info - I usually do ring them up before going away, but have forgotten to do it recently. John Lewis Partnership card is another one who encourages you to ring and let them know where you're going, although the Nationwide card has such a beneficial ER that I rarely use anything else these days.

Beate

I didn't even know that had existed and I welcome the removal of these pointless calls. The last thing you want to do is ring your bank every time you go away, especially if you are a businessperson frequently away for only 1-2 days at a time.

James

Beate wrote: »

I didn't even know that had existed and I welcome the removal of these pointless calls. The last thing you want to do is ring your bank every time you go away, especially if you are a businessperson frequently away for only 1-2 days at a time.

Good Point and it's your choice, but there should be a choice. Overseas fraud on UK cards is climbing at an alarming rate.

I should imagine that if you had a block put on your card (becasue of what is considered an unusual transaction), you could end up spending a small fortune and a considerable amount of time contacting you card issuer to have the block lifted. Therefor a quick call or email may save you time, hassel and embarrassment in the long run.

Best advice to you if you think a call is worthless is to carry the minimum amount of cards. Then youve more reason than most to frequently check your statements.

I've sent this secure email to Nationwide and look forward to their response:

Dear Nationwide,

The CardWatch Website " Some card issuers actively encourage card holders to let them know before travelling abroad in order to avoid difficulties."

My wife and I have a made a point of informing Nationwide when we were travelling . We were quite alarmed to find out via your call centre that this facility had been removed.

Can I suggest that you make it public via your website/statements that you no longer offer this facility.

I can't understand why, as a responsible Building Society, you've removed this option.

My wife will be using her Flexaccount Card in North East Spain between **** (date) and **** (date) . Any overseas transactions, face-to-face or at ATMs made either side of these dates outside the UK consider fraudulent.


One up for BarclayCard:

Click here.

Cardew

sofa_surfer wrote: »

See the reply to my online query:
Dear Mr. sofa_surfer

Thank you for your enquiry

I can confirm we do like to make a note on your account regarding travel arrangements for security purposes. You can contact customer services to advise or you can email me and I will make a note on your account for you.

Regards

Melanie Sheridan
Customer Advisor
Nationwide Credit Card Services

I find that quite strange.

I spend quite a lot of time abroad and have always notified them of my trips - since having had them call my UK number to query some spending(my daughter clarified where I was) - and subsequently being told it was most important to let them know of trips.(I send a quick message from my on-line account - takes seconds)

Anyway earlier this year I sent the usual message and got the following reply:

Dear Mr 'Cardew'

Thank you for your message.

We no longer require notification of your intended card use abroad.

Our Special Investigations department constantly monitor card use and spending patterns, especially those taking place abroad. They would only become concerned if there were several sudden large or unusual purchases, which were not in character with that account.

Whilst you're abroad, should you be unfortunate enough to lose or have your card/s stolen, please report this immediately to our 24 hour Call Centre on 44 1793 456789. For Credit Cards please contact us on 44 1268 567213.

Regards,

Julie Abbott
Internet Services

http://www.nationwide.co.uk
Nationwide. Proud to be different.

So who is correct - Melanie Sheridan or Julie Abbott?

Biggles

Possibly both?

They no longer require notification (so you won't get your card blocked for an ordinary transaction abroad if you forgot to tell them - but then I have never had that happen with any credit card anyhow, whether I've forewarned them or not) but they do like to make a note on your account for security purposes?

Cardew

Biggles wrote: »

Possibly both?

They no longer require notification (so you won't get your card blocked for an ordinary transaction abroad if you forgot to tell them - but then I have never had that happen with any credit card anyhow, whether I've forewarned them or not) but they do like to make a note on your account for security purposes?

Not sure I understand the logic of that??

They can't make a note unless they have notification from myself? The reply I received seems pretty unambiguous to me i.e. don't bother - we don't need to know!

At the very least they should post something on their website(or send with statements) explaining exactly what is, or is not, required.

Biggles

It's the difference between 'require' and 'like to'.

But that's assuming both writers were correct, which one or the other may not have been.......

JohalaReewi

Have just come back from an overseas trip with both Nationwide Debit card and Credit card. Before I went I called each helpline to let them know so I wouldn't get the cards blocked while abroad. The Credit card helpline said thanks very much, we will make a note of it. The Debit card helpline said, you don't need to tell us, it will always work abroad.

olly300

To be fair most card issuers will block transactions if they think they are fraudulent whether in the UK or aboard.

I've never told Nationwide or any of my other CC companies when I've been travelling, and have never had my card blocked aboard.

There as a former colleague of mine informed his card issuer (HSBC) he would be aboard and got his card blocked when he tried to pay a large bill for his hotel accommodation as it was a business hotel. It was a business trip so the accommodation was more expensive then what he would have probably chosen himself. Luckily for him he wasn't travelling alone. (He was fuming.)

I've also recently had my card blocked in the UK while buying a printer but the same CC company was happy for me to pay for a carpet on the card which cost significantly more.