Halifax removes option to tell them you're abroad

freelancepuddle

Anyone who works for Halifax or in general know why they have taken this risk for customers and are being awkward?

I'm guessing they check now to see if you're paying it off but I have heard of people having their Clarity Cards blocked abroad, which defeats the purpose.

PeacefulWaters

freelancepuddle wrote: »

Anyone who works for Halifax or in general know why they have taken this risk for customers and are being awkward?

I'm guessing they check now to see if you're paying it off but I have heard of people having their Clarity Cards blocked abroad, which defeats the purpose.

All banks have a habit of occasionally blocking overseas transactions.

freelancepuddle

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

All banks have a habit of occasionally blocking overseas transactions.

The Clarity Card is literally a travel credit card. So what, it's now useless and false advertising because you have no way of telling them you'll be abroad?

glider3560

freelancepuddle wrote: »

The Clarity Card is literally a travel credit card. So what, it's now useless and false advertising because you have no way of telling them you'll be abroad?

I actually stopped telling them I was going abroad. Never got blocked overseas (USA, France, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Slovakia and Poland). Only time it was blocked was in the UK when I made two consecutive hotel bookings on the same site (about £500 each time).

Zanderman

freelancepuddle wrote: »

Anyone who works for Halifax or in general know why they have taken this risk for customers and are being awkward?

They're not being awkward. they're not taking risks, they're being helpful. As AirlieBird said:

AirlieBird wrote: »

https://www.halifax.co.uk/travel/
"Going abroad soon? You no longer need to tell us
You no longer have to tell us when you are travelling abroad. Our fraud and security systems are always on the lookout for suspicious activity on your accounts meaning you can relax when you are away making going abroad stress free."

freelancepuddle wrote: »

I'm guessing they check now to see if you're paying it off.

I'm not sure I see your point?

freelancepuddle wrote: »

but I have heard of people having their Clarity Cards blocked abroad, which defeats the purpose.

Of course some will have had their cards blocked abroad. But was that on the old system (where you had to tell them - but some people probably didn't) or the new system (where you don't have to actively tell them)?. If the former then it's an argument for the new system.

You can't make assumptions about why cards are blocked without knowing the whole picture for all users - and only Halifax will know that. That's their job.

freelancepuddle

You can't make assumptions about why cards are blocked without knowing the whole picture for all users - and only Halifax will know that. That's their job.

I'm pretty sure the blocks are done automatically by their system. I just don't see why go through the extra hassle of them calling you and checking your account when you can just fill in a quick form telling them where and when you're going. Why have they added extra steps?

freelancepuddle

glider3560 wrote: »

I actually stopped telling them I was going abroad. Never got blocked overseas (USA, France, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Slovakia and Poland). Only time it was blocked was in the UK when I made two consecutive hotel bookings on the same site (about £500 each time).

Which card was this with, a debit card or the Clarity Card or?

glider3560

freelancepuddle wrote: »

Which card was this with, a debit card or the Clarity Card or?

Clarity Credit Card

freelancepuddle

glider3560 wrote: »

Clarity Credit Card

When you were abroad were you paying it off regularly or at the end of each month?

IanManc

freelancepuddle wrote: »

The Clarity Card is literally a travel credit card. So what, it's now useless and false advertising because you have no way of telling them you'll be abroad?

It isn't "literally a travel card". I use it mainly in the UK because I'm in the UK most of the time. It's a credit card with no penalties for overseas use.

It isn't useless.

There is no "false advertising".

It has been explained to you that you no longer need to tell Halifax that you are going abroad, and the text from their website had been quoted in this thread.