I really am reaching the end of my patience with banks and their OTT security

JP2019

Is there any way that you can ‘opt’ out of having your debit card blocked for ‘unusual transactions’ or ‘security’ reasons.

I am now at a point where I simply can not use my card online EVER to make any purchases whether it be online shopping from Tesco or ordering a takeaway from deliveroo or any other online purchase.

For what is now the tenth time (yes that’s right, TENTH) my card has been blocked and I have been forced to sit on the phone to lloyds again listening to their hold music to unblock my card and confirm transactions because their ridiculous OTT algorithm has decided that my usual Tesco shop is suspicious and their computer has decided that simply texting my phone with a code to confirm is not enough and I ‘MuSt CaLL ThEm’. I used to have this same problem with Santander whenever I used my card online and my wife has the problem regularly with Halifax. 

The banking industry as a whole has become waaaaaay to reliant on algorithms and automation and it is reaching the point of insanity.

To all the sanctimonious holier then thou ‘the bank are never wrong’ brigade - Save your replies for another thread, I don’t care if the banks ‘cant win’, I am fed up to the back teeth of jumping through hoops to access/use my hard earned money and you people will be blocked and ignored. I refuse to spend up to an hour on hold and answer 32 different questions to confirm my identity, the best one I received was today - Can you please confirm the amount of the transaction made via card payment on the 28th July and roughly what time you made this payment???? I said How the hell am I supposed to know that, it’s mid September?? and he kept repeating in that blunt and monotone voice ‘I am sorry sir but I am going to need you to answer the question’ like some sort of robot stuck on repeat.

So back to my original question, is there some way I can opt out of this? Or will I be wasting my time making that phone call? 

Ed-1

JP2019 said:

Is there any way that you can ‘opt’ out of having your debit card blocked for ‘unusual transactions’ or ‘security’ reasons.

I am now at a point where I simply can not use my card online EVER to make any purchases whether it be online shopping from Tesco or ordering a takeaway from deliveroo or any other online purchase.

For what is now the tenth time (yes that’s right, TENTH) my card has been blocked and I have been forced to sit on the phone to lloyds again listening to their hold music to unblock my card and confirm transactions because their ridiculous OTT algorithm has decided that my usual Tesco shop is suspicious and their computer has decided that simply texting my phone with a code to confirm is not enough and I ‘MuSt CaLL ThEm’. I used to have this same problem with Santander whenever I used my card online and my wife has the problem regularly with Halifax. 

The banking industry as a whole has become waaaaaay to reliant on algorithms and automation and it is reaching the point of insanity.

To all the sanctimonious holier then thou ‘the bank are never wrong’ brigade - Save your replies for another thread, I don’t care if the banks ‘cant win’, I am fed up to the back teeth of jumping through hoops to access/use my hard earned money and you people will be blocked and ignored.

So back to my original question, is there some way I can opt out of this? Or will I be wasting my time making that phone call? 

No you can't and the reason is simple. The bank are protecting themselves, less so you. If a transaction is fraudulent the bank have to refund it. So they have an interest in monitoring transactions.

theoretica

How odd - I have never had a transaction of mine blocked, but once was alerted to a fraudulent attempt which had been blocked.  I wonder what the difference is? 

george9071

I do have to be honest, it is annoying me too! I am currently in the process of changing my number with all my banks and CC's so having to have a code after every transaction is making it a lot harder to do things.

JenB79

JP2019 said:

So back to my original question, is there some way I can opt out of this? Or will I be wasting my time making that phone call? 

Yes you can - by closing your bank account(s) and keeping your money under your mattress. 100% guaranteed to work. 

JP2019

george9071 said:

I do have to be honest, it is annoying me too! I am currently in the process of changing my number with all my banks and CC's so having to have a code after every transaction is making it a lot harder to do things.

Tbh the code I can live with… WHEN THEY ACTUALLY SEND IT.

99% of the time they decide that sending a code to my mobile is not enough so I don’t receive any notification at all and am left to just work out that my card has been blocked. I am absolutely sick and tired of it now 

JP2019

JenB79 said:

JP2019 said:

So back to my original question, is there some way I can opt out of this? Or will I be wasting my time making that phone call? 

Yes you can - by closing your bank account(s) and keeping your money under your mattress. 100% guaranteed to work. 

Not practical in today’s world is it. This isn’t the 70’s, it’s 2021. 

But I assume your sarcastic response was code for ‘No you can’t opt out’. 

Thanks 

george9071

@JP2019 I really hope soon they find a new way that is beneficial to everyone, the amount of times I have had the fraud department on the phone to me because I sometimes don't get the code or they just decide even with the code that it isn't me doing it, it gets ridiculous. 

JP2019

george9071 said:

@JP2019 I really hope soon they find a new way that is beneficial to everyone, the amount of times I have had the fraud department on the phone to me because I sometimes don't get the code or they just decide even with the code that it isn't me doing it, it gets ridiculous. 

It has reached the point of becoming ludicrous. 

Download the app and confirm transactions through the app… Ok
Fingerprint and Face ID… Ok
Send activation code to address on file to use app to confirm said transactions… Sure ok
Send code to mobile phone… Ok yep 

finally make transaction after going through above steps……

’Please call us and answer 400 questions to confirm your identity’

And god forbid you try and set up a new payee on online banking - Don’t even go there 

JenB79

On a serious note OP, you need to change banks, to one which has a much better way to verifying certain transactions. Forget about asking any bank to let you bypass their security algorithms wrt transactions , that’s never gonna happen in a million years. 

I’d suggest Nationwide Building Society, any transactions which need to verified can be done through their app, literally takes seconds. Can’t remember ever needing to call them to get a transaction (debit or credit card) unblocked - either the transaction goes through without further action or I’m asked to authorise it through the app. 

warby68

I wonder if credit cards pick up spending patterns a little better and might be worth trying.

I use an M&S one and it does happen occasionally but probably no more than once a year and I put almost everything on there.