Halifax Credit Card Scam

bluesand

Just received first credit card from Halifax. On the card it had a sticker with instructions to phone an 0870 number to "activate the card". I should have known better but anyway.....rang the number and was kept waiting" for an operative" for two or three minutes. When the "operative" came on she deliberately wasted some more phone time by asking a lot of irrelevant questions. She then moved into insurance selling mode before I finally lost my rag and told her to activate the card or I would cancel it. Even the she managed to screw a few more seconds out of me. On reflection I don't think that there is much that I or anyone else can do about this now but I would like everybody to know that Halifax is quite happy to con its own customers with the sort of scam that would shame a time share salesperson.

PROLIANT

It is a third party company who activate Visa cards, each bank gives them a selling script for insurance etc, next time search say no to 0870 for geographical number.

Kavanne

Similar happened to my bf but he just kept saying 'no' when she started trying to sell something. Also wasn't so bad because he is a student so not eligible for anything like PPI.

regularsaver1

I didnt have to speak to anyone when activating mine - just keyed in long pin number into phone, issue and expiry date and secutiy number and got a recorded message saying its been activated.

I have a feeling that a few are selected at random to be put through, or it could be based on post code, as some bank account cards have to be telephoned to be activated in certain post codes now, or if customer says that they live in shared home at application stage.

Kavanne

That would make sense in bf's case as he is registered to be living with his parents

regularsaver1

I was thinking more like a shared mail box with non-relatives. parents should be fine

Kavanne

regularsaver1 wrote: »

I was thinking more like a shared mail box with non-relatives. parents should be fine

ok well his postcode, situation, whatever caused him to be chosen to speak to a real person, k.

Tori_Bellatrix

It's hardly a scam ... just an inconvenience ..

exel1966

Exactly, just where is the scam/con ? Looking but I can't find it ! Whenever the word scam/con is used it's invariably by a new poster and isn't anything of the sort.

Yes 0870's are expensive, but you now know where to go to avoid those. Security questions when activating a card are to be expected as should any bank/card trying to upsell. Just be polite, to the point and say you don't want any further products. It's quite simple and has the desired effect.

gillbee

Activated my card today. Got the usual PPI pitch and then lost and stolen insurance pitch. I told the advisor I did not need any additional service and that was that. All done in about 3 mins. Would have prefered the automated service, but for 7K credit on a 0% for purchases I can't complain.

Almost_In_The_Black

PROLIANT wrote: »

It is a third party company who activate Visa cards, each bank gives them a selling script for insurance etc, next time search say no to 0870 for geographical number.

Just to pick up on this point (not that it makes too much of a difference) but all HBOS credit card activations are handled by their own call centre in Cardiff. They're not outsourced.