Why are banks such idiots?!

[flameboy]

Or fucktards to be more precise...

I paid off my Natwest Credit Card from my Natwest Current Account...but for some stupid reason, I have had my credit card charged £350 instead and the £350 from my credit card has just disappeared... All apparently due to a computer glitch.

I didn't know this had occured and according to my online balance all was in order so went ahead and booked my connecting internal flights for my south africa trip and they got declined in the process causing my credit card to be frozen as they deemed it as suspicious activity.

I rang them the bloke on the phone asked me to confirm the flights were for me and said I should be able to start using my card straight away. So got on the blower and made an international call to south africa airways ready to reconfirm my booking and get it all sorted, after half an hour of tom foolery on the phone my card was still getting declined.

So rang the bank back and another bloke said that wasn't the case and he couldn't work out why the £350 had left my credit card...but later realised it was a glitch...

The thing that takes the biscuit is they said it will now take 6 days for my credit card balance to clear...by which time I may have lost my flight reservations and be forced to rebook..So I am actually down after all this as I've wasted money on an international phone call (which I will have to repeat)and I only have the one credit card so am stuck waiting for natwest to get their act together...really gives you faith in them to look after your money.

[Pookiablo]

The moral of this story: never use credit cards.

[flameboy]

The moral of this story: never use credit cards.

The problem with that moral is some airlines will only let you pay by credit cards...I wasn't planning on using it for any of my travelling stuff but there isn't a single airline that does internal flights in africa that will accept debit card payment.

[Wesley]

It's interesting you mention banks being idiots: the Law Lords are soon to settle the overdraft charge case.

I hope you're going to write a lengthy complaint letter.

[Jimbob]

The moral of this story: never use credit cards.

That my friend cannot be truer.

[flameboy]

It's interesting you mention banks being idiots: the Law Lords are soon to settle the overdraft charge case.

I hope you're going to write a lengthy complaint letter.

Yep I'm actually going to wait until the phone bill arrives to show them how much they cost me for the international call.

[Wesley]

Credit cards are a really good way to build up a good credit history and displaying that you're sensible enough to manage it. So I wouldn't be all anti-credit cards.

[Mr_Odwin]

Credit cards can be used wisely. To never use them and to advise others the same is, in my eyes, wrong.

[ReZourceman]

It basically depends on how competent-a-person you get through to. Because Banks procedures are soooo shit you need all the help you can get....help only a competent person can provide.

[Mr_Odwin]

It basically depends on how competent-a-person you get through to. Because Banks procedures are soooo shit you need all the help you can get....help only a competent person can provide.


Like Molly.

[ReZourceman]

I'd mark that 10/10. Pissed myself.


Joking apart they* call me the Call Demon.



*I.

[Kirkatronics]

Credit cards are only bad if the user is clueless, they are quite useful.
It helps raise your credit rating, just spend a few quid a month on it.
Thats what my financial advisor told me. That way in the future your more likely to get a mortgage, credit with lower interest, and loans because your in a lower liabillity bracket.

[Raining_again]

Credit cards are a really good way to build up a good credit history and displaying that you're sensible enough to manage it. So I wouldn't be all anti-credit cards.

Yeah credit cards are in the majority a good thing. I had to get a debtors credit card (with 34.9% interest) before my bank would even give me a debit card (and I paid in a full time wage at the time!!)... I mean how does that even make any sense... Getting a good credit score is something you need for a car loan, or for a mortgage, which a lot of people will need at one point in their life.

If you are one of these people who arent neccesarily very controlled with your money, its definitely not a good idea to get a, or multiple, credit cards.

I mean you do get unusual cases where things go wrong, its pretty unfortunate! I hope that you get your problem sorted out. Really sucks that it could potentially ruin your travels, and they better bloody compensate you. Get complaining asap. Thats pretty shambolic treatment you received!

[flameboy]

I just think its stupid that I've done everything right and that they clearly don't know their arse from their head, as the credit card part of the company and the current accounts part (which the idiot on the phone said are entirely seperate and do not communicate together. I'm sorry what?) can't work together and seem to just shift money around willy nilly.... fucking idiots...

My account details apparently read like this on their;

Current Account

16th June 1pm -350 to Natwest Mastercard XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Natwest Mastercard

16th June 1pm -350 to 4325 (I've inserted random numbers here but apparently its some form of internal reference number which neither bloke on the phone was able to recognise)

Surely they would realise the two match up... I just feel done over because now through no fault of my own I have to wait 6 days for a balance to clear when it should have done ages ago...

[gaggle64]

Yeah credit cards are in the majority a good thing. I had to get a debtors credit card (with 34.9% interest) before my bank would even give me a debit card (and I paid in a full time wage at the time!!)... I mean how does that even make any sense... In the name of buggery? You're working a wage and they force a credit card on you before you can get a debit card? I'd burn the bank down with me inside before I accepted those terms.

[Kirkatronics]

I just think its stupid that I've done everything right and that they clearly don't know their arse from their head, as the credit card part of the company and the current accounts part (which the idiot on the phone said are entirely seperate and do not communicate together. I'm sorry what?) can't work together and seem to just shift money around willy nilly.... fucking idiots...

My account details apparently read like this on their;

Current Account

16th June 1pm -350 to Natwest Mastercard XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Natwest Mastercard

16th June 1pm -350 to 4325 (I've inserted random numbers here but apparently its some form of internal reference number which neither bloke on the phone was able to recognise)

Surely they would realise the two match up... I just feel done over because now through no fault of my own I have to wait 6 days for a balance to clear when it should have done ages ago...Write an official complain, and word it strongly.
Tell them that its disgusting that in this day and age mistakes as simple as this can be made.
Threaten to change banks etc..

[Wesley]

Run into the bank and start screaming, "Bomb, bomb, booooomb!".

And then claim you were really upset by the way they treated you and you didn't think a complaint letter would get you any attention. You'll probably get on the news.

[Kirkatronics]

..and put in prison...

[Pit-Jr]

This sounds more like a bank problem than a credit problem, though if im honest all credit is a problem.

Your best bet is to threaten to take your business elsewhere unless all your trouble has been compensated. The good thing about their being multiple banks is you can play hardball with them.

A while back i noticed about $100 worth 'inactivity fees' on my supposedly free checking account so i rang up the bank....

Me: 'You guys are stealing from me...."
Bank Lady: 'Sir, these fees are several months old, theres nothing i can do about it'
Me: 'Ill be there tommorow to close my accounts and withdraw my money'
Bank Lady: '.......hold on, let me get my manager'

Fixed! And i havent seen anymore hidden fees since.

[Dyson]

..and put in prison...

Wow, a sensible post!

[EEVILMURRAY]

Credit cards can be used wisely. To never use them and to advise others the same is, in my eyes, wrong.
Just to bring that together:
To never use them is wrong.
How comes it right?

[Mr_Odwin]

Main reason for me: cashback.

[ReZourceman]

O. M. G.

I just felt like Hitler.

We paid out an amount in March of £65,000 (approximately) to a client.

Three months later (now) we send out a letter to the client stating that we overpaid him by £4500. And that he has to pay it back.

So I had to take a debit card payment from him for it. Like.....how the fuck is that even legal. I should have refused to take it....lol.

[Kirkatronics]

O. M. G.

I just felt like Hitler.

We paid out an amount in March of £65,000 (approximately) to a client.

Three months later (now) we send out a letter to the client stating that we overpaid him by £4500. And that he has to pay it back.

So I had to take a debit card payment from him for it. Like.....how the fuck is that even legal. I should have refused to take it....lol.
I bet it feels horrible to be overpaid, not know, and then have to pay it back.

[nightwolf]

Ah banks I was enraged enough when an overdraft was forced upon me with my student debit card, I've yet to even use my overdraft a year on, if I'd needed it, I would have gone in and asked for it, instead of leaving temptation I sorely don't need with lots of debt behind me already.

I'm staying away from credit cards whilst at uni, I can't afford to pay the fees back, not with low student loan coming through.

Just kick up a right fuss, banks tend to get all spluttery and apologetic when that happens.

[Ellmeister]

Credit cards allow you to purchase things you can't buy but want without the actual funds there at that time. Thats an advantage.

good credit report, thats an advantage. Currently, I'm a student and so I left my credit card at home in a drawer somewhere safe :) Banks don't take us students seriously so there's no point using mine as of yet.

[gmac]

It's interesting you mention banks being idiots: the Law Lords are soon to settle the overdraft charge case.

I hope you're going to write a lengthy complaint letter.

just in response to the first part of this, if the banks don't win that test case we can all say goodbye to free banking, current accounts are incredibly expensive to run, and while I'll admit some banks take the piss with their charges, the ultimate loser in all of this is the people, like me, who don't go over their overdraft and don't have returned direct debits

[stuwii]

People really need to budget and credit cards are often distractions
Few tips

Overdrawn-not good
Work out what you really earn minus tax.
Work out costs per month

[flameboy]

I had my credit card for emergencies intially but came in handy when at Uni I got laid off at HMV with minimal pay off as hadn't been there long. So helped keep me going until I found another job.

Why do airlines sometimes insist on paying by credit card rather than debit, bloody annoying that this is the case...otherwise none of these problems would have arisen...as I wouldn't have been trying to book anything on the card...

[EEVILMURRAY]

Main reason for me: cashback.
How does that work with a credit card? I always see it mentioned on the adverts and been most curious.

[Mr_Odwin]

How does that work with a credit card?

(It is not the same as cashback in a supermarket.)

You buy stuff on a credit card. At a set time every year they give you a percentage back of what you have spent over the year. For example, I have an Egg Money card and get 1% cashback on all purchases.

Eg. Say I buy a kitchen that costs £5000. I put that on my Egg Money card. In April I'd get £50 cashback from that purchase. I've paid no interest as I paid off the amount immediately. Credit card saves me £50.

But that's not all CCs are good for. Any purchases over £100 mean that you have an added layer of consumer protection. (Google this for more info, I'm not typing it all for you.)

[Kirkatronics]

(It is not the same as cashback in a supermarket.)

You buy stuff on a credit card. At a set time every year they give you a percentage back of what you have spent over the year. For example, I have an Egg Money card and get 1% cashback on all purchases.

Eg. Say I buy a kitchen that costs £5000. I put that on my Egg Money card. In April I'd get £50 cashback from that purchase. I've paid no interest as I paid off the amount immediately. Credit card saves me £50.

But that's not all CCs are good for. Any purchases over £100 mean that you have an added layer of consumer protection. (Google this for more info, I'm not typing it all for you.)
Thats a lot of money if you think about it, a hell of a lot.
Its a huge discount at the end of the year if spend alot, which you probobly would.

[will']

I've considered getting a new card for the cashback in the past, just buy everything on the card, pay it off straight away and it's free money. Never really got around to it though.

I'm incredibly anal about money, everything I earned or have invested is budgeted for and monitor my spending very closely. Works well for me though as I've gone from overspending all the time to being able to do pretty much anything I want and all well within me means.

As for the OP, mistakes do happen, luckily with banks they're generally very good at sorting them out, and they should cover and costs you incur because of them. Any banking mistakes I've had in the past have always ended in my being better off because of it. Sure it's a pain right now, but you have to remember a Bank is made up of people, just like the rest of us.

[Raining_again]

In the name of buggery? You're working a wage and they force a credit card on you before you can get a debit card? I'd burn the bank down with me inside before I accepted those terms.

I know! I mean I was earning 4.99 (lol) per hour at the time, but i was still working full time. I don't really understand how that works. And these were in the days where there was LOADS of jobs. I couldn't imagine how difficult it woulda been for me trying that now.

They didn't force it on me really, but like, debit cards are one of those things that are essential, means justify the ends.

[bluey]

O. M. G.

I just felt like Hitler.

We paid out an amount in March of £65,000 (approximately) to a client.

Three months later (now) we send out a letter to the client stating that we overpaid him by £4500. And that he has to pay it back.

So I had to take a debit card payment from him for it. Like.....how the fuck is that even legal. I should have refused to take it....lol.

you ARE just like hitler :nono:
i bet that guy hates you right now. i bet he goes to bed at night cursing your name and his wife's like "honey let it go" but he's like "NEVAARRRR!!" and then she'll leave him and take the kids and the house and he'll go slowly crazy.

probably.

i've never had much cause to hate banks... apart from them being that mild brand of rubbish they always are even when they're being OK. i try super hard to stay out of debt, and not spend money that isn't mine (apart from now, rigth now i'm into my overdraft cause someone who owes me money isnt paying up.)

apart from the whole mortgage gig i really hope i can stay away from borrowing money....... shakespeare had the right idea.