Ok, let Dr Lobster set the scene.
I have a credit card called the ‘Abbey Shopping Card’. I got it last year during its interest free period and, at the time represented a fairly good deal.
Now, Abbey have now brought out a new credit card product called the ‘Abbey Flat Rate Card’. Now this card has no interest free period, but it’s cheaper to use because things like withdrawing cash and balance transfers are free, the card has a lower rate of interest at about 10%.
I thought yes, with my current card maxed out, (iced buns, child pornography and hand cream doesn’t pay for itself) I thought I’ll transfer my balance to this new card and save myself some interest. Splendid.
Guess what?
Not possible.
Why? ‘because it’s like paying ourselves money’
You what?
That’s utterly stupid.
‘that’s the way it is SIR.’
The problem is of course exacerbated by call centre staff with only a rudimentary grasp of English – indeed, I often find myself repeating my account number, post code or spelling my name at least 4 times everytime I call.
Anyway, is this kind of stupidity and artificial bureaucracy common with all banks, or did I just happen across a stupid ill-trained simpleton in the call centre and this is all one big nasty mistake?
Stupid fecking bankers
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Dr Lobster*
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Lorns
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I bank with Abbey and usually find their call centre staff to be absolute gems. Except for one woman who i think must have been a bit or hormonal at the time because she was a right witch.
I hope this is some dreadful mistake and you got the office moron.If this is common practice with banks then there is probably something in the smallprint that not even the sharpest eye could read without 8x magnification.
Apparently we're meant to read all that before we sign but i never seem to have a magnifying glass to hand.
Try calling again if you can face it. Goodluck..
I hope this is some dreadful mistake and you got the office moron.If this is common practice with banks then there is probably something in the smallprint that not even the sharpest eye could read without 8x magnification.
Apparently we're meant to read all that before we sign but i never seem to have a magnifying glass to hand.
Try calling again if you can face it. Goodluck..
Mental anxiety, Mental breakdowns, Menstrual cramps, Menopause... Did you ever notice how all our problems begin with Men?
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Gavin Scott
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I'm with the Halifax at the moment. They owe me in the region of £225 in overpayments I unwittingly made to them. They told me 8 weeks ago I could expect a cheque "in about 6 weeks".
When I call them last Thursday they told me it was being posted that day.
Nothing yet.
Perhaps I should start applying the ludicrous charges and interest they would do to me if the situation was reversed?
When I call them last Thursday they told me it was being posted that day.
Nothing yet.
Perhaps I should start applying the ludicrous charges and interest they would do to me if the situation was reversed?
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scottishtv
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After making a Comic Relief donation on their site (which uses WorldPay), I noticed that a few days later another payment of £30 came out for some company I didn't recognise, but as it was prefixed "WP", so it would appear something was amiss at the WorldPay processing system.
As I didn't recoginise the company, phoned Nationwide, they told me it was an 'advertising services company in London" and "you paid using your Visa Debit Card'. This was all on a day I was no-where near a PC.
Had to write it all down and post an explanation of my problem. I got the money refunded, but the letter warns that the refund is temporary while they investigate the payment. How long does this investigation take?... 140 days.
Fair enough it was only £30. But 140 days to investigate account problems, some accounts taking 7 working days for a cheque to clear, and more. The banks really are screwing us in this country. It reminds me of that show with Matt Allwright - Brassed Off Britain. Grrr.
As I didn't recoginise the company, phoned Nationwide, they told me it was an 'advertising services company in London" and "you paid using your Visa Debit Card'. This was all on a day I was no-where near a PC.
Had to write it all down and post an explanation of my problem. I got the money refunded, but the letter warns that the refund is temporary while they investigate the payment. How long does this investigation take?... 140 days.
Fair enough it was only £30. But 140 days to investigate account problems, some accounts taking 7 working days for a cheque to clear, and more. The banks really are screwing us in this country. It reminds me of that show with Matt Allwright - Brassed Off Britain. Grrr.
I have a feeling that's just some sort of standard letter that banks send out as a disclaimer in case they want to claim the money back. I've had similar things happen to me (I bank with A&L) and they've never asked for or tried to claim the money back from me.scottishtv wrote:Had to write it all down and post an explanation of my problem. I got the money refunded, but the letter warns that the refund is temporary while they investigate the payment. How long does this investigation take?... 140 days.
Everyone hears what you say,
Friends listen to what you say,
Best friends listen to what you don't say.
Friends listen to what you say,
Best friends listen to what you don't say.
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Dr Lobster*
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just had a call regarding my complaint about this, and sadly they caught me right in the middle of a snooze, so i wasn't quite in the right frame of mind to question it, but she said that the reason you can't move money between the credit card products of the same company is because 'it is against money laundering regulations'
of couse, what i can't understand is why moving the balance between the same company is considered 'money laundering' and moving the balance to another company isn't. it doesn't make sense to me at all, since, if anything, moving random amounts of money between lots of different companies would make it even harder to trace, not easier.
but anyway.
of couse, what i can't understand is why moving the balance between the same company is considered 'money laundering' and moving the balance to another company isn't. it doesn't make sense to me at all, since, if anything, moving random amounts of money between lots of different companies would make it even harder to trace, not easier.
but anyway.
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Gavin Scott
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I had resolution to my missing money from the Halifax today.
I had to threaten the branch staff with the Ombudsman after being told it was "inconvenient for the manager to speak to [me] due to lack of space in the office". I kid you not.
I dealt with the Customer Complaints Department in Fife (a very lovely girl), who agreed with me that there was no excuse for the delay. She assured me she would make sure funds were tranferred immediately.
Instead though I waited another week and got a cheque. On depositing it today I was told it would not clear until a week tomorrow.
Its enough to make you weep, really.
I had to threaten the branch staff with the Ombudsman after being told it was "inconvenient for the manager to speak to [me] due to lack of space in the office". I kid you not.
I dealt with the Customer Complaints Department in Fife (a very lovely girl), who agreed with me that there was no excuse for the delay. She assured me she would make sure funds were tranferred immediately.
Instead though I waited another week and got a cheque. On depositing it today I was told it would not clear until a week tomorrow.
Its enough to make you weep, really.
ING Direct have an attractive interest rate. They afford this my making your money vanish for five days when you want to move it to or from your current account, despite the fact that as an electronic transfer there is no excuse for this whatsoever.
If I move money from my current account to ING Direct account, it shows as having left my current account within 5 minutes. If I'm lucky, 5 days later it turns up in the ING account.
If I move money from my current account to ING Direct account, it shows as having left my current account within 5 minutes. If I'm lucky, 5 days later it turns up in the ING account.