Payment Chaos

[cambrensis]

Normally, I make my online purchases by Debit Card; occasionally it is by bank transfer.

A problem has developed which makes it impossible for me to pay by Debit Card. This is because on Saturday 14th February, an attempt was made on my card online. The fraud Department at my bank spotted it and clawed back the £2 involved, explaining that it was a "test" by somebody to see if they could get away with it. They blocked my card and said I'd receive a new one in the post within a few days. Needless to say i am still waiting. I have 'phoned twice. The first time they said it must be lost in the post as it should have been with me by the 18th, so they were sending another. That too has not arrived.

The second time I was told "any day now". If it does not arrive today, I shall change my bank. In this fortnight I could have changed to a different bank, received a bonus of £100 for doing so and received their card!

As some of my purchases are set up as regular payments, I am receiving notifications daily and this morning received a veiled threat from somewhere on the Orinoco about closing my account. They are difficult to communicate with, but over a week ago I did manage to chat online with a human being who understood well enough and said that all would be well!

I was brought up to pay "on the nail" and the only debt I have ever had was a mortgage!! I feel dreadful. Why on earth do they send out emails of this sort, to which it is impossible to reply as the box is "unmonitored"!!

Perhaps, one day, I shall receive an email asking me if I have "pegged out". That will come, of course, from an umonitored mailbox!!!!!

(Screams - sobs - and reaches for the bottle....!)

[madelaine]

How utterly frustrating!

We are in the middle of an automatic bank switch - our bank took away our extras and the reasons for staying with them vanished.

[Policequilts]

I was brought up to pay "on the nail" and the only debt I have ever had was a mortgage!! I feel dreadful. Why on earth do they send out emails of this sort, to which it is impossible to reply as the box is "unmonitored"!!

I was also taught to get the bills paid quickly.
If you use a charge card, pay it off quickly.

I have not gotten into all this online payment stuff and really don't understand the various apps and the debit cards. I know just enough to use the credit card once a year or the credit card company will void your card from the lack of use.

I do worry if I have to change banks with the various "mandates" that you have to have so much money kept into your accounts.

Life was a lot easier before computers.

[madelaine]

Our government made the banks automate switching and any debts created by their mistakes are paid by the bank concerned. Before this we were more likely to get divorced than change banks.