Cancelling A Credit Card

[bainbrig]

Is there a safe, foolproof way of cancelling a credit card?

We wanted to cancel our Marbles cards as they had been compromised (someone had tried and failed to make online and phone purchases).

Phoning Marbles was a joke. No-one answered for ten, twenty minutes at a time. Their 'security' phone line was giving out a message that their opening hours were 8am to 8pm, so they'd gone home! Eh?

CPP (Card Protection Plan) weren't any use. I made the mistake of telling them I hadn't lost the card - if I'd lost it, they could have cancelled it, but as it was 'only' compromised, I had to do it myself. By phoning Marbles (there's a hole in my bucket...)

Finally I got through to someone at Marbles who was helpful and cancelled the cards.

But this is ridiculous! Supposing the card had been stolen, and a thief was busy helping themself to cash from ATMs etc? Then what. The police wouldn't want to know (too small). So there HAS to be an easy-to-access phone number for immediate cancellations.

Does anyone know what it is?

BB

[fiction-factory]

Which number did you ring. There is usually a number on the card to ring for reporting lost & stolen cards.
the website says:
To report your card lost or stolen call us on:
0333 220 2692* (from the UK)
[phone] (from abroad)
Unfortunately I can't see anywhere where it says what the asterisk means.
If the phones are only available at certain times that is not good.

[bednobs]

the asterisk will be telling you how much the call will cost

[fiction-factory]

Maybe, but that's not clear from this page.
There is an i at the bottom in a blue box which says the hours for phone lines and call costs but that is in the Complaints section.
I think it refers to all numbers though so call hours do seem to be limited

[bainbrig]

Tried the website numbers - one rang and rang (all our agents are busy), the other told me to phone back in the morning!

Took nearly an hour to get through and cancel.

[bainbrig]

Trying to get through this morning (Thursday) to see what went on, and this time the message bangs on about adverse weather conditions leading to staff shortages. And I thought that was LAST week.... Anyway, all their associates are busy again, so on hold. Again.