should I have been informed?

[Jemisa]

I had a vet bill to pay, gave my visa debit card to be put in machine, did my PIN and waited. They said it didn't work, I said I know the funds are there try again.Again the machine rejected it saying no funds. I was soo annoyed with their machine.
I phoned my bank for a verbal statement and an automised voice told me -
"You have ZERO funds in your account" I phoned again and got the same message.
I was in shock, I knew there was at least £500 in that account only a week ago & no-one had access to my card or PIN.

I phoned again to speak to a human & they put me through to the Fraud Dept, They told me they had frozen my account & my money was quite safe (PHEW!!) evidently an American Gaming Co' had tried to withdraw money on two occasions May 4th and also May 8th.They had blocked it because it was an unusual purchase and were waiting for me to contact them. - I must say I breathed a sigh of relief that they had stopped it & they would send a new card. BUT shouldn't they have informed me about this transaction? Knowing nothing I could have been stranded somewhere.

jem

[boxtops]

Jem, yes - which card is it?
When I had a Barclaycard they were very good about phoning me to alert me to unusual activity - my card had been cloned and used to buy building materials all around the UK, which they knew wasn't my usual pattern. How would they be waiting for you to contact them, if you didn't know about the fraudulent attempts? - it would have saved you that embarrassment if they contacted you straight away by phone or secure email. I take your point also, you could have been relying on that card for something vital. I would write a stiff letter to their Customer Services.

[Jemisa]

Never thought of writing a letter boxi, I was soo relieved my money was ok, I'm with Nat-West. I've never had cause to complain before.

jem

[karenmac60]

My bank phoned me when this happened - but it was an automated message which I thought was some sort of sales thing and I hung up. It was only when I phoned them after trying unsuccessfully to use my card that they explained they'd been trying to contact me.

[saxy_jag]

The Co-op did actually once email me about my account. Worried about scams, I called their main customer services number who confirmed that a large purchase I had made had been put through twice and was that correct. A genuine mistake on the seller's part, but full marks to the bank for noticing.

[tigwig]

Yeah I think they should have contacted you too. First Direct once phoned me to ask if I had placed an order around £400 to a clothing catalogue. When I said no they had to cancel my card. Its common sense and courtesy really isnt it?

[Jemisa]

Karen, you are spot on. after all this and kowing how worried I had been (& he was lumbered with the Vet bill) My H tells me there was a call from the bank when I was at the foot clinic 2 weeks ago, but he had forgotten to tell me because he thought it was Nat-West touting for business.
Thanks for listening folks

jem

[Old_Geezer]

A machine ought not phone you. Your first reaction is bound to be to put the receiver down. I thought it was illegal anyway.

As I recall I answered the phone recently to get a machine claiming to be my bank; I put the receiver down too.

[milly143]

This happened to me once on my Barclays current account. I was workinn Germany and after a very a night woking at a show, I took some of our customers for dinner to say thank you. It turned out the restaurant didn't take cards to I went to the cash point round the corner only to find it wouldn't let me have any cash. It was the middle of the night. I could call to hear my balance, which was plenty to cover what I wanted but I couldn't speak to anyone so I had to get a customer to pay for the meal and transfer the money back to them later. It was so embarrasing. Turned out they cancelled my card because I hadn't told them I was in Germany.

Although when I went to Ireland last week I told them I was going to be there and they said it didn't matter for Ireland. Well guess what happened when I tried to pay for the extras at my hotel - card declined. I despair sometimes.

[milly143]

Also, it's happened quite a few times with our company account - also Barclays and they have never informed me. I just get to find out when I try to pay for something.

[mumsie_wumsie]

My bank (Lloydstsb) phoned me a few weeks ago about an amount trying to be taken from my account.They didn't pay it but called to confirm with me first whether I had authorised this payment. I hadn't, so the bank froze my card and issued me with a new one so no further attempts could be tried on the old card.

[kloofnek]

I must agree Jemisa,NatWest are very good regards to Debit and Credit cards.I paid a deposit of £2000 for accommodation in Cape Town.on a very secure South African agency online ( have used them before in thepast,but not with a NatWest card)
At the time,I did wonder if the bank would query it..and sure enough...I received a telephone call asking me if it was OK to pay it.

Imagine if it had been fraud,...doesn`t bear thinking about.!!!!
So "Well done " NatWest.