20197 replies to this topic

[Violin Hero]

Credit card stopped due to fraudulent activity on our account.

Now we have to wait 7-10 days for new cards. We are not a family with multiple cards, so it is mega frustrating having to pay for everything in cash and to be inconvenienced because someone else is making fraudulent use of our card.

Hats off to the bank, though, for spotting the suspect activity.

From what I can tell the major banks are all really good at spotting dodgy activity. IN some case too good, I know a colleague who got his card stopped as the bank thought there was suspicious activity which was in fact all perfect legitimate. I think he sorted it out over the phone without a new card having to be sent.

[Hedgehog]

Credit card stopped due to fraudulent activity on our account.

Now we have to wait 7-10 days for new cards. We are not a family with multiple cards, so it is mega frustrating having to pay for everything in cash and to be inconvenienced because someone else is making fraudulent use of our card.

Hats off to the bank, though, for spotting the suspect activity.

Sorry to hear this Misterioso - it can be very annoying. Yes - good thing the bank spotted it.

[Aquarelle]

Misterioso I do hope you soon get that sorted. it's such an unsettling situation to be in, but as you say, at least the bank spotted it.

 

I have a moan about my bank; Our local branch is closed for "rennovation" which I suspect means "automisation" and even less personal service. We have been invited for several months to use the nearest branches - all of which are between a 20 to 40 minute drive away. I managed it once only to find myself having to queue for ages as this branch was now dealing with more people. They were also being "renovated" and were working in a sort of temporary hut!

Needless to say the renovations are all taking longer than estimated; I have been trying to pay in this term's cheques for a month but have never managed to get to any of the branches available. I have also found that the new little "bordereaux" we have to fill in when paying in cheques now has space for only 4 instead of 8 cheques and requires several new bits of information which of course have to written out twice as many times as you can only do half as many cheques on one bordereau.

 

I suspect this is to move us all to using computers and smartphones to do all our banking. So far this hasn't taken on in France as there are still to many zones not covered by internet; Even near  where I live there are some areas in the foothills of the Pyrenees where reception is unreliable. What a nice world it will be when we all do our shopping in automated shops and are banking in automated banks and have our medical consultations on line etc. There won't be any point in being human any more. Aaaaagghh!

[Hedgehog]

Misterioso I do hope you soon get that sorted. it's such an unsettling situation to be in, but as you say, at least the bank spotted it.

 

I have a moan about my bank; Our local branch is closed for "rennovation" which I suspect means "automisation" and even less personal service. We have been invited for several months to use the nearest branches - all of which are between a 20 to 40 minute drive away. I managed it once only to find myself having to queue for ages as this branch was now dealing with more people. They were also being "renovated" and were working in a sort of temporary hut!

Needless to say the renovations are all taking longer than estimated; I have been trying to pay in this term's cheques for a month but have never managed to get to any of the branches available. I have also found that the new little "bordereaux" we have to fill in when paying in cheques now has space for only 4 instead of 8 cheques and requires several new bits of information which of course have to written out twice as many times as you can only do half as many cheques on one bordereau.

 

I suspect this is to move us all to using computers and smartphones to do all our banking. So far this hasn't taken on in France as there are still to many zones not covered by internet; Even near  where I live there are some areas in the foothills of the Pyrenees where reception is unreliable. What a nice world it will be when we all do our shopping in automated shops and are banking in automated banks and have our medical consultations on line etc. There won't be any point in being human any more. Aaaaagghh!

I have sympathy with the cheque situation Aquarelle.  For many years I have held out and required parents to give me cheques or cash, but about 6 months ago I succumbed after a degree of pressure from a parent who simply never paid unless I got stroppy.  Needless to say, the pupil has now left.  But I find myself having to spend time checking and double checking online to find out whether parents have paid.

[Misterioso]

I have sympathy with the cheque situation Aquarelle.  For many years I have held out and required parents to give me cheques or cash, but about 6 months ago I succumbed after a degree of pressure from a parent who simply never paid unless I got stroppy.  Needless to say, the pupil has now left.  But I find myself having to spend time checking and double checking online to find out whether parents have paid.

 

Yes, exactly. I do find it helpful not to have to bother with cash-handling, finding change etc in lesson time, but there is always this downside. I find that even with standing orders, odd things can happen and they don't always come through as they should.

 

Sorry to hear about your position, Aquarelle - it's frustrating and time-consuming and, as you say, everything become more and more automated and robotic. 

[Banjogirl]

Yet another run with the idiot police. I had a meaningless response to a complaint so emailed straight back. I heard nothing for weeks so tried again, still nothing. Today I spoke to a different officer who told me the first one is away long term. He couldn't explain why there was no out of office email and why the man's voicemail still said he'd get back asap. So more time wasting for me and them. It's no wonder they haven't got enough time to do anything, as they spend it all mopping up their own mistakes.

[Banjogirl]

And then you get the, 'How would you like to be contacted?' and when you say, 'Email, and definitely not by phone', you can guess how they choose to make contact...

[musicalmalc]

Lost my wallet yesterday, knew I'd had it on me in the pub the night before so checked but nothing handed in.

Went through all the pockets of clothes I'd worn in the last 24hrs, on the floor in various places, round my office chair, in the car not a sign

Gave up and decided it would never turn up so declared both debit cards and credit card and requested replacements (worse because I have 2 separate cards as LPA for my mum).

You guessed it - 20mins later they turned up in a pocket I'd missed, too late though, now stuck with no access to cash until the new ones appear.

The lady from Santander assured me that Garmin Pay would continue to work on my smart watch - she was wrong.

 

Fortunately there was enough cash in my wallet to get me through a week but I really should leave half the cards at home.

[Aquarelle]

Been there musiclamalc ! You have my sympathy.

 

At least you didn't find your wallet  in the pocket of the jeans you had just taken out of the washing machine! That was how my previous mobile phone drowned.

[Hedgehog]

I vividly remember fishing out a passport (washed) from husband's shirt pocket many years ago when he did a lot of business travel.  I was mortified - but he should have removed it before putting shirt into laundry bin. The awkward thing was that he was due to go away to one of the former Soviet Union countries and needed a visa.  His poor secretary was dispatched post-haste to get new passport with visas  .  He subsequently acquired a second passport "just in case"!!

[Gordon Shumway]

I've had my debit card for quite a few years now and didn't discover until I was in a shop this week that it is contactless!

[andante_in_c]

I vividly remember fishing out a passport (washed) from husband's shirt pocket many years ago when he did a lot of business travel.  I was mortified - but he should have removed it before putting shirt into laundry bin. The awkward thing was that he was due to go away to one of the former Soviet Union countries and needed a visa.  His poor secretary was dispatched post-haste to get new passport with visas  .  He subsequently acquired a second passport "just in case"!!

My husband's passport went through a complete wash cycle after he left it in his shirt pocket. It survived sufficiently to be used in future travels including to the USA (who tend to be rather fussier than some other places).

[maggiemay]

Ha - passports.

One day last year, we had arranged to take a friend to France for a couple of days.

Less than 48 hours before departure, OH can’t find his passport. “It’s not where I normally keep it’.

When did we use them last? Some security reason for an event in London? Did you lose it there? Which suit did you have on? Etc etc.

Having searched all pockets, and some of them probably three times, we drew a blank. Trip postponed, apologetic message to friend, who comes to lunch instead and we watch a film. OH orders new passport, which, amazingly, arrives in just a few days.

He takes the new one to the printer to take a scan of a couple of relevant pages.

He opens the lid. And there on the printer .........

[Aeolienne]

At least you didn't find your wallet in the pocket of the jeans you had just taken out of the washing machine! 

And then you might have been accused of money laundering... 

[maggiemay]

Just attempted to fill-in a totally pointless questionnaire on Teacher Voices.

Not enough information, and largely not applicable anyway. Waste of time.