Banks are stupid
Stupid: 1
Some time ago, Lloyds create me an Airmiles Duo account, which I never used: I was still quite happy with the MasterCard I started with.
What happens is that I use my MasterCard, and all the transactions are moved internally by Lloyds to the American Express account, and then my direct debit pays them all off. If I used the American Express card instead, I'd actually receive airmiles. But I never asked for, or received, an American Express card, so I've quite happily chugging along with a overly complicated system that seemed to be working transparently, in the background.
Last Friday, I was shopping in Tesco, and at the checkout, was told I was over my card limit. Which, since I've got a £6,800 limit, seemed a bit odd.
Looking at the Lloydstsb website, for my Duo account, it says:
So, reading this line by line: I owe them 300 quid. They'd give me 6.5k more, if I asked, and the limit is 6.8k. All the numbers add up. Good.
Now, on my Mastercard, the same website says:
(And a quick thought notices that 266+22.10 does not equal the 297.50 that's detailed on the Duo account where everything gets transferred.)
I phoned them up to ask what the hell was going on. Result: cancellation of the card I'd been using, and a new MasterCard, new American Express card sent through the post. No attempt to address the fact that I wanted to buy things during the run up to Christmas. The new cards arrived yesterday. I wonder when I'll get the PIN.
I'm guessing I still won't be able to use the new MasterCard, because their system seem to thing I'm over my limit.
Lloyds: Stupid.
Stupid:2
Earlier this week, I paid my council tax through the council web site, using my Barclays debit card.
I filled in the payment form: Name, Address, Card number, 3 digit security code, amount, and hit Submit. I then got a "Your payment is secured by Visa" page. Please enter the password for your card.
I hate these pages. I wish I didn't get forced into using them. And I can't remember my password for this. But there's a convenient "can't remember your password" link. Click the link!
To reset my password, I have to enter: my Name, the first line of my Address, the card number, the 3 digit security code, and my Date of Birth. When I do so, it immediately lets me enter a new password, and then complete the original transaction. There's no email notification that the password's been changed.
So the security of my internet shopping is just as secure as my date of birth. Thank you Barclays, and Visa.
I can't remember what I changed the password to. It rejected my first suggestion, because that was the password I was already using.
Barclays: Stupid.
Some time ago, Lloyds create me an Airmiles Duo account, which I never used: I was still quite happy with the MasterCard I started with.
What happens is that I use my MasterCard, and all the transactions are moved internally by Lloyds to the American Express account, and then my direct debit pays them all off. If I used the American Express card instead, I'd actually receive airmiles. But I never asked for, or received, an American Express card, so I've quite happily chugging along with a overly complicated system that seemed to be working transparently, in the background.
Last Friday, I was shopping in Tesco, and at the checkout, was told I was over my card limit. Which, since I've got a £6,800 limit, seemed a bit odd.
Looking at the Lloydstsb website, for my Duo account, it says:
- Account balance: £297.50 DR
- Available credit: £6,502.00 CR
- Credit card limit: £6,800.00
So, reading this line by line: I owe them 300 quid. They'd give me 6.5k more, if I asked, and the limit is 6.8k. All the numbers add up. Good.
Now, on my Mastercard, the same website says:
- Account balance: £22.10 DR
- Available credit: £266 DR
- Credit card limit: £6,800.00
(And a quick thought notices that 266+22.10 does not equal the 297.50 that's detailed on the Duo account where everything gets transferred.)
I phoned them up to ask what the hell was going on. Result: cancellation of the card I'd been using, and a new MasterCard, new American Express card sent through the post. No attempt to address the fact that I wanted to buy things during the run up to Christmas. The new cards arrived yesterday. I wonder when I'll get the PIN.
I'm guessing I still won't be able to use the new MasterCard, because their system seem to thing I'm over my limit.
Lloyds: Stupid.
Stupid:2
Earlier this week, I paid my council tax through the council web site, using my Barclays debit card.
I filled in the payment form: Name, Address, Card number, 3 digit security code, amount, and hit Submit. I then got a "Your payment is secured by Visa" page. Please enter the password for your card.
I hate these pages. I wish I didn't get forced into using them. And I can't remember my password for this. But there's a convenient "can't remember your password" link. Click the link!
To reset my password, I have to enter: my Name, the first line of my Address, the card number, the 3 digit security code, and my Date of Birth. When I do so, it immediately lets me enter a new password, and then complete the original transaction. There's no email notification that the password's been changed.
So the security of my internet shopping is just as secure as my date of birth. Thank you Barclays, and Visa.
I can't remember what I changed the password to. It rejected my first suggestion, because that was the password I was already using.
Barclays: Stupid.