First Direct credit card problems

[Ian J]

I have banked with First Direct for about 15 years and my company banks with it's parent HSBC.

I have never had any problems with the banking side but have had nothing but problems with First Direct's credit card as it has been declined several times over the years due to so called security checks.

I tend to use my credit card quite a lot and pay off the balance each month but the second time it was declined (causing me great embarrassment) I realised that I needed to make sure that I always carried a second credit card just in case.

The third time was a year ago when a number of attempted transactions were declined and during a telephone conversation on the following day First Direct admitted that their security alarms were triggered when I bought a broadband dongle for my laptop as I was about to visit my mother for a while who doesn't have an internet connection.

My card has been declined yet again this week and the explanation from First Direct was that their detection system that monitors account activity for patterns of usage that may be indicative of the loss, theft or counterfeiting of our customers cards had found something suspicious on my account and they asked me to confirm that the recent attempted transactions were genuine.

The first was from John Lewis on 30th December for £79.99. Surprise surprise I was buying something in the sale but what their security system seems to have overlooked is that the John Lewis system went through "Verified by Visa" so not only did I have to use my pin number as the transaction was in their store but I also had to input digits from my "Verified" password too.

The next transaction was online with Amazon for £1.99 for a Kindle transaction just like the many others that I do every month.

The next one and the one that seems to have initiated the decline was for Snapfish for the magnificent sum of £6.48 and is again a retailer that I use expensively throughout the year.

I have contacted First Direct and told them that none of my other credit cards have ever been declined for so called security checks and if it happens again I will close both my personal and business accounts and move them elsewhere.

This thread is partly to let off steam but also to find out if anyone else has ever had problems with their First Direct credit card as I can't be the only person that they have continually messed about

 

[oliver123]

I'm slightly bemused why you are using credit cards. You can be paying anything between 5% and 7% and even more on interest whereas using your bank debit card amounts to less than 1%. If you continue to use credit cards, I would ditch First Direct and take out a Mastercard if for no other reason than you have the backing of a world-wide, world-class card!

 

[Ian J]

I'm slightly bemused why you are using credit cards. You can be paying anything between 5% and 7% and even more on interest whereas using your bank debit card amounts to less than 1%. If you continue to use credit cards, I would ditch First Direct and take out a Mastercard if for no other reason than you have the backing of a world-wide, world-class card!

Firstly I did state that I paid the balance off each month therefore not incurring any interest charges at all and secondly the First Direct credit card is a Visa card (big clue in the "verified by Visa" bit)

 

[StevensOnln1]

You had to enter characters from your Verified by Visa password when you were making a physical purchase in a John Lewis store? That sounds very odd. VbV is supposed to be for online purchases only.

I've had similar problems with my HSBC company credit card and at least once with a business debit card over the last few years. Each time it happened when I way making an online purchase from companies which I have purchased from numerous times before. It certainly was annoying, but thankfully I don't have any accounts with HSBC any more and have never had this sort of problem with any other bank.

 

[Ian J]

You had to enter characters from your Verified by Visa password when you were making a physical purchase in a John Lewis store? That sounds very odd. VbV is supposed to be for online purchases only.

I've had that before with John Lewis and on both occasions I was paying for goods that they didn't have in stock and that they were going to order in for me. I don't know whether that makes a difference or not but if so I don't really know why as on both occasions I was physically in the store

 

[Jon-YB]

Id rather they stop my card for security checks once in a blue moon and call me to check (which only takes 5 minutes) than have to go through all the hoops of fraud on one of my cards.

Tesco put a stop on mine probably once every couple of months, atleast I know they monitor it, and it does only take a few minutes to sort out.

 

[Ian J]

Id rather they stop my card for security checks once in a blue moon and call me to check (which only takes 5 minutes) than have to go through all the hoops of fraud on one of my cards.

That's fine if the credit card company calls you to check but in this case they didn't and the first notice that I had was in response to an email asking why my card had been declined.

It's also exceedingly embarrassing when your card is declined in a busy retail outlet as mine was last year, especially if you are a regular there and as I stated earlier it means that one always has to carry another credit card as you know that it's bound to happen again.

What happens if you are on vacation abroad and only have a First Direct credit card with which to pay for all of your meals and their security systems flag up an unusual pattern ( ie being overseas ) and your card is declined. What do you do then?

Credit cards are supposed to make your life easier

 

[Jon-YB]

Im surprised they don't get in touch with you regarding it? Barclaycard Natwest and Tesco all attempt to reach me if they decline a transaction, and Santander who I have a bank account with called when I transferred a large sum out of my account online.

I thought it was standard for them to try to reach you.

Id look for an alternative, there is plenty out there. I would always carry two or three cards anyway.