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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to not believe my bank.

51 replies

Nousernameforme · 20/08/2017 10:16

My bank has an awful habit of bookmarking 2 payments for the same item. Normally its annoying but not a huge problem. If i need the money ill make a phone call and they say oh yes we can see its happened we will sort that, and its fixed immediately. If i'm not in need ill just wait and it sorts itself in about 3 days. However today its happened and i need the money, so i phoned up to be told although they can see the payments they cant see who they are from and that departments closed as its a sunday. So here i am needing to do a top up shop with half the money i planned to have. Not a huge deal, managable but a bit of a pain.

My bank says this is how banks work and is the fault of the online shops not theirs. AIBU to not believe that. Does everyobe else actually make aure there is at least double the amount in their account everytime they make an online purchase?

OP posts:

MrsOverTheRoad · 20/08/2017 10:17

Change banks. This is not normal. Who are you with?

ememem84 · 20/08/2017 10:18

Nope. Change banks. Which bank is it?

RebelRogue · 20/08/2017 10:21

Nope not normal. Maybe change banks?

OnionKnight · 20/08/2017 10:21

This is not normal.

It has happened to me once but that was the shop's fault for not voiding the first transaction properly.

I believe they are called ghost payments.

MrTrebus · 20/08/2017 10:21

Is it a UK bank? If so this shouldn't ever be a recurring issue, you need to make a complaint and have this looked into. Duplicate payments pending should be maybe a one off error at best.

No one should just have 1 debit card. Get yourself another account elsewhere or a credit card for emergencies. This is the 3rd thread I've commented this on. I don't understand how people get through life with just 1 debit card.

JoyceDivision · 20/08/2017 10:24

Weird, usually if debit card payment ot's the company / shop you pay who cause this: they put an authorisation on funds in your account to reserve them, and shouldthen change the status to a debit transaction.

Some companies in error instead ofchanging the authorisation to a debit transaction, create a debit transaction request and leave the authorisation hanging therez meaning you have money that won't be taken out of youraccpunt but can't be spent as it hasbeen reserved in addition to the actual debit.

My car insurancedid this and o had to be transfered to an accounts team.who could change the authorisation to a debit.

Not sure why it's only with one bank ... is it a regular compsny you shop witj you are having problems with?

gunsandbanjos · 20/08/2017 10:25

Your bank is correct in that it is the shops fault for creating the authorisation twice. The shop will only collect one of them and the other one will drop off releasing the held funds to the available balance.

So actually you should believe your bank - they don't create the auth, the shop does, the bank are helping you out by removing the second authorisation.

Is it Asda that you have the issue with? I've heard they earmark twice for online shopping.

ticketytock1 · 20/08/2017 10:37

Bank worker wife here.... just asked DH. This can happen and it's due to the retailer asking for the funds twice. And it's plausible the team who need to release the payment aren't there on a Sunday.
What you can do is tell them you will face hardship without having these funds available. They will have a slush fund they can access to pay you a small amount (DH said he can do up to £250) on the understanding that they debit it again once the funds return to your available balance.

Original poster

Nousernameforme · 20/08/2017 10:37

Its Co-op, in the last few months we have had the problem with Iceland, Jacamo, Ocado Waitrose Tesco and now Marks and Spencer.

It did used to just be a problem with Asda so we avoided Asda but recently its popping up more and more.

For those who have said it doesn't happen to them would you mind telling me who you are with as this is too much a problem now so I am currently in the market for a new bank.

OP posts:

ZeroFuchsGiven · 20/08/2017 10:40

I'm with Lloyd's and I have never experienced this. Not Once!

Dina1234 · 20/08/2017 10:45

That has never happened to me here or overseas. Change banks.

ememem84 · 20/08/2017 10:46

I'm with Hsbc.

IggyAce · 20/08/2017 10:47

It's down to the store asking for auth twice and when in its in authorisation they can see which store it is, they have a group description eg department store, attraction, grocery.

MrTrebus · 20/08/2017 10:48

It shouldn't happen with any other bank so choose wisely and move. You get rewarded by some banks for moving, have a look on money saving expert.

But do yourself a favour and get a credit card for emergencies or keep a slush fund in cash or in another bank.

GooodMythicalMorning · 20/08/2017 10:48

Never as far as I know

MrTrebus · 20/08/2017 10:49

If it's happening this often to the OP it's not a coincidence, usually this is caused by the retailers but this sounds like a bank error. Or you're clicking too many times when you buy things OP.

MrTrebus · 20/08/2017 10:49

*buy things ONLINE I mean

Fauchelevent · 20/08/2017 10:50

Santander. Never experienced this

kaytee87 · 20/08/2017 10:51

This has never happened to me with RBS

SequinsOnEverything · 20/08/2017 10:51

I have banked with natwest, lloyds, tsb and halifax and never had this. Find a bank that will pay you to switch, that's why I've moved so much, I normally get £100 for switching.

DerelictWreck · 20/08/2017 10:51

Natwest and Nationwide and never had this!

Bluntness100 · 20/08/2017 10:52

This is called a shadow hold and it's not anything to do with the merchant. It's the bank and it happens with all banks. You've simply been unlucky it's happened so often,

Basically when you ptocess a charge, you buy something, the bank holds the funds, in a shadow hold, so you can't spend it twice. What then happens is the merchants system either confirms the sale or not. Once confirmed the money is transferred to them and the shadow hold drops off. It's not visible to us in over 99 percent of transactions, it simply looks like the money has gone, but it's not, it's a shadow hold.

There is a period set, a few days, where the merchants system needs to confirm, sometimes what happens is the merchants system confirms it but the shadow hold doesn't drop off. It's a system issue with all banks. You can google it.

It always drops off automatically after a period of time, but for a tiny percentage of transactions, the shadow hold does not drop off when the real charge is processed and only does so at the drop off point.

notsmartenough · 20/08/2017 10:53

I'm with HSBC also and I've never noticed this.
That said I try to use my credit card where possible and only use my debit card if there's no other alternative.

youredeadtomesteven · 20/08/2017 10:55

I'm with Santander and have never had this problem!

Thunderblunder · 20/08/2017 10:58

I'm with the Coop the same as you OP and I've never had this problem.

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