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Original poster

To think my bank shouldn’t be able to stop me?

237 replies

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 18:22

I’ve been trying to make a purchase for the last two months from Dior. It’s a one off treat that costs £600ish.

Every single time I’ve gone to buy it my payment gets declined. I’ve contacted my bank numerous times to ask if there was a block. After a month they finally admitted they had been blocking the payment. Confirmed block lifted but I’m still being declined.

I’ve now been told today that they will never allow me to purchase from Dior as I could say it’s fraud and sell the item on at full price. Surely if I have the money then I can spend it how I want??

OP posts:
TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 05/04/2023 20:19

I do shopping for an elderly relative every week. I buy the shopping on my debit card as its easier because I do my own shopping at the same time. The relative then pays me in cash. I then pay the cash into my bank account via the post office counter. (Because the bank is a car drive away and PO is down the road and easy to get to)
Anyway, the bank have phoned me and wanted to know why I was paying cash into my account on a regular basis!
Apparently it can be money laundering and they asked was anyone forcing me to pay the cash in?!🤪

tillyandmilly · 05/04/2023 20:19

Natwest - say no more! I am still peeved with them for just closing my account and stating they don't need to give a reason!

110APiccadilly · 05/04/2023 20:23

davegrohll · 05/04/2023 18:33

Wtf how weird. How does it work when people want to buy anything high end then... or expensive tech !

My mum banks with Nat West and needed to transfer a big sum of money to pay for building work recently. Totally legitimate, the builder's done the work (I've seen it) and mum is completely compos mentis - she's never been scammed in her life. She was complaining to me that they would barely let her do it - apparently it took all afternoon to do via telephone banking.

Yorkyyorkyork · 05/04/2023 20:29

We've had problems with Natwest too! They wouldn't let DH pay for a Hilton Hotel in London.

We had to transfer the cash from Natwest to Halifax and use our Halifax account.

Yorkyyorkyork · 05/04/2023 20:29

Aka ShatWest

Mumsafan · 05/04/2023 20:30

My eldest so had something like this when he was 18. He'd had the account since age 12 and apparently should have changed to an adult account at 16 but the bank didn't contact him to say anything

He started a well paid ( for an 18 year old) job immediately after finishing sixth form ( a lucky break), .

We all went away for a week to the coast and he couldn't access his account or get cash out, pay with card or anything. We had to lend him money.

On our return he went to the bank and they lifted the restriction and changed his account and the woman in the bank actually said to him " well an 18 year old shouldn't be earning that much - that's why it was flagged up" !!

The bloody cheek of it!! He changed banks the following month.

Banks shouldn't be dictating what people earn/ spend/ splurge or whatever!

( also agree with PP - open PayPal account)

Mumsafan · 05/04/2023 20:31

CoraPirbright · 05/04/2023 19:59

I thought that you were going to say that it was HSBC! I have had something a bit similar to this s couple of times. Once I had to pay a caterer - I received a service then received the invoice. I double checked the account details over the phone like they say you’re supposed to and I still had to virtually fucking beg HSBC to pay the invoice!!! Also getting some cash out. It’s MY MONEY!!! Just bloody well give it to me!!

Yes the issue with my son's account was HSBC

NotSorry · 05/04/2023 20:33

My daughter was with NatWest and had an account as a child. She started work at 18 and asked them to change it to an adult account and they refused - they really are useless - she swapped to First Direct and they gave her £100 as a welcome gift

Soapyspuds · 05/04/2023 20:33

Is there a way to raise an Ombudsman complaint?

Strawberrydelight78 · 05/04/2023 20:35

Are you sure it's an official Dior site? There are some fakes about. I'm with HSBC I had purchased something online off what I thought was a reputable site. Within minutes of making the payment I had a call off my bank. Who informed me it's a fake site. Bank was able to block my money from leaving my account. But I had to cancel my card.

Blessedbethefknfruit · 05/04/2023 20:38

If you do close the account, do a bank switch. Lots of banks offer cash incentives. I switch every few years, I just switched to 1st direct for £200.
A third of the cost of your treat to yourself, thanks to Natwest bring morons.
Funnily enough, they are who I most recently switched from.

DeflatedAgain · 05/04/2023 20:40

Try and use another device.

1idea · 05/04/2023 20:48

You could transfer your account to another bank offering £200 cash back for switching then take delight in NatWest paying for third of it by forcing the change.

Leftbutcameback · 05/04/2023 20:48

I’ve been having lots of issues using my NatWest card on my phone recently. I understand the need to have a check every so often but I would say it’s 3 transactions out of every 8 or 10. The shop assistant the other day says she’s noticed it only with NatWest cards.

Leftbutcameback · 05/04/2023 20:49

And the thing that really annoys me is that when I had my card cloned and I was actually a victim of fraud they didn’t pick it up at all, and the transactions were classic fraud ones.

cupofteaandnetflix · 05/04/2023 20:52

Yep that’s weird

GarlicGrace · 05/04/2023 20:54

I've had similar with NatWest and Nationwide. My brother has with Santander. Even PayPal does it sometimes.

I've given up trying to understand the convoluted logic behind it. Sometimes I end up feeling like I am committing fraud, transferring smaller amounts to different accounts and wrangling it all so I can buy the thing with my own money!

Hope you find a way to get your designer treat, OP.

BornBlonde · 05/04/2023 20:55

Very strange

PuddlesPityParty · 05/04/2023 20:57

Make a PayPal account.

Woodenwonder · 05/04/2023 20:58

I had this about a month ago with First Direct who blocked me from paying for a holiday - they simply would not authorise the payment from my debit card, regardless of me using the authenticator etc etc. Eventually had to ask someone else to put it on their card and pay them back immediately by bank transfer. I get that they are on guard for fraud but that's the whole point of having the authenticator on your phone etc surely.

Annoying because as others have said it's MY MONEY.

In the delay arsing about with the bank the flights also went up by around £60 (as they do) - my head nearly exploded ha

Neededanewuserhandle · 05/04/2023 21:02

Just a word of caution to everyone saying use Paypal - Paypal is very slow to pay the retailer if funded direct from a bank or debit card. They only pay quickly if the funds are from a credit card.
Also in my experience they are very hard to deal with if you have a problem.

TheCatterall · 05/04/2023 21:08

@MovinginCircless honestly NatWest fraud team are absolutely useless. Ask to have this escalated and say you wish to raise a complaint as they are preventing you from spending your money on legitimate items.

I am the chair of a large local charity. We have over 30k in the bank and have an established account with NatWest since 2016. Every month for the last 4 years we pay a supplier £36 via standing order. They’ve decided for the last two months it’s a fraudulent payment and blocked it. Despite myself and treasurer contacting them. And they’ve done it again this month. Said they can’t / won’t stop flagging it up as dodgy. The guy on the phone couldn’t have sounded more disinterested. I’ve put in a complaint and ask them to investigate why they can’t mark something as legitimate so it isn’t repeatedly flagged. They will get back to us… not holding breath on that one.

I use Monzo for personal and my business and their support has always been fantastic. I recommend setting up a second bank account and you can just transfer the money over for situations like this.

ElBandito · 05/04/2023 21:11

Thank you @CharlotteStreetW1 I've never ever seen my 'silent generation' mother so angry and upset before, and they knew, they knew exactly why she was there!

Mañanarama · 05/04/2023 21:11

Woodenwonder · 05/04/2023 20:58

I had this about a month ago with First Direct who blocked me from paying for a holiday - they simply would not authorise the payment from my debit card, regardless of me using the authenticator etc etc. Eventually had to ask someone else to put it on their card and pay them back immediately by bank transfer. I get that they are on guard for fraud but that's the whole point of having the authenticator on your phone etc surely.

Annoying because as others have said it's MY MONEY.

In the delay arsing about with the bank the flights also went up by around £60 (as they do) - my head nearly exploded ha

We had this with my husbands HSBC credit card when booking a holiday. Something about entering his email address in a particular way. Ridiculous.

AncoraAmarena · 05/04/2023 21:12

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 19:40

I almost cried tbh, not to be dramatic but the amount of people I’ve spoken to, been passed to, even had the phone put down on me. Being told to contact the retailer.

The last time I called I spoke to the fraud team twice, where I confirmed it was genuine, still declined, called back, told to wait half an hour, still declined. I then called back and the person literally said that doesn’t sound like fraud so I won’t be speaking to you further and put the phone down.

I even had one person say it’s not fraud so just keep trying, I said won’t that actually get my card blocked though and they said yes but you can just call back …

Show quote history

Don't give up, make sure you file a formal complaint and get a reference number.

I have had to do this twice at Natwest and a complaints handler took the details verbally, investigated and then got back to me with a resolution and compensation. Being passed from pillar to post and having calls ended is unacceptable. When Natwest get it wrong, they really get it wrong. Tweet them if you can. Tell them that you are a loyal customer if x years and this treatment is disgraceful. Threaten the financial ombudsman.

Then when it's resolved and they have compensated you, move to another bank and close your account. I only didn't do this myself as they dealt with my complain very well; if it happens again however, I will be off.