Page 7 | To think my bank shouldn’t be able to stop me?

MovinginCircless · 2023-04-05T17:22:27+00:00

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??

Original poster

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 21:13

EllieM27 · 05/04/2023 20:14

I know it’s not what you want to hear OP but the lack of credit is the most likely issue. If your entire credit history is “maybe two loans” then banks will look sideways at you. They don’t see it in terms of “look at this responsible person that doesn’t use credit” but rather as “why can’t this person get credit?” Past loans that you have paid off don’t tell them anything about your current credit status, especially if the loans were 2+ years ago.

Obviously that shouldn’t stop you making a debit purchase but apparently with this bank it does. Use PayPal to purchase your item. Then switch banks to one that doesn’t suck. Then apply for a credit card and built up your credit so you don’t have any future issues.

I used to work for a credit agency and I don’t need to build my credit up to buy something with my own available funds.

Also this whole “building up your credit” excuse to get credit cards which actually drags down your score for at least a year.

OP posts:

Sashimiandhisthunderpaws · 05/04/2023 21:13

Hi @MovinginCircless. You can pay with PayPal on Dior. Apply for PayPal credit and link your bank account to it. You can the either use credit or pay out of your bank account via PayPal.

Agree with the poster who mentioned using a credit card for large purchases. As your effectively purchasing from the credit provider and covered if there are any issues with the purchase.

PS NatWest customer service is awful, I would never bank with them, personally.

PCPurpleHelmet · 05/04/2023 21:14

GoodChat · 05/04/2023 19:30

There was. It's £100 now but then you could make £30 purchases up to the value of £99 and then you had to put your pin in.

Show quote history

I was going to say this, but thought I had better RTFT to see if anyone had beaten me to it (and they had). They scrapped the £30 limit during Covid.

So if the OP has got this wrong, I wonder what else is wrong.

PCPurpleHelmet · 05/04/2023 21:14

PS @Sashimiandhisthunderpaws However bad the Nat West might be, they will never, ever be a patch on Barclays for unspeakable shittiness.

Original poster

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 21:23

PCPurpleHelmet · 05/04/2023 21:14

I was going to say this, but thought I had better RTFT to see if anyone had beaten me to it (and they had). They scrapped the £30 limit during Covid.

So if the OP has got this wrong, I wonder what else is wrong.

Show quote history

What are you talking about? If I “got that wrong” it was all before 2020 so what’s your point?

OP posts:

OhLordPleaseDontBurnUsDontGrillOrToastYourFlock · 05/04/2023 21:24

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 18:27

NatWest

Show quote history

Not surprised at all. Grandson went to pay in his Christmas money at NatWest (£250) and they said no. Blocked the account because "It could be County lines money".

Crazy world we live in yet all the big banks get fined millions each year for data breaches or money laundering breaches and shrug it off as the cost of doing business with high value clients. No wonder the challenger banks are so successful.

Sashimiandhisthunderpaws · 05/04/2023 21:27

@PCPurpleHelmet I wouldn't bank with them either. 🤣🤣🤣I closed my account with them in 2005 as soon as an employee shut the door in my face 5 minutes before closing time and refused to help me. The cashpoint had swallowed my card and it was a Friday evening. All I wanted was a phone number to cancel the card.

Original poster

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 21:29

PCPurpleHelmet · 05/04/2023 21:14

PS @Sashimiandhisthunderpaws However bad the Nat West might be, they will never, ever be a patch on Barclays for unspeakable shittiness.

You’re right sadly. They lied about my new mortgage rate not going through when I applied so I either had the choice at that point of fixing at a much higher rate or going on flexible and hoping to fix if the rates ever came down - my mortgage tripled at one point.

I went to the ombudsman and they confirmed that Barclays had noted it was their system error and they were made to give me the original rate and around £700 compensation (which they took months to send)

I think I’m just bad luck

OP posts:

Reugny · 05/04/2023 21:29

For all those blaming the OP I had Britain's largest building society, Nationwide, stop me buying a laptop from John Lewis with my credit card and my debit card. They knew my profession and I had purchased thing like a phone before. They deliberately sent me around the houses to why they blocked the purchase e.g. telling me to go to a branch with ID and then when I turned up the staff being confused.

I purchased the laptop in the end with my Barclaycard. I had the card since Iwas a student. I spoke to customer service at Barclaycard first and they must have though I was a bit crazy asking if there was any reason they would block the purchase.

I then took Nationwide to the financial ombudsman. The financial ombudsman told me that Nationwide's actions were basically deliberate.

I moved my current account and no longer have their credit card.

Oh and I've had fraud on my Barclaycard of about £50 in total.

MelloYellow · 05/04/2023 21:34

I have had this
with mulberry
with Santander

make a complaint
especially regarding the blatant lying!

Original poster

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 21:41

I know this is pathetic but it was a treat for a really shit last year and I would have had it by now and worn it .. but it feels tainted now. They’ve taken a nice thing and shit all over it.

OP posts:

Morningcoffeeview · 05/04/2023 21:49

Reugny · 05/04/2023 21:29

For all those blaming the OP I had Britain's largest building society, Nationwide, stop me buying a laptop from John Lewis with my credit card and my debit card. They knew my profession and I had purchased thing like a phone before. They deliberately sent me around the houses to why they blocked the purchase e.g. telling me to go to a branch with ID and then when I turned up the staff being confused.

I purchased the laptop in the end with my Barclaycard. I had the card since Iwas a student. I spoke to customer service at Barclaycard first and they must have though I was a bit crazy asking if there was any reason they would block the purchase.

I then took Nationwide to the financial ombudsman. The financial ombudsman told me that Nationwide's actions were basically deliberate.

I moved my current account and no longer have their credit card.

Oh and I've had fraud on my Barclaycard of about £50 in total.

Did you ever find out the motive? This is all so bizarre.

Inaea · 05/04/2023 21:50

Ah it’s Natwest? I nearly had an account at Natwest. I went in to open theaccount and the man said my passport was clearly not me in the picture. In the picture I had my hair tied back, and was I three yars younger but it was obviously me. He absolutely refused to accept my passport as ID. He asked what else I had and on hearing I had a driving licence said that was fine and he’d open the account with that. I said “So you’re accusing me of stealing someone else’s passport and fraudulently trying to open a bank account with it, but you’re still happy to open an account for me?! Never mind I think I need a different bank.”

Move to Lloyds, I have never had a problem with them.

timeforwotsits · 05/04/2023 21:53

This doesn’t add up

id open an with m another bank op as clearly your stuck with some kind marker on your account

if you have funds they shouldn’t stop the transaction .

timeforwotsits · 05/04/2023 21:53

With m = account

Stupid auto correct

ImSweetEnoughDarlin · 05/04/2023 21:54

This is exactly why we should fight cashless society.

This is just the start.

Theredfoxfliesatmidnight · 05/04/2023 21:55

I would guess it's because you have made 2 fraud claims in the last 7 years, and both times your card was maxed out (the limit was very low at £99 each time, but you still had the maximum amount of funds possible taken). I'm guessing they feel this makes you too much of a risk, and consider they are protecting themselves against a third claim.

loadypoady · 05/04/2023 21:55

I tried to buy 10k of premium bonds on my debit card recently and the payment was declined. The block was allegedly lifted on the card but it still wouldn’t go through.
Halifax blamed N&SI who blamed the bank and I gave up in the end and paid by bank transfer.

Its absolute nonsensical that you are not allowed to spend your own money on a debit card and have to use a credit card or bank transfer.

Notsurenotquiteright · 05/04/2023 21:58

If you do end up switching banks use the switch service and go to first direct and get £175 for doing so.

nomoremerlot · 05/04/2023 21:58

Switch to Monzo..... I love it!

LemonSwan · 05/04/2023 22:08

Just ring them tomorrow in advance of the transaction and say if this is blocked and you do not make this payment today I will be transferring my bank account.

If by 5 o clock they don’t then transfer the account. Lots of banks have £200 cash bonus for doing this so your quids in and it’s a big two fingers.

Notjustabrunette · 05/04/2023 22:08

Could you try buying from selfridges net a porter?

Fuckitydoodah · 05/04/2023 22:12

How bloody ridiculous. I'd definitely be swapping bank accounts, and contacting the financial ombudsman. Surely if you've passed the security checks, then you can spend your money how you want.

teraculum29 · 05/04/2023 22:13

BarbaraofSeville · 05/04/2023 20:18

Do you only have one card? That's a bit risky isn't it?

You could be left unable to buy essentials let alone whatever luxury you're trying to buy from Dior if it gets lost, stolen or your bank has a problem.

I'd just get a credit card ASAP rather than go to the hassle of trying to get round Natwest's weird logic.

Second That!!

mumsnet should have "like" option....

newschoolneeded · 05/04/2023 22:15

NatWest also blocked a transaction for my DH that started the most ridiculous run around of phone calls to fraud and support teams that we didn’t resolve before we gave up. They blocked an online transaction with flight centre. So he went into a flight centre branch and NatWest also blocked the purchase there. He was on the phone to NatWest from the flight centre shop and they still wouldn’t let it through. In the end NatWest mumbled through some excuse the Flight Centre were on some kind of restricted list.

I think in the end he bought the ticket direct from the airline’s website, fare costing a bit more, but NatWest allowed that transaction through ok. So it appeared not to be about the transaction size at all.