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AIBU?

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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:
Iyjd · 05/04/2023 22:20

My mum had issues with NatWest blocking purchases too and claiming fraud, but mundane things like food shops so she changed. I’ve got a monzo account and it was set up within minutes, you could get one of them and transfer the money over to order it? Although you shouldn’t have to.

SoFED · 05/04/2023 22:22

Bizarre!! I just bought a Gucci bag via NatWest

artimesiasfootsteps · 05/04/2023 22:23

Gosh what a faff! I was about to move banks to them, but I won’t now! I also don’t have a credit card, but I use my current account for a lot of high value items for my free lance work, this would be a nightmare for me.

Definitely swap banks op, your money to spend how you please!

Also do show a picture of said bag, I would love to buy something from Dior!

ThomasinaLivesHere · 05/04/2023 22:24

It is strange but maybe it’s because of the two fraud cases you’ve had. I don’t get why you could claim fraud after verifying by phone that you’re making the purchase.

Original poster
MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 22:26

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.

Yeah I really don’t think it’s this…

OP posts:
Takethatandparty30 · 05/04/2023 22:29

Very odd. Banks will very often put blocks on that sort of transaction in case someone else is trying to use your card. But once they confirm its genuine, the block will be lifted. Have never heard that they will not allow customers to buy from a certain legit place. I have worked in a bank fraud dept and think perhaps someone got the wrong end of the stick?

Iwrotethelyricstoaxlf · 05/04/2023 22:31

Open a Revolut card. Transfer funds to there and buy with that.

utterly ridiculous you can’t spend your own money. (Also totally believe the Barclays mortgage thing as we’re constantly prompting or chasing them for mortgage stuff)

itsnotmeitsu · 05/04/2023 22:32

I wanted to use the switch bank thing as my bank was taken over by Virgin. The account had to have three direct debits going out of it to switch and get the bonus payment. I don't have that, so still with same bank.

Original poster
MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 22:35

Actually now that I’m thinking about it, 2 years ago I paid £5K on my card for a deposit for a new kitchen and I bought a sofa from Made which was around £900. Neither of those had any issues.

All more than £600 so I don’t even think it’s to do with the amount. He told me twice about buying high end goods to resell at full value .. which for some reason maybe they think I would do that.. He said that Dior was added to their high risk suppliers but said no to a blanket ban on all NatWest customers buying from there.

All so confusing. I just hope the fraud team contact me tomorrow otherwise with the bank holiday it won’t be for a whole week.

OP posts:
BasoonerOrLater · 05/04/2023 22:38

Do you have a link to what you’re buying OP? I only ask because there’s very little on the Dior website for around the £600 mark, and you certainly wouldn’t get a bag for that price, so I’m wondering if you’ve maybe been duped by one of the (often very good) fake websites and that’s the issue.

Original poster
MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 22:38

Takethatandparty30 · 05/04/2023 22:29

Very odd. Banks will very often put blocks on that sort of transaction in case someone else is trying to use your card. But once they confirm its genuine, the block will be lifted. Have never heard that they will not allow customers to buy from a certain legit place. I have worked in a bank fraud dept and think perhaps someone got the wrong end of the stick?

The thing is though, I’ve done their checks, passed security and confirmed the text code they sent over the phone. Said I was happy to proceed and that I believe it to be a genuine website etc. so the risk is all on me.

So if I did get scammed then what repercussions would they have? Surely none.

OP posts:
Nn9011 · 05/04/2023 22:42

I had a similar issue with one of my cards for Pay at Pump. I kept being declined and I contacted them and they essentially said they were no longer allowing it for a certain percentage of people because of too much fraud. So crazy!

PCPurpleHelmet · 05/04/2023 22:43

MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 21:29

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

Show quote history

OP, you have all my sympathy. Barclays are complete and utter bastards.

PCPurpleHelmet · 05/04/2023 22:45

FWIW @MovinginCircless, I'd feel the same about your nice purchase being shat on, and I would change banks and buy yourself something different but just as nice as a reward.

thenightsky · 05/04/2023 22:46

spuddel · 05/04/2023 19:55

Banks are heading towards total digital currency, hence the branch closures. Everything online and trackable and that sounds fine but even at this stage, before total digital money, your online purchase is being blocked. Now imagine you want to buy something after criticising the government...

Didn't protesters in Canada get their bank accounts frozen recently? I can't remember the details though.

Aussiegirl123456 · 05/04/2023 22:55

I’d just set up a new account, put $600 into it and then buy whatever it is you want from Dior.
Or see if Selfridges/Harrods or elsewhere have the item.
Or use paypal.
Or get someone else to make the purchase and give them the cash.

I wouldn’t be fucking around talking to fraud teams.

And the PPs who have said Natwest aren’t allowing the purchase because you don’t have a credit card are crackers! Cash is king and all that! Credit cards are poison.
I have never had a credit card but make high end purchases regularly with no problem. Got a mortgage with no issue - just like you and many others have. I’m a devout Dave Ramsey follower though so that’s likely why I feel so anticredit, but honestly, not having a credit card will not and does not justify Natwest having authority on what you buy with your money.
The only reason they would be within their rights to prevent the purchase is if the website was flagged up as not being legitimate.

MintJulia · 05/04/2023 23:01

I've never had a transaction refused (hsbc) but I spent an hour on the phone persuading them to release £10k to buy a car.

I'd warned them of the transaction the day before and it was through a main dealer. I couldn't understand the fuss. I've never claimed any fraud on any account ever.

It was frustrating but we got there in the end. The car dealer seemed to think it was fairly normal for banks to be difficult.

roseapothecary · 05/04/2023 23:05

I had an issue with Natwest blocking me from paying for childcare. I had to pay with my husband's card for the same account! I complained and they did not care at all.

Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 05/04/2023 23:06

I refuse to be loyal to any bank because it's never reciprocated. In fact I've just changed to Nat West for the £200 bonus. Luckily (?) I can't afford Dior. Check out money saving expert and swap to a bank offering a bonus.

Mumwomansisterdaughter · 05/04/2023 23:08

Can I suggest you open a bank account with revolut , you can use a virtual card straight away from vem before the physical one arrives . It’s bonkers that they prevent a buy

ShiteInNiningArmour · 05/04/2023 23:09

I tried to switch to NatWest some years ago when they offered their switch bonus. As they couldn’t even accomplish a basic account migration I didn’t have much faith in them being able to manage my banking and pulled the plug.

I stayed with First Direct and to be fair they have been great over the years with cloned cards etc and halting a 3am Waitrose shop during covid as they knew it was out of my pattern (I couldn’t sleep, found a coveted slot and did manage to use PayPal). The only thing that’s always pissed me off with FD is their welcome bonuses etc that never filter down to actual customers who’ve been with them for 25 years.

Original poster
MovinginCircless · 05/04/2023 23:21

And also here’s part of the complaint I received last month:

Following our fraud teams process, they unfortunately do not make customers aware of the blocks that have been applied to the account. The transaction will decline which would prompt our customers to call us and should then be told by the agent that there is a block. I appreciate on this occasion you were told there were no blocks however as the fraud team have confirmed they do not contacted the customers regarding these blocks I am unable to agree any error has occurred.

How ridiculous. If the fraudster was actually attempting to use my card then the fraud team wouldn’t notify me because it’s up to me to let them know about a payment I didn’t know about was declined??

OP posts:
Teenagehorrorbag · 05/04/2023 23:35

My bank is Lloyds and I had something a bit similar. My personal card started being declined every time I tried to buy anything online, It worked in shops fine, but not for internet purchases. The first few times I thought it was a glitch, then realised there was a pattern. I had to keep using my other Lloyds card which is for our joint account, and that was fine (although annoying, as I had to keep transferring money across).

I went into the bank and they phoned up their fraud dept - or wherever - and said I must have tried to do some sort of unusual transaction back in January, and the account had been blocked (for online transactions only) ever since. I'm not aware of doing anything unusual - and of course I would expect that normally to be verified via my phone. I produced ID and spoke to the person on the phone, and she said my account was now unblocked.

Tried to make a purchase last night - nope! Still blocked!

Sorry OP - this isn't helpful to you, and I sympathise as it's massively annoying! But you aren't alone.

Can you pay on a different card?

MoreSleepPleasee · 05/04/2023 23:41

My bank did this to me but with much less than what you are trying to spend. After an extremely pissed off phone call about how the 'fraud alert' thing has gone insane on my account it's never happened again. They literally blocked my tesco shop, soft play, takeaway etc. at one point.

Noodlehen · 05/04/2023 23:41

This is shocking, I’d move banks. But they have to have some form of flag on your file.

I moved to England last year, opened an account with NatWest, transferred a large sum from € obviously into £ immediately once acc was open and then spent it all within a month on designer / frivolous purchases (just before our wedding) and from memory they didn’t block a single payment. Not even with the text “is this you?” thing. I wonder their criteria for what flags.