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Original poster

Asda nightmare

67 replies

macaroni · 11/01/2006 10:31

In Asda yesterday spent £80 odd on groceries. Didn't know pin no. which I told cashier ( I usually sign it). She said pin was blocked and I coulndn't use card. Didn't und erstand as it has been doing this for about a month and I can still use it. Asked for another form of payment which I didn't have. Manager refused to override it and said I could stand there all day if I wanted to. Ended up in tears with my 2 dds sitting in trolley. Then said they would phone bank and returned to say they are retaining my card. Phoned bank when I got home, who say they had no right to keep my card.

OP posts:
Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 11:11

Thanks mamatuks and carly too

OP posts:
northerner · 11/01/2006 11:11

Contact teh tabloids too. This is disgraceful behaviour.

mumatuks · 11/01/2006 11:13

Sorry Marconi, you're really far away from me!

Please do all you can. The free phone 0500 number that heavenis put up might be good. They can loose letters, but can't loose a phone call!!

Please let us know how you get on.

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 11:13

How do you contact the tabloids?

OP posts:
mumatuks · 11/01/2006 11:17

Choose your newspaper, go to their website and they ususally have a "button" saying "do you have a story for us?"
Another good one is those womens magazines, they are read by hundreds of women and you can get three to four hundred pounds for them!

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 11:37

Sounds tempting! I'll be complaining anyway, but I do realis e I shuld have sorted out the pin no thing long ago. I also feel bad that my wee girls witnessed me in that state. My eldest (2) said Asda Mummy upset when dh asked her what she did yesterday.

OP posts:
rey · 11/01/2006 11:50

Just wondering if your local radio station has a consumer programme that might take it up for you, might be able to get problem sorted and answers as to why Asda think they can behave in this way quicker. Can't believe Asda could treat you in such a way and they shouldn't get away with it! At Tesco's recently I had a complete blank and just couldn't remember my pin number tried it and then they just let me sign. Tried again to remember when at another store and they then let me sign. (So now sorting myself out with a new number! Hate this number business.)

mumatuks · 11/01/2006 11:54

Aw bless 'em. How old are your DD's?

You can change your pin number at the cash machine(when you get your new one!) So you'll be able to remember it. I've been in Tesco before with 80 odd quids worth of shopping and just completely forgotten what my pin is. Its always when I get to the car and start loading up that I realise Oh yeah it's 0000 or whatever.

Don't worry about your DD seeing you upset. Its good for her to see that mummy was upset, but then mummy resolves the issue, and how she solved it!

Hope you get where you want to with this, and take the money for the story.. just think how many weeks worth of shopping you can buy (and preferabl;y not at Asda!)

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 13:14

Have phoned to complain. I'm now waiting for a manager to call me back. Will let you know what happens.

OP posts:
littlerach · 11/01/2006 13:27

When they say that your pin is locked, it is something that in theory you choose to do at the cashpoint.

I constantly have this at the Co op; when they put the card in it immediately says that my pin is locked. But they usually let me sign.

I had to go into the bank and query it, and they seemed unsure of the reason, but told me to unlock it at the cashpoint.

HTH.

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 13:30

I just don't understand why I was treated like a criminal. Don't want to go there again.

OP posts:
heavenis · 11/01/2006 15:00

Have they managed to ring you back yet?

LeftOverTurkey · 11/01/2006 15:11

I entered my pin number in asda and computer said "No", twice. The assistant said it often happened for no good reason and automatically took my signature instead. She did say if it was rejected for a third time the card would be retained.

So 2 points,

  1. They can accept a signiture if they want to.
  2. The pin was ok, I tested in a cash machine straight afterwards, so what will happen when this happens after Feb when signatures aren't accepted?
peckarollover · 11/01/2006 15:34

my pin has been blcoked for ages, apparently until february you can override it

1980cat · 11/01/2006 21:42

What a horrible thing to do, always hated out local asda(Dundee, if your near by I have a huge bag of Tesco nappies you could have some of) the service is always crap.
Is chip and pin now compusory, the way I understood (left working in retail nine months ago though) shops don't have to use chip and pin but if they don't they are liable for any fraud that could have been prevented with the technology.

NannyL · 11/01/2006 22:27

chip and pin becomes compulsory as of 14 February 2006

i know cause recently got sent new credit card (having lost old one) the piece of paper with pin on was faulty, is had no number printed on it (could only happen to me) so i have to keep signing and keep being told "as of valentines day you will HAVE to know your pin"

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 22:34

Well, this afternoon a manager called me back and I went through the whole story again. Was told she would get someone from the store to call me. Later, I got a call from someone at the store who didn't know the story either, so I had to go through it all again. They kept saying 'I wasn't there so I can't comment' and going on about lost/stolen cards. Said they would investigate and call me back. I'm still waiting.

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fireflyfairy2 · 11/01/2006 22:34

The last time I went in our woolworths they wouldn't let me pay by a cheque. They said I had to pay with Cash.. but I had no cash on me and 2 children and the cash machine was at the other end of the mall... they finally took a cheque, with my cheque guarantee card and put my name, address and number on back of it.. it was the first time I ever had to do that!! She said that starting soon they would no longer be accepting cheques either

1980cat · 11/01/2006 22:35

You'd think shops would advertise this. The woman is Asda was really snippy to me when my chip wouldn't work, this was even before most cards had chips on them on it.

1980cat · 11/01/2006 22:38

Woolworths have only just recently changed who garantee there cheque payments as before xmas I had to wait for ages whilst the woman tried to remeber how to do it.

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 22:39

My sister was in the soft drinks aisle in the same store on New Years' Eve looking for coke and she said to one of the workers 'have you no coke left?' and they said 'What do you expect, it's Hogmanay.' Utter cheek.

OP posts:
gemmamay · 11/01/2006 22:53

this is such a horrendous story! and it gets worse with the way they are dealing with your complaint!

Maybe a letter to tesco's hoping their service will be better might help plus get you a few vouchers, priority parking spots etc!

Good luck!

Original poster
macaroni · 11/01/2006 23:08

Gemmamay, I was hoping to avoid writing a letter and someone else suggested it might get lost, but it's starting to look like an option. It's Asda, by the way!

OP posts:
Pixel · 11/01/2006 23:31

I've only managed to read half this thread so apologies if I am repeating but I had a similar problem a few months back. My card was locked when I tried to use it in the supermarket (happened a couple of times-very embarrassing!)but worked perfectly well in the cash machine. I took it to the building society and they issued a new one straight away. The lady there said it sometimes happens if the card is slightly damaged or worn, even though you may not be able to see it.

No-one tried to take my card though. This happened in Sainsbury and Tesco. I wonder if they have different policies or if it was the Asda staff members being over zealous off their own back?

1980cat · 11/01/2006 23:53

Speaking to Dp who still works i retail. What he thinks happens is after Feb shops are then liable for the fraud but they can still overide and put things through with a signature, although they have the right not to. He doesn't think they have any plans to remove this facitly as often chips don't work or are scratched almost like typing cards in manually. Cards should only be retained if the member of staff thinks there reasonable doubt you are who you say you are. Going to check this out there should been some details on the web. I really need to go to bed but can't sleep.