Bank Mental

[zur-an-arrh]

HI GUYZ

Right, last year, booking from home over the internet, I had a bit of a palava with the bank: they blocked my card and I wasn't able to purchase my three weekend passes as a result. Before anyone breaks out the hankies, it was ok, because my dear old mum (!) allowed me to use her card to purchase the tickets in the end. Phew!

I rang the bank later and they said they had blocked it because of 'suspicious activity'; i.e. me attempting to spend a monkey at a cinema. I had enough money to cover it, etc, but I suppose the bank were acting in my interests, however frustrating it seemed at the time.

I know that this happened to some of the other fright fest punters, and I was wondering if there was any way that this could be avoided this year from the Empire end: I've rung my bank to inform them of my spending plans for Sat but it seems that they can't 'put notes on the system' (?), and that if they deem a transaction block worthy, they'll blooming well block it. I'm probably displaying all manner of ignorance here, but can the Empire let it be known that they are expecting a lorra people to spend an unusual lorra money on Sat?

I'm buying tickets in person this year and I don't want to sleepy queue it just to be denied at the final hurdle!

Any ideas?

[DJBenz]

Weird that they won't take a not on it. I've told my credit card company in the past when I've been abroad and they appreciate the advance notice.

[zur-an-arrh]

It is weird, and a little bit annoying too, djbenz. Perhaps because my card is a debit card, may be that's the problem.

Not to come off all 'Jay Z' up in this 'mother', but I put aside money for frightfest, so there is always plenty enough in the account. Why can't I spend my money, 'Lloyds'?!

[DJBenz]

How about giving them a ring just before you're going to buy and giving them a heads up? If they won't put a note on the account, at least it might be fresh in their minds when they process the payment?

Although it'll probably be a different department that does that, so maybe a useless idea.

[zur-an-arrh]

Thanks djbenz- I will definetly do that, although I dunno how coherent I'll be after a night in the sleepy queue though!

[sherbetbizarre]

Can you not get cash from a hole-in-the-wall beforehand?

[TheDukeAbides]

^^^^
One ticket maybe - multiple tickets, hmmm.

I'm in the same position.

Bought my 1 ticket online last year (and years before them) without problems at the banking end.

This time, if I do sleepy queue it, I'm looking at getting 4 on my debit.

This coming in a week I've got electric, home insurance, and TV license coming out too.

But as stated, I'm treating it like I'm going abroad and I'll ring and pre-warn my bank.

Maybe if you state the amount you intend on spending in one transaction and who is the likely recipient then this should help things progress.

Or maybe, online is more easily blockable than a chip-pin machine, perhaps and the problems shouldn't occur in person?

[Wulfster]

I used to work for a financial institution (won't say which one... but it rhymes with "Floyd's Tank"), and they really are a law unto themselves.
You've done the best thing by warning them Duke, but they sometimes block accounts based on "fraud" software that picks up on "unusual transactions", which don't fit the perceived pattern or "history" of a customer. It's absolutely frustrating and quite random, and a lot of other things come into play (*cough*overseas-contractors*cough*).
As you've gone through this once before, your name and account should be "immune" to that treatment now ... but we are talking about UK Banks here, so nothing's certain.

[zur-an-arrh]

Well, I think what normally happens is that one has to ring the fraud dept of the bank, and go through the rigmorol of confirming you are who you are, etc.

If that occurs dukeabides, and if we are 'in situ', then hopefully the Empire will be understanding and hold our tickets until we're sorted?

Thanks for the help, Sherbertbizzare, by the way: but I think there is a limit on how much I can get out from the cash point too!

[sherbetbizarre]

Thanks for the help, Sherbertbizzare, by the way: but I think there is a limit on how much I can get out from the cash point too!

There is... but if the money's there, can you withdraw it over multiple days?

[TheDukeAbides]

Further to this my bank told me to tell them on the actual day, so if the withdrawing half a monkey per day and walking around with near a grand in the pockets is more frightening than, then maybe this is the only option for the safe processing of card transactions.