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Post Info TOPIC: Banks and their "Customer Couldn't Care Less"
msg


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Banks and their "Customer Couldn't Care Less"
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Will you oldies stop being victims of scams and complaining about it.    

For the first time last week, I decided I would like to buy my groceries on line.   Went through all the rigmorole of setting everything up, creating of a list etc. about three hours overall but pretty much all day with doing other things in between. Proceeded to the check out and put in credit card details (something I don't do normally usually do)   the system sent no messages on screen, it just closed out.  So I thought OK and waited three days for delivery and nothing turned up.  Rang supermarket who advised I had never put in an order.  I had looked at my bank statement and surmised that anyway.

Tried again, with a different supermarket.  Same issue. but this time I got a message saying to call my bank.

I did this. After 20 mins I was finally able to talk to someone at the bank.  They asked all my identity questions.  I had already put in my customer number and password when I dialled. I told my long story of woe.   They asked all my identity questions. I told my long story of woe.   Decided they couldn't answer my question and put me on hold whilst they transferred me.  On hold for another 5 mins.  

Finally got onto the "Customer couldn't care less Team" (I had renamed them during my long wait. Along with a number of other names) They asked all my identity questions. I told my long story of woe. AGAIN.  

I was told, "They are just looking after you dear"  We have to be sure that its really you.  Its the rules.   There is so much fraud going on. I could almost hear her thinking "with people your age "   

The upshot is every time I want to use my credit card to buy groceries, I have to ring the bank and get an approval number.  Just because its whats good for me. 

Like I'm going to do that?  I wonder if all the banks are the same?  Might try to find out next week. Could be fun.  In the meantime I will brave the covid rid mall to get my groceries.

Just another example of how our freedoms are being taken away.   

Of course, It wouldn't have been an issue if I had a smart phone and a debit card but credit card is the way I want to do business. I guess I'm a bit like those oldies who still want to write a cheque. (notice I have spelt  cheque and spelt wrong. No I haven't. But its Gone from the dictionary. Not in the dictionary so the spell checker said.  Its happening frequently.)

So all you old "dears",  don't you dare complain about anything.  You may not have many freedoms now, but it can get a lot worse. 

Maybe you could relate this to free camps.  Someone complains and they close them rather than fix the problem.



-- Edited by msg on Friday 10th of September 2021 11:07:44 AM

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Whenarewethere


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Fortunately I can still walk to the shops.

I go early in the morning as it is quiet. Stopped going to the shops that don't take cash.

No doubt I will starve to death in the not too distant future.



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Kebbin


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It's very odd that they asked for your identity over the phone, I would be looking up their phone number and calling them again as this sounds suss. Your original order would have timed out that's were the order failed.

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Kebbin
msg


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The number quoted was the one on the website given after I signed in and one I have used for at least 30yrs and know off by heart. All govt departments and utility companies ask for your name, address & DOB, customer no. at least. The original order did time out because an approval no was not requested from the bank. Nothing the store has anything to do with. I didn't need to give the store a number but had to get approval from the bank to charge to credit card.


I have no doubt that the bank was legitimate. It was their rather tiresome wait times I have to go through that was the issue just to buy something on the internet, that is something people do all the time and appeared to have something to do with age. Talking down to me and calling me dear might have had something to do with me coming to that conclusion. After 70 odd years I have so far managed to avoid being scammed.

I guess I am a bit antiagist at the moment. I detest complete strangers calling me "dear" as if its the proper form of address for a person who is past 60. I detest having to get a medical certificate and eye examination for my licence each year. I don't need to wear glasses and have nothing too wrong with me. I have even been cleared of dementia. Although of late I am quickly getting "grumpy old man" syndrome.


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dorian


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msg wrote:

I guess I'm a bit like those oldies who still want to write a cheque. (notice I have spelt  cheque and spelt wrong. No I haven't. But its Gone from the dictionary. Not in the dictionary so the spell checker said.  Its happening frequently.)

 Right click the word and add it to your dictionary, or make sure that English (Australian) is selected in your browser settings.



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Are We Lost


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I have not heard of a bank requiring you to ring them to authorise each transaction. Often, for first time payments the retailer will send a code to your phone and you have to enter that online to continue. This means a hacker would need to have access to your phone as well as the PC. Or maybe your daily withdrawal limit had been exceeded.

I have supermarket shopped online and did not have a drama. I found it a tedious process (the supermarket system), but would be easier if I had a regular set of items as a base.

As for the word "cheque" not in the spell checker, it sounds like you are using US English language in the PC rather than Australian or British English (as Dorian just said). Here is a sentence I typed, with a couple of spelling mistakes to show the spell checker is working:

Dictionary.jpg

 

 



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Whenarewethere


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I always give a cheque to my nieces & nephews for their birthday so they actually have to put something it the bank and wait a few days before they can blow it.



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Wanda


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Time to get a new bank, sounds sus. Just does not make any sense what so ever!
Can't imagine Coles or Woolies would be too happy to hear this either, because lets face it, most of us would just give up.
Well I would
What about all transactions on ebay etc etc??
Ian

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msg


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Thanks Dorian. I could do that. But why should I? Of course English(Australian) is selected. cheque has been part of the English language for at least 70yrs that I know of. Why has it been wiped.? or changed to check. Cheque and check mean two entirely different things. People are only too eager to corrupt our language. The Americans calling centre as center for instance. This has been happening since spoken and written language began but only just recently have these changes be adopted so rapidly.

Pronunciations of words have also changed. "Any" has long been pronounced as "eny" now a lot of people are actually saying "anny" Technically correct? Maybe. Con-trib-ution or contra-bution? and all those words used over and over again, never part of the common language e.g. conflate had to go an look up a dictionary for that one. and then there is unprecedented and eyewatering and heartbreaking. and, and, and what about the most overused and dreaded word COVID.

Whilst I my spelling and language skills were pretty good these days I doubt it would get a pass. (if they had a decent English course and cared about it. Had to delete a more unspeakable comment about what they are really teaching in English classes today)

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dorian


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msg wrote:

People are only too eager to corrupt our language. The Americans calling centre as center for instance. This has been happening since spoken and written language began but only just recently have these changes be adopted so rapidly.

You might be surprised if you decide to do some research on the subject.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences

 

In the early 18th century, English spelling was inconsistent. These differences became noticeable after the publishing of influential dictionaries. Today's British English spellings mostly follow Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), while many American English spellings follow Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language.

Webster was a proponent of English spelling reform for reasons both philological and nationalistic. In A Companion to the American Revolution (2008), John Algeo notes: "it is often assumed that characteristically American spellings were invented by Noah Webster. He was very influential in popularizing certain spellings in America, but he did not originate them. Rather he chose already existing options such as center, color and check for the simplicity, analogy or etymology". William Shakespeare's first folios, for example, used spellings such as center and color as much as centre and colour.

 



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msg


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Well Dorian, I guess I was taught the 'Queen's English and used the Oxford Dictionary as was taught in Australian Schools.


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dorian


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msg wrote:

Well Dorian, I guess I was taught the 'Queen's English and used the Oxford Dictionary as was taught in Australian Schools.

I was merely addressing your fallacious claim that the Americans have corrupted "our" language. In fact the Queen's English didn't exist when American English came into being. That's because the English themselves hadn't yet decided which of their various spellings would form the new standard. As it was, there were those who wanted a phonetic language, but they lost out to the idiots who opted for complexity over simplicity. The Americans just took what was already there, opting instead for simplicity. If anyone corrupted the English language, it was the French, after the Norman invasion.



-- Edited by dorian on Friday 10th of September 2021 03:53:31 PM

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Santa


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Order online from Woolworths often, never experienced problems.smile



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Moonta, Copper Coast, South Aust.
msg


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Due you pay by credit card or debit card perhaps? Use a smart phone? Go through Pay Pal? From your iphone?

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msg


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Wanda wrote:

Time to get a new bank, sounds sus. Just does not make any sense what so ever!
Can't imagine Coles or Woolies would be too happy to hear this either, because lets face it, most of us would just give up.
Well I would
What about all transactions on ebay etc etc??
Ian

 Wanda I would have given up as well.   I have plenty of time.  Going to ring them again and insist on a reason.  I was so incensed that I hung up.  "Grumpy old man syndrone".   

Problem is, you can't just try to order a small number of items.  $100 dollars at least.  Takes some time to do a list then you have to go through checkout, but stop and ring the bank who then put an appoval number against the amount and then go back and proceed.  If this takes too long then you will probably lose your delivery window and then you have to start all over again.  Wouldn't mind so much, but it was 25 minutes plus story telling and discussion time ending up all up being about 40 mins. Complain about that?  "öh poor little us" we are dealing with Covid.  Well my answer is so are a lot of other people.  

All I can say in their defense, is this if the first, maybe second time I have tried to do this on line., Maybe it is because its a different method of use by me. I usually shop personally and scan card.  That I might add, with out a pin. 



-- Edited by msg on Friday 10th of September 2021 05:59:29 PM

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Wanda


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msg wrote:
Wanda wrote:

Time to get a new bank, sounds sus. Just does not make any sense what so ever!
Can't imagine Coles or Woolies would be too happy to hear this either, because lets face it, most of us would just give up.
Well I would
What about all transactions on ebay etc etc??
Ian

 Wanda I would have given up as well.   I have plenty of time.  Going to ring them again and insist on a reason.  I was so incensed that I hung up.  "Grumpy old man syndrone".   

Problem is, you can't just try to order a small number of items.  $100 dollars at least.  Takes some time to do a list then you have to go through checkout, but stop and ring the bank who then put an appoval number against the amount and then go back and proceed.  If this takes too long then you will probably lose your delivery window and then you have to start all over again.  Wouldn't mind so much, but it was 25 minutes plus story telling and discussion time ending up all up being about 40 mins. Complain about that?  "öh poor little us" we are dealing with Covid.  Well my answer is so are a lot of other people.  

All I can say in their defense, is this if the first, maybe second time I have tried to do this on line., Maybe it is because its a different method of use by me. I usually shop personally and scan card.  That I might add, with out a pin. 



-- Edited by msg on Friday 10th of September 2021 05:59:29 PM

 Yes very frustrating for sure, I must admit we buy a lot on line and have never had any problems, we use just a standard credit card(special one for online only buying not connected to any of our bank accounts)

Possibly your last two lines may explain it, if it is something new you have only just starting to do??

Hopefully once sorted it shouild be painless there after, otherwise change banks maybe!!

good luck

Ian

"Grumpy old man syndrone", my wife thinks I invented itbiggrin

 



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dorian


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@msg, I recently got a new card in the post. This card had to be validated ("activation"). I did this via my online banking portal.

As I understand it, a credit card cannot be used for online purchases until its real owner confirms that he is in possession of it. He can do this either by visiting the bank, or by purchasing an initial item in person. Could that be your problem? If there were no such requirement, and if your card ended up at the wrong mailing address, then someone else could use it for online purchases.

Edit:

If I understand correctly, your first in-person transaction has to be completed with a PIN. I wonder if your phone call to the bank may have constituted an "activation", in which case your future online transactions may not need to be individually validated??



-- Edited by dorian on Saturday 11th of September 2021 01:58:51 PM

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msg


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No Julian, activation is a different thing. Anyway did that a while ago. This is not a new card, and it has been used all around Australia. I do all my purchases via c.c. So every cent I spend is in one neat little account. Thats just how I like to keep track of spend.

It seems to be sorted on the Woolies website but not the the Coles.

Bank didn't know why it wouldn't work. But immediately after I got quite upset with them (2hrs on the phone, waiting) it worked. Perhaps they flicked a "switch" that had been turned off by mistake.

Most likely, it was a case of timing out at store end as someone suggested.

Would have preferred Coles simply because of the Click and Collect option and there's no charge. whereas Woolies are charging me $9 to deliver and then I have to wait around for the whole afternoon (2pm - 6pm) Woolies version of Click and Collect is not operational a the moment. Either way there is a min 3 day wait.

I'm not about to test my vaccination by going down to the COVID ridden mall to pick them up myself. Just going to wait to see how things pan out with regards to that.

That's two things about modern life that are no good in pandemics. High Rise apartments and fully enclosed shopping centres. Those towns with mile long main streets and individual shops are much better. In fact rural life is better. Bring back the travelling so I can continue to explore.

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oldbloke


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"The upshot is every time I want to use my credit card to buy groceries, I have to ring the bank and get an approval number. Just because its whats good for me. "

Call the bank, ask why. This is very unusual. Its BS.

 

What happens to the number they give you?



-- Edited by oldbloke on Sunday 12th of September 2021 10:26:45 PM

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msg


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The second time I rang and repeated my story. It suddenly fixed itself and a number wasn't mentioned.

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StewG


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Early in the Covid lock-downs I thought I would order from Woolies online. Spent about 40 minutes trying to sign up and choose the sorts of things I normally buy....gave up in the end. I would much prefer to see what I am buying so I always just go and brave the real store once a week. Besides that, Woolies does not have everything so I have to visit two different stores.

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