AIB at it again!

Andy!!

Some of you might remember this thread;

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056702384

Well it turns out AIB have not finished screwing the pooch, and despite being told that I have moved country and it is therefore myself making these transactions abroad and would be doing so for the forseeable future, well, they've decided that they didn't have enough work to do and froze my credit card AGAIN. And AGAIN at a point where I really needed it. And wouldn't you know, I can't reach them by telephone. Tried the ol' +35316685500 but the number starts dialing before I can even get to the last digit. Tried every combination going, nothing is working. Surely they would have realised that only providing a phone option to unfreeze a card could be a little complicated WHEN YOU'RE ABROAD. Nah, that sounds a bit complicated for them.

So aside from my rant, my questions are two. Firstly, how can I let them know that they need to fix their mess again, short of using smoke signals? I need this resolved quickly. And secondly, can I sue AIB for this? For several years they have been messing up basic tasks, and I've had it up to here with them. Both times they froze my card when I needed it for emergencies. After the first time, I told them I had moved country and that all transactions here would be made by me (which would seem OBVIOUS, seeing as I was paying the bloody bill each month, surely I would notice unusual activity??) They need to be held accountable for their idiocy. Simply complaining isn't going to result in anything.

Thanks in Advance for any advice.

cookie1977

I think a lot of the issues are to do with an automated fraud detection/warning system. When we went travelling for a year abroad we sent a letter outlining where we'd be at any given time during the year and to expect lots of foreign charges from all over the world but without fail aib would block our cards once a month. Did you try 0035316685500?
I don't see how you could sue them for this behaviour as in the end it's trying to protect you and them from fraud on your card.

Andy!!

cookie1977 wrote: »

I don't see how you could sue them for this behaviour as in the end it's trying to protect you and them from fraud on your card.

However I already notified them that I would be living here for the forseeable future the first time they blocked the card. So they have no excuse this time round. It wouldn't be just over this incident, but also all the other srew-ups they have done over the years.

Jamey_29

I'm In a similar situation myself. You can access the 24 hour Customer service at +353 17712424. They blocked mine like 6 times over the space of a couple of months. Not good when ur you have 300 bucks worth of shopping in your trolley. In the end I just set up a Visa Debit and transfer money with transfer mate to one of the USA banks and only use the Irish credit Card sparingly. AIB are supposed to be coming out with Visa Debit soon....which might be better.

Andy!!

Jamey_29 wrote: »

They blocked mine like 6 times over the space of a couple of months.

Holy moly how do they get away with that!! :mad:

cookie1977

Andy!! wrote: »

However I already notified them that I would be living here for the forseeable future the first time they blocked the card. So they have no excuse this time round. It wouldn't be just over this incident, but also all the other srew-ups they have done over the years.

But that's what I was saying. We sent a letter telling aib we'd be away. They acknowledged it and said they'd put it on record but almost every month they'd block the card due to suspected fraud. There's nothing you can do and as I said I dont know how you could sue them for essentially trying to protect you.

Jamey_29

I went as far as actually changing my Billing address and contact details right from the start and it didn't help. It's just like cookie said, its built into their fraud system. I had several rants over the phone with them. Setting up a US bank account helped us.

Andy!!

Jamey_29 wrote: »

Setting up a US bank account helped us.

Yeah I have a Korean one, doubt they'd give someone two months in the country a credit card though I might look into that as an option, not being labotomised is sort of a pre-requisite for working in banks over here. Doesn't seem to be an issue in Ireland.

Automatic fraud detection, have you ever heard of the like... an automatic warning should be sent to a human being, who then decides and also reads any previous notes on previous blocks on the card, the decision should not be made by a bloody computer...

cookie1977

For a year I had a monthly directedbit coming from my credit card (this was while I was in Ireland) for a couple of euro. The price would change depending on the exchange rate as the charge was for 4.99usd for a sugarsync account and every month they'd block the card without fail. Every month. I wrote letters, staff put notes on my account but nothing worked at all. No until I changed to an annual fee. Their fraud system (and in someways this is good) is very sensitive.

It's something you'll just have to live with.

Jamey_29

And every time I called them they insisted that I verify all the transactions before re-activating it. What a pain in the butt! If you do setup the Bank account checkout "Transfer Mate" for moving your money.

Andy!!

cookie1977 wrote: »

It's something you'll just have to live with.

Unless someone sues the shite out of them, they'll change their ways quick enough then, it's the only language they understand unfortunately.

I've tried every combination of every number on a mobile and a landline, cannot get through to the feckers.

cookie1977

Andy!! wrote: »

Unless someone sues the shite out of them, they'll change their ways quick enough then, it's the only language they understand unfortunately.

I've tried every combination of every number on a mobile and a landline, cannot get through to the feckers.

But what would be your grounds for a lawsuit? I can understand that it's bad that you cannot get through but I dont know the reason you could sue them for. Have you tried calling them from skype as well as a landline or mobile? I rang the number there and it is working.

Jamey_29

I use skype to ring them too from my smartphone. Needs a subscription though.

Andy!!

cookie1977 wrote: »

But what would be your grounds for a lawsuit? I can understand that it's bad that you cannot get through but I dont know the reason you could sue them for. Have you tried calling them from skype as well as a landline or mobile? I rang the number there and it is working.

Well I'm currently trying to pay for a massive lump above my diaphragm to be biopsied so I think I might have grounds (my national insurance only goes for 50%, and I've already been paying for ultrasounds and the like). I would sue on the grounds that I have already had to go through this with them before, and told them expressly not to block the card again as I am living abroad and it is me using the card, yet they deemed to ignore this, so they have no excuse for the block this time (or the next 5, if my experience is anything like other posters), and this has potentially serious implications on my health.

What number exactly did you ring? I'll try from another landline.

Jamey_29

The number i use seems to be different than yours +353 17712424. Its the main customer service line, open 24hrs a day. They will transfer you to Credit card dept.

cookie1977

I ran the 6685500 number. It's in my phone as +35316685500

I totally sympathise with your situation and I hope you get better but I would still see the situation with AIB as trying to protect you. As I said earlier we rang up every month to tell AIB that sugarsync would be charging us on a monthly basis and that the amount would vary. They'd take note but they always told me the system could still though out the charge as suspect. It's all automated.

I hope you get it sorted this time but I suspect this will keep happening at regular enough intervals.

Andy!!

How can I call them through skype... will I need to buy credit or can I do it for free through a wi-fi connection? If I have to buy credit I'm SOL anyway as I don't have a working credit card with to buy some credit with

cookie1977

Andy!! wrote: »

How can I call them through skype... will I need to buy credit or can I do it for free through a wi-fi connection? If I have to buy credit I'm SOL anyway as I don't have a working credit card with to buy some credit with

No you'd need credit. Has a family member an account with credit you could access temporarily just to make the call or could they buy your handle some credit just for this call.

I'm presuming it's still not ringing?

Andy!!

Yeah its not ringing, I'm getting different results, from Korean automated voices telling me the number is invalid, to full-on dial-up internet tones. :P

cookie1977

If you were ringing from a korean mobile network maybe they have international calling blocked?

Our man in Havana

Reverse the charges. Let AIB pick up the tab.