Bangkok bank lost my VISA transfer and does nothing

[george3]

I sent my money using VISA direct credit transfer to my Bangkok visa card. After 7 days I started to disturb their local branch and got amazing amazing answer:

"We can not check your ARN transaction number. We do not have such software." After calling their SILOM data center they said something new: We can not accept Direct credit transfer because you have DEBIT VISA card.

And of course anyway  we can not check  ARN id because we do not know what is it!!!! VISA says speaks with your bank, you money is there. They say me nonsense. What I have to do? 

P.S. I was in 2 local branches, wrote 2 letters to their bank support (no answers), 1 letter to the complain department (they answered me and recommended to call to support ????), 2 times Silom support said me nonsense by phone.

So it is already done.

Edited July 4, 2020 by george3

[allane]

From what bank or financial institution did you send the money ? Make your complaint there. The receiving bank has no way of knowing  if the complainant is telling the truth or not.

[george3]

The sender provided me ARN and said:

The customer should ask their bank to contact Visa at the following e-mail address [email protected] and provide the ARN below and ask them to trace the payment. Visa will only deal with the bank and not with the customers. Even if the bank does not know what to do with the ARN, this is the information that Visa will look for to trace the transaction.

We have processed the transaction on our side and that is why we have an ARN.

I wrote the letter to [email protected] and they gave me BAngkok bank Silom center phone number and said: call to them. The Silom answer : 

We can not accept Direct credit transfer because you have DEBIT VISA card.

And of course anyway  we can not check  ARN id because we do not know what is it and can not check!

Edited July 5, 2020 by george3

[scoutman360]

I have had roadblocks in Thailand and I will tell you what works. Different company, but it will work for you.

(1) Go online and find the names of the senior managers and executives at the corporate office.

(2) Write letters to at least 3 of them, sealed in an envelope. Keep it short and sweet (high level managers don't want details).

(3) Go to the corporate office with your GF/Wife dressed as a secretary with a pen and paper, and you in your best business suit.

(4) Tell the reception you are here to see Mr. XXXX and Mr XXXX. Show the letters.

(5) You may sit in the lobby a while, managers are usually in meetings all day. but I promise, someone will come down. Tell your story, show the letters, and say, I need to deliver these.

(6) Watch how fast they react. I was very impressed. I got assigned a special agent and she solved everything.

[tom in bangkok]

There are lots of moving parts with money transfers, so if you could provide some more information about the process you took to transfer the money then someone like myself or another member would be able to give you advice.

[Pib]

On 7/5/2020 at 10:00 AM, george3 said:

The sender provided me ARN and said:

The customer should ask their bank to contact Visa at the following e-mail address [email protected] and provide the ARN below and ask them to trace the payment. Visa will only deal with the bank and not with the customers. Even if the bank does not know what to do with the ARN, this is the information that Visa will look for to trace the transaction.

We have processed the transaction on our side and that is why we have an ARN.

I wrote the letter to [email protected] and they gave me BAngkok bank Silom center phone number and said: call to them. The Silom answer : 

We can not accept Direct credit transfer because you have DEBIT VISA card.

And of course anyway  we can not check  ARN id because we do not know what is it and can not check!

 

To me Bangkok Bank is saying their Visa debit cards are not eligible for cross border transactions via Visa Direct transfers.  Therefore, Bankgok Bank does not have the capability on their end to check because their Visa cards are not eligible for Visa Direct cross border transfers.

 

Below is just a note code from the Visa Direct webpage which says some recipient issuers may not accept cross-border transactions via Visa Direct.   As you know Thailand has strict controls of flow into and out of the country....I expect Visa Direct is not an authorized method. 

 

And if so, I expect the Visa Direct central customer support knows this, just haven't told you such, and just want you to complain to your bank in hopes your bank (Bangkok Bank) will signup for Visa Direct if they get enough queries about Visa Direct.   

 

Quote

³Ability to send cross-border transactions to eligible cards depends on a number of factors, including whether the recipient issuer accepts cross-border transactions. In addition, cross-border transactions inbound into the U.S. to eligible cards are not available unless the recipient issuer has requested an exception. Please refer to your Visa representative for more information on availability.

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by Pib

[george3]

1 hour ago, tom in bangkok said:

There are lots of moving parts with money transfers, so if you could provide some more information about the process you took to transfer the money then someone like myself or another member would be able to give you advice.

I sent money from my Webmoney account to my VISA credit card using the card number. Even I did not print the number, their Google pay window showed me it and I just confirm. Later in 7 days (now 22 days) I started to call, visit, e-mail, complain, write to forum without success till now. Webmoney gave me ARN transaction and other unclear details and that is all. Which another details can be helpful? 

 

41 minutes ago, Pib said:

Below is just a note code from the Visa Direct webpage which says some recipient issuers may not accept cross-border transactions via Visa Direct.   As you know Thailand has strict controls of flow into and out of the country....I expect Visa Direct is not an authorized method. 

Thanks! But they accept transfer and gave a ARN number and status of transfer:

Current Status
ARN Received 
Acquirer Status
Processed By Acquirer  

 

If after 3 weeks I did not get money they have to return money back but not. Keeping silence. How I can know about details, maybe yes, maybe not, if I am not a banker? 

[Pib]

13 minutes ago, george3 said:

I sent money from my Webmoney account to my VISA credit card using the card number. Even I did not print the number, their Google pay window showed me it and I just confirm. Later in 7 days (now 22 days) I started to call, visit, e-mail, complain, write to forum without success till now. Webmoney gave me ARN transaction and other unclear details and that is all. Which another details can be helpful? 

 

Thanks! But they accept transfer and gave a ARN number and status of transfer:

Current Status
ARN Received 
Acquirer Status
Processed By Acquirer  

 

If after 3 weeks I did not get money they have to return money back but not. Keeping silence. How I can know about details, maybe yes, maybe not, if I am not a banker? 

Usually when dealing with the processing of card transactions "Acquirer" means the financial service/bank that "initially" processes the transaction...initiates the transaction...in this case for a funds transfer the "sending" end.  And the receiving end would be the "card-issuing" bank called the "Issuer" which is Bangkok Bank in this case.  

 

So, if Acquirer does represent the sending end, there is no status being reflected for the receiving end.  Maybe because the receiving end card is not eligible/does not accept cross border transfer transactions.

 

[george3]

30 minutes ago, Pib said:

So, if Acquirer does represent the sending end, there is no status being reflected for the receiving end.  Maybe because the receiving end card is not eligible/does not accept cross border transfer transactions.

 

Agreed. But anyway what I have to do to get my money back or to my card/account? )

[Pib]

Just now, george3 said:

Agreed. But anyway what I have to do to get my money back or to my card/account? )

Deal with the sender--Webmoney.

[edwardflory]

This is what I have found to be the easiest way for me to transfer money from a USA BANK.

Go ... INSIDE ... your THAI bank - to the regular tellers. Do NOT go to the customer services counter. On a piece of paper I write the following:

 

MASTER CARD

30,000THB.  ( my normal amount several times a month )

 

DEPOSIT TO

XXXXXXXXXXX

 

Thank you

 

 

The above is paper clipped to my Thai bank book along with my bank card and Passport handed to the teller.

Do NOT touch the money inside the bank, have deposited into your account.  You will sign a copy of your Passport, the card slip and the deposit slip ( some banks have an additional form to sign ), a supervisor will authorize the transaction.  DONE!

 

Go to the ATM outside the bank and withdraw money needed. I usually only take 10,00THB from the ATM.

 

I look up ( on line in advance ) the international exchange rate on XE CURRENCY CONVERTER and use this as a guide to how much money will be debited to my US bank account / how much THB received.

I have never been debited more than ... $1.50USD ... over the XE Exchange Rate at my US bank -- ALL EXCHANGE AND BANK CHARGES INCLUDED.

I have been doing this for 6+ years, my US bank is a small bank.

 

Do a test transfer of 10,000THB ( or more ) to see what YOU are charged.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have a Senior Checking Account at my US bank, my ONLY charges are for a NSF check

 

[george3]

Hi everyone! The end of the story. After 3 weeks of useless calls and e-mails I got a letter from Bangkok bank investigation department (a men from this forum gave me useful contact, thanks to him!!). They wrote "After investigation, we did find your funds transfer in our record. Please clarify this matter with the sender.". Again dead end. But the next day I got the money on account. Invisible became visible, so miracles exist! 

Edited July 16, 2020 by george3