Halifax Uk Bank Help?

[jbossk]

First may I apologise if this isn't the correct place to be posting this, there are many, many forum pages on here but I thought maybe this might be the best to be seen.

Basically I bank with Halifax UK, I came out on Mon, yet Halifax have frozen my account today, even though I told them I was travelling on set dates. I rang them up in the UK, and was told the only way it gets resolved is if I pop into a branch??? I can't go into a UK one, so am I stuffed now for cash and do I have to fly home, or are there branches/banks here that I can sort this out?

Many thanks.

[Thongkorn]

There should be a number to ring on the back, I had the same problem with Nationwide, I did not get any help, they said don't worry A new card will be at your Home address tomorrow, Some use when you are 7000 miles away.They have probably stopped your card because you where taking out small amounts. They can unblock it , so I was told ,

Edited April 14, 2010 by Thongkorn

[samuibeachcomber]

why have they frozen your account?

[MaiDong]

As I said in reply to your first thread about this problem - just keep on calling them and bugging them and they should remove the block, the reason it has happened(samuibeachcomber) is because you didn't notify them that you was going to use your card outside of the UK, that's what they told me anyway, good luck again!

[bifftastic]

I bank with Halifax too, First time I told them I was coming to Thailand and had no problems, 2nd time I forgot and one withdrawal was ok but then they blocked the card, called them and they lifted the block in about 20 minutes, if they're not lifting it then, as someone else said, call them again and keep calling until they do, use the number on the back of the card, ask to be transferred to the security department, they'll run through some security checks and you should be sorted. That is, if they've just blocked your card, if they've frozen your account as you say, than that is different, there would have to be another reason other than just trying to withdraw in Thailand.

it's a security measure, you'd be pretty p1ssed off if you were in the UK and they let someone with a cloned card rinse your account from Thailand.

If you get no joy from the first person you talk to ask to speak to a supervisor or manager, tell them you're calling from Thailand and the phone call is costing you plenty, they were pretty cool when I forgot to tell them I was travelling, they lifted the block quite quickly and didn't spend too long on the phone, once I told them where I was and had no more money to put credit on my phone.

Hope you get it sorted.

Edit, seems as though you did tell them and it may well be a different problem than just a card block, did they say why they have frozen your account?

Edited April 14, 2010 by bifftastic

[jesimps]

I'd imagine they'd freeze your account if the government told them to ie if you owed tax for a long time. In that instance though, I'd have thought they'd have sent you several warnings first.

They block your account as a matter of practice and there's nothing you can do about it except to ring them; they'll normally lift the block straight away.

[Chaimai]

I'd imagine they'd freeze your account if the government told them to ie if you owed tax for a long time. In that instance though, I'd have thought they'd have sent you several warnings first.

They block your account as a matter of practice and there's nothing you can do about it except to ring them; they'll normally lift the block straight away.

Nonsense - the government has no automatic right to 'freeze' bank accounts. They would require a court order - WAY off topic.

Most banks have a 'random' security system in place that is based on account activity that is 'out of the norm'. Whilst we may think that advising the bank of an overseas trip helps - it mostly does not. Nationwide, for example, tell you not to advise them - they look at account activity.

The solution as indicated above, is to call the 'overseas' number on the reverse of your card - note; it is unlikely that account is frozen - only the card is blocked. Should take max 10 mins to sort out.

[rreddin]

I also bank with Halifax and regularly make three and even six momth visits to Thailand, where I am now. On every trip I have a problem using an ATM with my Halifax debit card. Before I go on a trip (and even when I am here) I make sure that I tell the bank when I will be leaving the UK and when I am returning - that however is not enough! Halifax require an internal security form to be competed either by your branch or by the telephone banking service. If this is not done, use of your card at an ATM will be blocked.

If this has not been done, call their telephone banking service and ask them to do it for you and to confirm that it has been done. Your card should be usable about half an hour later.

I recently had a couple of problems using my debit card at an ATM at a 7 - 11 shop (3 ATMs to be precise) in Udon Thani. None would issue any money. When I called the bank they said there was no problem with my card or the account and suggested there may have been issues with the ATMs I had used . Apparently, some older ATMs do not recognise Halifax debit cards - so the bank says. I tried another at a branch of SCB and there was no problem withdrawing cash.

You have a daily withdrawal limit. Mine is about 15,000 bhat. However, the bank and the ATM company both make a charge which is added to the amount withdrawn. That has taken me over my daily limit and my card was refused. I did not know that at the time, so I tried another machine and triggered the anti-fraud detection system. I called the bank and explained what I had done and they lifted the block. I took the oportunity to remind them where I was and how long I would be in Thailand. They confirmed that this information was in their system.

Becuase these glitches happen so often, I have opened a bank account in Thailand. I went the bank with the Thai wife. They wanted to see my passport and my 12 month visa. The wife showed her ID card and a letter with her address on it. Twenty minutes later the account was opened and I had my deposit account "pass book". They told me (in English and confirmed in Thai to the wife) that my current account would also be opened and an ATM card issued - but it would take two to three weeks.

edit to corect typo.

Edited April 15, 2010 by rreddin

[Stjohnm]

One thing to remember is that not all ATM's in Thailand recognise Foreign cards, having said that one trip I came out here and no ATM recognised any of my cards from the UK all saying the Pin Code was wrong, I called the Banks (RBS, Barclays) who both told me everything was fine and there were no blocks and to try again, went to the HO of Bangkok Bank and used their machine, got the same message. I was a regular traveller then, when I got back to the UK I checked my cards in the 1st ATM I came to and everything was working fine, my next trip I re-embarrassed travellers Cheques. I have no idea what happened as I could use the cards to pay for things, just not as an ATM card.

[Chaimai]

Becuase these glitches happen so often, I have opened a bank account in Thailand. I went the bank with the Thai wife. They wanted to see my passport and my 12 month visa. The wife showed her ID card and a letter with her address on it. Twenty minutes later the account was opened and I had my deposit account "pass book". They told me (in English and confirmed in Thai to the wife) that my current account would also be opened and an ATM card issued - but it would take two to three weeks.

edit to corect typo.

You will also be happy to know that you can transfer to your Thai bank online with Halifax for GBP 9.50