I noticed a transaction on my account 155kms away from where I live for a small amount of money. Neither my wife or I were in the town the transaction occurred - we were both at home.
UB initially told me to ignore it on the basis that the day in question was 3 July and there were up to their eyes in IT problems. I was told to leave it for a couple of weeks and that the chances were that it would sort itself out. 3 weeks later it was still there so queried it again. Ulsterbank advised me that it was a chip and pin transaction so card holder (or someone who had access to card and pin) must have made the transaction. The thing is, that on the same day, my wife used the card for a transaction 1 hour and 33 minutes hours after the suspicious transaction was made. UB wrote to us that as far as they were concerned we had breached the terms and conditions of our account on the basis that we had not maintained the security of our card and pin.
I appealled this on the basis that neither we or a 3rd party could have been in the first location and then made it back to where we live given that the distance involved was too great - the AA Route Planner estimates the journey time at 2 hours and 2 minutes between the 2 locations. UB suggested that the journey could have been made using a transport system not involving the use of a public road - i.e., Helicopter, Plane or Train (the Irish Rail timetable gives a journey time of over 4 hours between the 2 locations given that the journey will involve a number of changes). To add insult to injury - the store where the first transaction took place has confirmed by e-mail to me that they have reviewed their chip and pin transactions for the day concerned and they have no record of a transaction for the amount involved. I have again gone back to UB and asked them to speak to the Shop Manager in the store concerned and they refuse to do this. They are sticking to their line regarding the transaction being a chip and pin. UB have put the shutters up and they have told me that they will no longer investigate this, even though they have never contacted the shop.
UB have also stated to me that the Financial Services Ombudsman will never find against the bank in this instance as the transaction was chip and pin.
Therefore - what would you do. Am I wasting my time with the FSO??
UB initially told me to ignore it on the basis that the day in question was 3 July and there were up to their eyes in IT problems. I was told to leave it for a couple of weeks and that the chances were that it would sort itself out. 3 weeks later it was still there so queried it again. Ulsterbank advised me that it was a chip and pin transaction so card holder (or someone who had access to card and pin) must have made the transaction. The thing is, that on the same day, my wife used the card for a transaction 1 hour and 33 minutes hours after the suspicious transaction was made. UB wrote to us that as far as they were concerned we had breached the terms and conditions of our account on the basis that we had not maintained the security of our card and pin.
I appealled this on the basis that neither we or a 3rd party could have been in the first location and then made it back to where we live given that the distance involved was too great - the AA Route Planner estimates the journey time at 2 hours and 2 minutes between the 2 locations. UB suggested that the journey could have been made using a transport system not involving the use of a public road - i.e., Helicopter, Plane or Train (the Irish Rail timetable gives a journey time of over 4 hours between the 2 locations given that the journey will involve a number of changes). To add insult to injury - the store where the first transaction took place has confirmed by e-mail to me that they have reviewed their chip and pin transactions for the day concerned and they have no record of a transaction for the amount involved. I have again gone back to UB and asked them to speak to the Shop Manager in the store concerned and they refuse to do this. They are sticking to their line regarding the transaction being a chip and pin. UB have put the shutters up and they have told me that they will no longer investigate this, even though they have never contacted the shop.
UB have also stated to me that the Financial Services Ombudsman will never find against the bank in this instance as the transaction was chip and pin.
Therefore - what would you do. Am I wasting my time with the FSO??