Stolen credit card in France

starman100

I had a spot of bother in Paris about a month ago, was travelling on business and on my way back to the airport. Bought my train ticket with my Visa credit card in the metro station and got onto the train. Some guy bumped into me, let on he had dropped his ticket and stooped down under my feet to look for it, his buddy was looking over my shoulder trying to be helpful (oldest trick in the book in retrospect). Next thing, doors about to close, the 2 lads leg it outside and back up the escalator.

Takes me about 2 minutes to realise my wallet had been pickpocketed. Didn't panic, had to wait for next stop and called home ASAP, within 40 minutes, as it was a bit hard to get a signal straightaway. Got the wife to contact my bank (Permanent TSB) and report card stolen.

So managed to get home with some spare cash, rang bank the next day and ordered a new card.

However, about 3 days later, I noticed 3 ATM withdrawals on my card totalling €650 the day the card was stolen. Knew straightaway that the feckers had got their hands on my PIN and had stolen the money. Want back into the bank to file a report and send it to the credit card section in Dublin. The bank official I spoke to said I should get the money bank if it was a genuine case.

However, I got a letter in the post today stating that I was liable for the total amount as the PIN was my responsibility to keep secure.

Now obviously I am not very happy about this and I was wondering do I have recourse to any further action?

There's no way my PIN was written down anywhere in my wallet, these French pickpockets must have had some way of seeing my PIN when I bought my train ticket. I have a blemish-free record with my bank and I would have thought they might at least meet me halfway with the loss.

Any point in complaining to the financial ombudsman?

As far as I can see, chip + pin is far from secure and only acts against the consumer when thieves get their hands on your card details.

I am not a happy camper at the moment :mad:

BuffyBot

I would fire a letter back at them disputing the fact and that you did not at any time take any action that would have lead to the disclosure of your PIN (i.e. did not use a machine that looked tampered with and to you knowledge you were not overlooked etc). It's always worth cc'ing both your branch manager, the Customer Care/Complaints department of the bank and the Financial Ombudsman just for effect.

pow wow

If the card was blocked as stolen it shouldn not have worked in an ATM. Was the money taken before or after you reported it as stolen. If it was taken after the card should have been blocked then the bank should pick it up.

Tar.Aldarion

It is pretty clear they used it before the bank blocked it.

starman100

Yup, card was used almost immediately after it was stolen so there was no way I could have cancelled it in time. Actually, my laser card was stolen too and the bank mistakenly cancelled my wife's card, not mine :rolleyes: - fortunately, they didn't have the PIN for the laser.

BuffyBot

Worth pointing that error out in your letter too

TheDriver

Be VERY strong that you are 100% certain that your PIN was not written anywhere and was not compromised through any fault of your own and demand a refund of the money.

pow wow

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

It is pretty clear they used it before the bank blocked it.

Not necessarily - it only takes someone not hitting all the keys for the card not to be blocked at all. And if they accidentally blocked his wife's too I wouldn't be all that faithful in their abilities would you?

parsi

.. in which case it wouldn't be blocked would it ?

So the point stands "they used it before the bank blocked it" and not necessarily "they used it before he requested that the bank block it".

Sangre

Well you can try and get the money back but unfortunately the bank aren't entitled to refund the money to you. Essentially revealing the PIN is a breach of the T&C of the cards and the very fact the PIN was used means it was revealed.