Bank issueing me with a Laser card I never requested

RiverWilde

I really don't like laser cards ... this is why I got rid of mine ... the transactions build up and then all of a sudden hit my account. At least when I'm working with cash I cannot overspend my budget and I cannot be hit with transaction fees when my account goes over my agreed limit.

I have to wonder is the bank removing the cirrus part of the standard atm because so many people are using their cards in NI atms?

Riv

Red Alert

It's also much more secure to use the laser card rather than large amounts of cash. I prefer to only use my credit card for online items so I can control how much I spend.

It's not possible to be double-charged or charged the wrong amount, since you've a chance to confirm the amount on the PIN terminal. The system also keeps track of each transaction's number (if the POS terminal prints the EFT terminal's log on your receipt you'll see an EFT Sequence Number) so even if it sees it twice there shouldn't be a problem.

Sam Vimes

RiverWilde wrote: »

I have to wonder is the bank removing the cirrus part of the standard atm because so many people are using their cards in NI atms?

Riv

if that was the case they wouldn't be issuing everyone with laser cards

seamus

Seems to be an across-the-board move, as myself and the other half got new cards yesterday too.

It has nothing to do with Cirrus, as my new card has the cirrus logo on it, so obviously the guy on the phone was bull****ting to the OP.

I suspect that there are moves to change all Cirrus-enabled ATMs (or maybe just BOI ATMs) and ATM cards to Chip & Pin, which would effectively eliminate the ATM cloning scam we've seen over the last few years. It would also mean that the bank could treat every single ATM as a Laser terminal, which means that there's no need to have two different protocols/networks for processing cash withdrawals from personal accounts.

Still not crazy about it, but I'm not bothered enough to go and return it. I have the self-control to use it properly. My budgeting method will just have to adapt.

I do find it funny though that both here and in real life, if you make any kind of negative remark about Laser, there are tonnes of Laser fanboys who try to shout you down and go, "OMG, laser is like the best thing in the whole world. You're just a troglodyte if you can't see how awesome it is!"

Sam Vimes

seamus wrote: »

Still not crazy about it, but I'm not bothered enough to go and return it. I have the self-control to use it properly. My budgeting method will just have to adapt.

or, and this is a crazy notion, you can use your new card exactly as you do your current one and you won't haved to adapt to anything:eek::eek::cool::pac::D

seamus wrote: »

I do find it funny though that both here and in real life, if you make any kind of negative remark about Laser, there are tonnes of Laser fanboys who try to shout you down and go, "OMG, laser is like the best thing in the whole world. You're just a troglodyte if you can't see how awesome it is!"

i wouldn't call myself a laser fanboy, i'd call myself a "not kicking up a fuss for no reason other than to make life more difficult for your bank and yourself".....fanboy

seamus

Sam Vimes wrote: »

or, and this is a crazy notion, you can use your new card exactly as you do your current one and you won't haved to adapt to anything:eek::eek::cool::pac::D

That *is* a crazy notion.

RiverWilde

Sam Vimes wrote: »

make life more difficult for your bank and yourself".....fanboy

Given the way the banks have behaved and continue to behave I'm not going to hop up and down and make life easier for them. I like cash, I know where I am with cash. There are no hidden transaction charges built into the contract with cash. There are no data bases tracking your spending with cash and when it's gone it's gone.

I'm fed up of being charged for things that are so damned arbitrary. I'd love to know why a piece of paper arrives in the post detailing an online transaction that happened a few days earlier. Why? Probably so they can charge me!

Riv

Sam Vimes

RiverWilde wrote: »

Given the way the banks have behaved and continue to behave I'm not going to hop up and down and make life easier for them.

you missed the and yourself part

RiverWilde wrote: »

I like cash, I know where I am with cash.

then don't use the laser functionality, everybody's happy

RiverWilde wrote: »

There are no hidden transaction charges built into the contract with cash.

there aren't any with laser and some atms charge you for taking out cash, it was £1.50 a go in london :eek:

RiverWilde wrote: »

There are no data bases tracking your spending with cash and when it's gone it's gone.

your first purchase with your new laser should be this

RiverWilde

We have moved on so much from that particular device. Please do keep up

As regards the £1.50 transaction charge - don't take out silly amounts - take out what you need to work with and that way you avoid such irritating charges.

Riv

Jip

RiverWilde wrote: »

As regards the £1.50 transaction charge - don't take out silly amounts - take out what you need to work with and that way you avoid such irritating charges.

Riv

In fact the opposite is true ! If you're charged per transaction when abroad you're better off taking a larger amount rather than several smaller amounts and you'll be charged less.

Maybe you should go back to the tin foils hats after all as you're newer technology aint seem to be working.

seamus

Sam Vimes wrote: »

there aren't any with laser and some atms charge you for taking out cash, it was £1.50 a go in london :eek:

Actually to clear up the confusion here, the stuff for BoI yesterday included a small table which detailed the bank charges payable by people - it said 90c per transaction (pay as you go) or €11.40 per quarter for up to 90 transactions.

It was confusing as it implied that you were to be charged solely based on the Laser card, whereas these are BoI's standard bank charges.

Of course, I've never paid any bank charges for a number of reasons, but I can see why the confusing documentation sent out by BoI could cause people to freak out about the laser card.

Sam Vimes

RiverWilde wrote: »

We have moved on so much from that particular device. Please do keep up

As regards the £1.50 transaction charge - don't take out silly amounts - take out what you need to work with and that way you avoid such irritating charges.

Riv

as jip says, the english atms charge £1.50 per transaction regardless of the amount withdrawn

TerrorFirmer

I would be a broken shell of a man without my beloved laser card.

Honestly.

Attol

shellyboo wrote: »

More an issue with the person you were talking to being an idiot, then. The only place you can use your Laser at POS (which is a Laser with Maestro, and so isn't accepted everywhere that Maestro is) is the UK. Where chip and pin has been introduced. So you have the same chance of someone letting you sign for it as you would here... except, not the same chance, since not everywhere will even accept it at POS in the first place. Some places are only set up for Switch, similarly, some Irish outlets will not accept a UK Switch with Maestro card.

Actually, I've used my BOI Laser card at POS in Italy and Finland without any issues.

craichoe

Attol wrote: »

Actually, I've used my BOI Laser card at POS in Italy and Finland without any issues.

Me too, in Holland France and Belgium... not Germany though, they have their own EC Karte and GeldKarte, they don't even take Visa in most places.

RiverWilde

Jip wrote: »

In fact the opposite is true ! If you're charged per transaction when abroad you're better off taking a larger amount rather than several smaller amounts and you'll be charged less.

Maybe you should go back to the tin foils hats after all as you're newer technology aint seem to be working.

If you bother to read what I posted you'll realise that you've misunderstood what I was saying

Riv

Sam Vimes

RiverWilde wrote: »

If you bother to read what I posted you'll realise that you've misunderstood what I was saying

Riv

what were you saying? what's a silly amount, silly high or silly low? how do you avoid the £1.50 charge?

do you mean take out a large amount rather than a lot of small amounts so you don't pay as many £1.50 charges?

daheff

krudler wrote: »

Why would anyone NOT want a laser card ffs? and OP like Sam said, if you're complaining about a fiver a year maybe you should just cancel your bank account and stuff all your money in a mattress, if its a choice of 5 quid a year and being able to pay for something in pretty much any shop or spend ages queueing at atms on a busy Saturday it didnt take much to persuade me to get one

As I have said krudler...i already have an ATM card and a Credit Card...so why would I need a Laser card. If i dont have the cash on me to buy something I can use the Credit Card..I dont NEED a laser card. If I needed one I would already have one.

shellyboo

Attol wrote: »

Actually, I've used my BOI Laser card at POS in Italy and Finland without any issues.

craichoe wrote: »

Me too, in Holland France and Belgium... not Germany though, they have their own EC Karte and GeldKarte, they don't even take Visa in most places.

Chalk another one up to the 'AIB incompetence' list then. I wasn't able to use mine anywhere I've tried except for the UK. I should really change banks - but while I find AIB to be incompetent, at least they're nice. BOI are efficient but ignorant

Sam Vimes

daheff wrote: »

As I have said krudler...i already have an ATM card and a Credit Card...so why would I need a Laser card. If i dont have the cash on me to buy something I can use the Credit Card..I dont NEED a laser card. If I needed one I would already have one.

the question here isn't why would you want one, it's why would you not want one and why would you start a thread complaining about something that's exactly the same as your current set up if you want it to be but gives you extra options should you choose to use them

tallaghtoutlaws

I'll be honest with OP I was in the same line of thinking until Friday night when i went to an ATM and the ATM was broken went to another ATM that was empty. So for the first time since getting the card I went to a Centra and used the cashback function twas dead handy I have to admit. I dont use the Laser card generally as a Laser card as I have a credit card but it did come in handy. Who cares if the bank send you one. You have the option not to use it as a laser card if you do not want to. And the yearly fee on them is hardly going to break the bank and I think as someone might have mentioned if you never use it as a Laser card you dont get charged for it correct me if im wrong. Anyways my two cent.

daheff

Sam Vimes wrote: »

the question here isn't why would you want one, it's why would you not want one and why would you start a thread complaining about something that's exactly the same as your current set up if you want it to be but gives you extra options should you choose to use them

Sam the reason I started this thread is because I received a financial product that I had not requested.

And as for why I would not want a laser card...I think my last post explains it...i already have the banking facilities I need....I dont need (or want) a laser card

dotsman

daheff wrote: »

Sam the reason I started this thread is because I received a financial product that I had not requested.

And as for why I would not want a laser card...I think my last post explains it...i already have the banking facilities I need....I dont need (or want) a laser card

But you don't necessarily have the product. By giving you the card, they are merely offering you the product. If you don't use it, you don't have it

The laser card itself is not a product. In fact, the product technically speaking is your current account, which remains the same. They are merely offering you another way to use this product. If you do not wish to avail of this service, nobody is forcing you, nor charging you for it. So what's the worry?

If your telephone provider notified you that you can now call Australia for free, would you be complaining? If you have no reason to ever want to call Australia, well then you continue on as you were. If you do wish to avail of this extra feature, well then, you would be delighted.

dotsman

dotsman wrote: »

But you don't necessarily have the product. By giving you the card, they are merely offering you the product. If you don't use it, you don't have it

The laser card itself is not a product. In fact, the product technically speaking is your current account, which remains the same. They are merely offering you another way to use this product. If you do not wish to avail of this service, nobody is forcing you, nor charging you for it. So what's the worry?

If your telephone provider notified you that you can now call Australia for free, would you be complaining? If you have no reason to ever want to call Australia, well then you continue on as you were. If you do wish to avail of this extra feature, well then, you would be delighted.

what he said......

Sam Vimes

Deleted User wrote: »

what he said......

ditto. Maybe you don't need one but there's absolutely no reason to refuse one or get pissed off about being given one

Sarn

neacy69 wrote: »

THERE ARE NO EXTRA FEES FOR LASER TRANACTIONS...............

if you do not want to pay for the laser facility then don't use it....

Sorry, didn't have the patience to read all the pages so this might have been raised. Edit: now I have.

I got one off BOI two years ago when I upgraded my ATM card, didn't bother me as I didn't intend using it.

However, when January rolled around I was charged the government stamp duty on the Laser function despite not using it. I contacted BOI and they told me that if you use any function then you get charged...which is wrong. AIB at the time were refunding it to customers. I still haven't managed to get the government duty back, I'm waiting to see if they charge me again this year. :mad:

I realise it's only a small amount of cash, but it's my cash.

craichoe wrote: »

If you do not have Cirrus on your card you cannot use it at another banks atm, i.e. you have a BOI ATM card, cannot be used at AIB, TSB etc.

In this case it would be processed through the Maestro system (Laser)

I never had a problem using my ATM in any banks machine and that was with a 14 year old basic card (unless they changed it recently).

fatherlarryduff

I got sent out a BOI Laser card this week without asking for 1. The cashback could come in handy, but I've just one problem: if I'm in a country that doesn't use Chip and Pin I would be 'able to provide a signature in place of a PIN' (according to the BOI leaflet).

I've always felt secure just having a Cirrus card abroad and knowing that if it was lost or stolen, nobody could use it without the PIN.

If a credit card is stolen they will refund you any unauthorised payments, even before they were notified, but I believe with Laser they only refund you after they have been notified, by which time the cardholder could have a hefty bill.

Sam Vimes

firstly it's very rare to be able to use a laser card abroad at pos. When i tried to use it in a restaurant in london the waitress had never heard of it.

Secondly, who told you this? As far as i knew credit card companies only refunded after they were informed too except in cases where the card itself isn't stolen and you had no way of knowing someone was using your details

Is there a cut off point on when banks will refund for credit cards or could i let it go 6 months and then tell them it was robbed?

mayordenis

to be honest guys I can say 100% that the charges are completely goverment taxes, bank pocket 0.

and yes you only pay the tax for the debit card portion (an extra 10 euro) if you have used the debit facility, if not you don't pay it.

The card is free and if you only use it as your atm card then you will only be charged as such - you have however wasted money on calling people.

IPushButtons

Q: How much do Laser Cards cost?

A: As a matter of practice, banks do not charge for providing a Laser Card. However, the Government imposes a levy (stamp duty) of €5 on Laser Cards and this is collected annually by the banks on the Government's behalf. For further information on Government Stamp Duty please click here.
Most financial institutions offer Laser as part of a current account package, where the package rates will determine the rate (if any) charged for Laser transactions

http://www.lasercard.ie/faq.asp?id=107&typeId=2#q38