Hi folks,

After some advice.

Yesterday i went in to my local branch to deposit some money. Handed my card over, got the recept and off i went to see my clients for the day.

Lunchtime i try to go buy some shopping and my card keeps saying incorrect pin. I pay with the only cash i had come out of the store check my balance online see it is ok and assume it must if just been a problem with the stores card reader.

Later on in the day i go for a costa coffee with a client. Same again. Obviousely very embarassing and frustrating at this point! Pay with my costa points luckily had enough!

On way home i need fuel. Anxious about it happening again i get my card out and decide to use the pay at pump to avoid any face to face embarassment. At this point i notice the card is not mine and belongs to a man!!

Im now in a situation where i cant buy any fuel, cant get home and have no idea how this happened! I ring my boyfriend to drive the 30 miles to come fetch me and bring me money for fuel.

As i have to wait until he finishes work but have no cash to pay to park i have to risk driving around looking for free to park road spaces. I also have to ring my other 5 clients and cancel important meetings. My phone battery dies so my daughter ends up having to panic and get a luft home from school with a friends parent.

In the meantime i get a call at 450pm from my bank who leave a voicemail asking me to ring back. I then try 3 times to ring the premium rate number before finally getting through to my branch where the lady asks me if i had been in branch earlier.

When telling her yes she advises me that during my transaction she made a "silly error" and gave me the wrong card back. Asks me if i can pop in to collect mine its in the till drawer! I say yes as im just relieved to have known whats happened and that my card is safe but on thinking about it overnight i am angry about several issues:

-obvious data breach

-how has my card been mixed up you hand it over they hand it bacj what was she doing with this other persons card

-if it was other way round this person with my card coukd have done anything with it

-it cost me a lot of time as had to spend the afternoon waiting for my bloke to arrive with cash so i could get fuel

- i now have to totally replan next week as had to reschedule clients

-i will have to change plans i had to go away during half term in order to still get to these clients i had to cancel

-i couldnt get essential shopping i needed as no other method of payment

Overall im angry as you can tell and dont think its enough to just "pop" into branch to swap and get my card back! More time out of my day and missed appointments!

How would you tackle this?

Shell

Hi Shell,

You ask what could have happened if someone else was given your card? Probably the same as happened to you - the PIN stopped any use of the card.

You DO have a reason to complain to the bank but, if you want to be compensated, you need to quantify the actual losses you incurred as a result of the bank's error.

Make a list of the actual losses and complain to the bank in writing. Keep the letter short and focused and get proof of postage.

Post a draft of the letter here if you want it checked first.