Monday, 31 March 2008

Update on my friend for life ...

Quick update on my problems with the Bank of Scotland. For those who didn't read the previous post and who can't be bothered reading it now, the summary is this:

  • Told them I was coming to Sri Lanka so their fraud team wouldn't cancel my card when I started using it out here.
  • Card worked for two weeks and then they cancelled it.
  • Phoned them from Sri Lanka to complain. They had no knowledge of me being here so took all my details, promised it would be fine and within 24 hours card was working again.
  • 6 weeks later card cancelled again.
  • Groundhog day - have identical conversation where they tell me they know nothing about me being here and take all my details again. Unfortunately, it being Easter, it's nearly a week before they can fix the problem and they've no emergency procedures in place so I'm stuck in a developing country thousands of miles from home with no money.
  • Wednesday last week - card working again. I'm frustrated but relieved it's all sorted out AGAIN.

So, the update is that on the THURSDAY, they cancelled it again!!! Once again I have no access to MY money. I cannot afford to spend yet more money phoning them and really, what is the point? If I have to hear the words "you should have told us you were going to Sri Lanka" one more time, I'll scream.

So, my "friend for life" the Bank of Scotland is doing nothing to help me but some of my fellow volunteers who I've been friends with for only a few short weeks are making sure I'm okay. It's not the point though. As far as my bank is concerned last week I was stranded in the Hill Country in Sri Lanka with no money and nobody to help me and they did nothing except "sympathise".

What they think I'm doing now I've no idea because they've not used any of the contact details I've provided over and over, to find out. Anyway, Thea has worked out a complicated but (hopefully) effective way for me to get money without leaving my friends short so I better go and sort that out before the BoS decide to suspend my online banking too!

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