Poundland Debit Cards
Coming to a brown sofa in Norwich soon. (If you get the reference)
Poundland Debit Cards
Coming to a brown sofa in Norwich soon. (If you get the reference)
‘Predatory’ is subjective depending on one’s opinion of it. We might think it is, but a veteran bank executive with an aim for profitability might not see it that way, especially if a lot of UK banks already do it. Who knows . We start charging a little here… Why not charge a little there…
My view is I’m against it, like I’m against card replacement fees as it can cause a slippery slope.
I am still pissed off at my French bank charging me a replacement card fee in 1987 when the mag stripe on my card delaminated. Faulty card but had to pay. 33 years on it still annoys me. (I am from Yorkshire so obviously don’t like paying for stuff unnecessarily, and 45F / about £4.50 was a lot of money to me then.)
I had a habit when I was at uni of sliding my Natwest card in my back pocket when I went out and sitting on it.
By the time I’d sat in my 5th card in a year they told me the next one I’d have to pay for. I went and bought a wallet
I don’t see a problem with Monzo charging for the 3rd replacement card in a year. As long as there is a notice to make users aware of the change, and when you order a replacement there is a message to say “You can order X more replacement cards for free until Y date”
Thats exactly it, try to change the habit of thinking cards grow on trees and maybe will take more care if they know theyll need to pay for them after say 2 or 3 free replacements.
Yeah i think something like that has to be a given, awareness is key to ensure people will look after their card better where possible to avoid the fees because ultimately thats what would be the end goal here, people will only need a small amount of replacements each and actually avoid paying the replacement fee in an ideal world
A quite small response number so far with 71 votes.
Generally though looks as if the community is in favour of some sort of charge (with 49/71 votes) all favouring a charge of some sort of after a certain number of replacements.
I haven’t voted on the poll, because none of the options really capture my take on it.
I do think cards should be charged for, and free replacements should be as limited as possible. With that said, I think the circumstances should have greater dictation over when or when not to charge than duration.
If the cards is stolen, or the chip becomes damaged through use, replacements should always be free. If you lose, or damage the card yourself. It should not be free. Customer service should of course have the power of discretion and be able to overturn some charges in some circumstances as a good will gesture.
With that said, if a card is to be paid for, I think goal should only be to offset the cost of creating and posting them, rather than profiting from it, and it must never contribute towards financial hardship. Monzo must also need to commit to a higher standard of quality and durability so that cards just aren’t wearing out faster than you’re allowed a free replacement. Simply put, if a card cannot last until its expiry, I should not be expected to pay for a replacement unless I lose it.
I haven’t voted because it didn’t say what time period it was referring to. (Or I missed it.)
What sort of period would you think is acceptable.
As a suggestion i said 12 months rolling or a calendar year but obvs thats not set in stone
I think your suggestion adds another dynamic to it in that people will contact COps in order to try and charm and avoid the fees. Thats something i think could be avoided with a set in stone limit.
Even with a limit, people will try that anyway to avoid paying. There are just some actions that are best handled by a human being than a computer, and I think this is one of those.
Let’s say there is a limit of one per year, would it really be fair to make someone pay if the reason for a second replacement during that year is not their fault?
Personally i think no because one being the limit is just unrealistic and people would feel rightly aggrieved like you say if they were made pay for the replacement and it wasnt their fault.
If however the limit was 2 and a person had to pay for the 3rd replacement i think thats an easier sell as its harder to justify that all 3 causes were due to card fault or out of the control of the customer.
Fair point.
But let’s say I used those two free replacements due to my own clumsiness, and then the third one I’m mugged. Is it really fair or moral to charge in such a scenario? That’s why I think it’s important for companies to have the discretion to waive such fees in certain circumstances. Small gestures of good faith and good will can have a profoundly positive impact after a bad situation. Sticking to the formal process with no wiggle room has the opposite effect, and something Monzo already struggle with. It’s like dealing with unsympathetic robots at times.
I don’t personally have a quarrel with the idea of paying for the physical card, but that’s not a normal we’re used to in the U.K.
I would like to see that become normalised though, because it means Banks won’t need to resort to predatory practices and products that mostly hurt poorer and vulnerable people just to turn a profit. Apple Pay should always be free though.
Personally I would like to see a system that gives you your main card, and a spare card initially, with one free replacement per year. But there must always still exist that discretion to waive fees. It’s a very small thing, and in the dire moment, a computer says no response could be what tips someone over the edge. Compassion is not yet something automation can replicate yet.
I would say yes personally as thats the point of having the 3 buffer to allow for leeway.
It would be unfortunate to have to pay after genuinely not meaning to hit it but also two thirds your fault that you’re now at the limit.
Lots of policies set out fair usage, phone insurance, all you can eat buffets etc.
I agree chat can feel shit and being passed between COps and “Specialist” to the same copy pasted answers does feel impersonal but… I think this is very much Karen behaviour if someone tries to contact cops about ordering their 4th card of the year and not feeling like they should have to pay for it really.
If you’ve lost your card once then thats fine these things happen, more than once then thats not monzos fault (the things hot coral, how could you miss it).
Completely see where you’re coming from with this, and while I would initially agree with that perspective, I think intention matters a great deal, and how you conduct yourself too.
I think we actually agree on many fronts, where we differ is just on the discretion factor of COps being able to allow for exceptions. There were issues recently with the Monzo plus envelopes arriving opened, and for some people it happened multiple times. Without the ability to request a replacement by talking to COps, they would have had to pay for those additional replacements until they received an envelope with the seal in tact.
As requested