Not upheld: card restriction and complaint handling complaint against Nationwide Building Society

Decision detail

Summary

Mr D complained that Nationwide Building Society blocked his debit card without alerting him while he was away at a ticketed event, forcing him to return home. Nationwide explained that its automated fraud system triggered the restriction after a transaction flagged security concerns, and it was unable to contact Mr D because his phone was not working. The ombudsman found that Nationwide acted in accordance with its fraud-prevention procedures and regulatory obligations, and that the card restriction was permitted under the terms and conditions Mr D had accepted. The complaint was not upheld, though Nationwide's £30 goodwill offer remained available.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman concluded that Nationwide's automated fraud system operated as designed and in accordance with regulatory obligations to detect potential fraud. The card restriction was permitted under the terms and conditions Mr D accepted. Although Nationwide could not contact Mr D, this was not the firm's fault as Mr D's phone was not working at the time. The ombudsman noted that complaint handling cannot be considered as a standalone issue and that the FCA oversees how businesses implement anti-fraud measures, not the FOS.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website