Not upheld: card blocking and communication fairness complaint against National Westminster Bank PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Mr B complained that NatWest blocked his credit card while he was abroad despite notifying them of his travel, and failed to communicate fairly about the block. NatWest had sent text messages and attempted calls, and unblocked the account when Mr B called them. The ombudsman found NatWest acted reasonably in blocking the card based on fraud detection systems and communicated appropriately. No unfair treatment was found, and the ombudsman rejected Mr B's claim for compensation, noting that the £75 goodwill gesture already paid was sufficient.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that NatWest acted reasonably in blocking the card based on fraud detection systems flagging a transaction, as this is within their contractual rights and a legitimate fraud prevention measure. NatWest communicated fairly by sending texts and attempting calls using contact details held. The ombudsman rejected the argument that notifying NatWest of travel should have prevented the block, as sophisticated fraud systems can flag transactions regardless. The ombudsman found no financial loss to Mr B since he would have had to repay borrowed funds in any event.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website