Chase Bank debit: Do you have any idea what you're doing?

It's not that unusual anymore - as I recall you reach a computer which walks you through procedure where you verify your last few purchases. Ignoring it just means your credit card is worthless and you have some unhappy vendors who you still owe money too.

msgtord wrote:
You being stubborn may cost you an empty bank account.

How?

Dennis M M wrote:
.Once in a while they will decline a big purchase like 250 gallons of diesel, but that is easily remedied with a reply to a text from them.

That's what I'm talkin' about. American Express has never asked me to call them.

the bear II wrote:
I think it is great when my bank checks with me when they see out of the ordinary purchases like when we are travelling.

That's what's so strange about this. They let it go a few months before declining the purchases. Do they have a mileage limit they go by? I doubt it.

You calling the bank is the safest way to clear things up. Then you know it's really the bank you're speaking to.

Accepting only a phone call 'to you' or a text or email...how do you know it's really the bank you're dealing with?

By the way, credit cards are safer than debit cards. Just pay it off completely each month and it's just like paying cash with no interest. Get a credit card that gives you cash back. It's a free gift of cash for using the card.

I think it is great when my bank checks with me when they see out of the ordinary purchases like when we are travelling. I would much rather have them decline a purchase then let some ID thief get away with a purchase using my credit.

Unfortunately, this is the world we now live in. Credit and ID theft is rampant the only defense the bank has is to check in with the card holder to confirm out of the ordinary purchases. You can call and alert them that you will be making unusual purchases.

Our cards are with our local credit union. First name basis.

2oldman wrote:
I was merrily traveling south last fall and using my Chase debit card for various purchases. Around the first of this year, my card started getting declined. Ok, that's weird, but I have other cards. I tried using it several times with always the same result - declined.

I get this secure message saying I had to "Call us immediately!" about my card. Oh, really? Your (and my) security depends on speaking to me on the phone? If you want to know it's me buying stuff, then send me a text, a message, an email..anything.. but I refuse to call you. Why? I don't know - I'm just stubborn about that. If you want to talk to me, then YOU CALL ME.

The final blow? They declined a regular monthly debit for my electric bill, at home. Fine, that's easy to fix. I transferred almost all my money to another bank. Now, if they refuse to accept my monthly retirement pension deposit, then I'm in trouble.

If they call you, how will you verify that it's really them and not a scam call? Our bank and credit union both ask us to call them on occasion at verifiable numbers, and we're then asked for certain security codes to establish we are who we say we are. The last time that occurred was a couple of years ago when one of our debit cards was declined unexpectedly. On calling them and verifying who I was, it turned out that a renewal card had been mailed sooner than we expected, and the "Do Not Forward" envelope had been returned by the post office, prompting the deactivation of the card prior to it's expiration date until I could verify the situation with them. The old card was promptly turned back on, and the new card sent on request once we no longer needed our mail forwarded. The only part that irritated me was that they had no provisions for sending a card to an account holder that was traveling.

What happens when the new bank wants you to call them? It's whole lot easier to call them than moving everything to another bank where the same thing is likely to happen.

Bill

You being stubborn may cost you an empty bank account and the bank is trying to help you and your being stupid.

You need to call them or go online and tell them you are traveling.
They will allow deposits but no charges or withdraws.

We always tell our bank and credit cards when we will be traveling.Once in a while they will decline a big purchase like 250 gallons of diesel, but that is easily remedied with a reply to a text from them.

Sound like you could easily fix your problem with a phone call!