Cards

[#1]

BankWest in it's infinite wisdom sent me a replacement Debit Card via post as my current one was due to expire.

Okay, no problem with that, except that the Card was stolen from my mailbox and the thief went on an immediate

spending spree, spending $925 over 14 transactions in a 12 hour period. 

Little did I know this until I went to make a purchase and my transaction was declined. Much to my embarrassement. 

Now, BankWest has refunded the monies, and quite quickly too, 5 working days. But the issue remains. 

I sent BankWest a complaint form requesting information as to why I was sent out a fully activated card that anyone could use and as to why I was not notified that my Card had been suspended due to fraudulent activity. 

The answers I received were: 

It's BankWests policy to send out unsecured Cards.

It's not her job to discuss BankWest Policies with me. And;

"I'm sure they contacted you." 

Leaving not being notified aside, Is it BankWests policy to send out a card that is unprotected and immediately usable to anyone with access via post? To me, they may as well have taken money from my account and posted hard currency. 

Oh, and I have yet to receive a replacement Card that I asked to be delivered to a Branch, the Branch staff advises it could take up to three weeks.

Thanks for reading.

[#2]

Hi @Tribble, I'm sorry to hear this and would definitely like to help further. Via the Forum I won't be able to view your account, however if you would like to send an email to Forum@Bankwest.com.au containing your full name and Forum Username, I will arrange for your concerns to be escalated, and follow up on the replacement card with the store for you. Thank you.

[#3]

Wow @Tribble, that's a really poor experience.

@DanaeC: I'd like to add to this feedback, around changing the process - being that any cards, replacement or otherwise, that Bankwest sends to its customers, must be in an 'unactivated' state, and shouldn't be able to be used until the customer has explicitely gone through an activation process.

Letterbox theft is a big problem in some areas, and when customers like @Tribblefind they can't pay their bills or do their day-to-day transactions, it's a real hassle. A simple change to how cards are handled would go a long way to protecting customers, and reducing risks and staff costs to BWA arising from situations like those in this thread.

[#4]

Thanks for sending this through @thewinchester. The security of our customer accounts is our top priority, and I will certainly ensure that your feedback is passed on. Thank you.