Greetings all, just thought I should let you know of my experiences trying to activate my Alliance and Leicester visa debit card on 0845 925 8456 , the activation number they supply.

I first got a skype error #9306 or something so I tried the alternative number in the database 0800 0688661 and finally 0800 0688638 (they're much the same). I got through to credit cards, who put me through to current accounts who, because I have no phone pin put me through to security who put me back to current accounts who (YAY) put me through to card activation. My pitch to Claire in current accounts was that I had no money to call 0845 from a pay phone and had no credit on my mobile and so couldn't activate my card until I got some money out but couldn't get any money out until I activated my card. Sorry for the long sentence.

I was told, you _shouldn't_ have called an 0800 number and in future you won't be able to get through, but just this once I would be put through.

So I got through to card activation in a pay phone on an 0800 number. It was such a privelege to talk to Matthew in Yorkshire. He took my details, as one does, and then tried to sell me card protection services while we waited for activation which would "take a few minutes". Was I interested at all? No, Matthew, thanks. Would you like me to explain them to you? Not really, unless you insist. OK, I'll explain then, and on and on and on. Finally, Look Matthew, I'm just not interested in this. Can I ask you why you're not interested...

It was at this point I explained to Matthew that customers were calling on 0845 numbers which were costing minimum 7p per minute, maybe 30p on a mobile and revenue was being shared with Alliance and Leicester. I mean he had gone on and on about the risks of chip and pin and did I travel abroad. Matthew was ebullient and unstoppable. He appeared genuinely surprised that 0845 numbers were not free.  I politely gave him the whole schpiel. He became almost apologetic and promptly told me my card had been activated and wished me a good day. I did the same for him. It was genuinely a pleasure talking to Matthew from Yorkshire.

Hope that helps somebody out there in the nightmare that corporate power has created for us in its seemingly unstoppable pathological craving for profit maximization.

Be well.

longusername

Thanks Keith. I appreciate your appreciating me.

Go to ...http://www.alliance-leicester-group.co.uk/html/general/board.asp

You will find what you are looking for.

Hi All

Anyone else experience this ? it is an absoulte BALLACHAE ! phone pin ? what phone pin ????? i just wnat to ask some simple questions about my account , better still i`d rather not pay 0870 charges but on this occasion i thought sod it i really need to speak to them and i STILL cant get through !

i cannot for the life of me get hold of a human , its enough to make me change banks , which is ridicolous

Has anyone got any tips or advice

irrelevant wrote on Jan 29^th, 2008 at 11:18am:


It now seems to be www.gethuman.com and there is then a UK lookup on that page.Unfortunately as a US site they do not yet seem to be aware of the need to quote alternatives to 0845 and 0870 numbers. Useful site though.  Now in my Favourites

Clearly they are unfamiliar with the old maxim that "you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time".

Never believe the "you must dial 08xx" garbage from A&L.  Be nice and friendly and it's amazing what you can achieve.

I just got through to the department which deals with online banking passwords after dialling 0800 0688638 (credit card services)!

The first person answering asked me what company I was calling (clearly he dealt with many).  When I said A&L, he asked me my query and I explained.  He asked whether it was a credit or debit card PIN I needed and, when I explained it was an online banking PIN, he said he would transfer me.

The next person to answer said he didn't deal with that and would have to transfer me and, when I put on my best "please don't put me in another half hour queue" voice, he promised it'd be 5 minutes maximum.

He came back on the line within a minute saying he couldn't get through so he'd deal with the matter.  And he did. Yes, I had to suffer the "Have you been into a branch for an account review recently?" questions at the end but he'd done what I wanted and I'd paid nothing so I was happy to joke my way through that too.

Another approach to closing your account without paying for an 0844 phone call would probably have been to email the Chief Executive with cc to their Head of Customer Relations.  However its good to hear that you managed to get through on a regular phone number in this case.