Postal franking - lying bank?

[matchmaker]

My OH's debit card expired on 31st December. No replacement had arrived so on 31st December I enquired with her bank. After a bit of scurrying around they told me that the card had been sent out from the branch "around the middle of the month". They gave me a form for the OH to sign reporting a lost card, and when I returned it they stopped the card and ordered a new one.

Fair enough. Except that the "missing" card arrived in the post today in a plain brown envelope with a rubber "2nd" franking. There is no postmark and the only other marking on the envelope is two rows of red barcode-like markings on the front - put on by Royal Mail.

Now,I'm pretty damn sure that the bank haven't posted out the card when they were supposed to, and only discovered their error when I contacted them. In order to cover their asses they've then posted the card.

Is there any way to check the date of posting from the "barcodes"?

[scotal]

She has a new card, why do you care?

[chr15b]

this level of distrust i'd suggest another bank..

also, since when have branches been responsible for sending out cards? i thought it was all done centrally with the major banks?

[matchmaker]

scotal said:

She has a new card, why do you care?

She doesn't. She has had no valid card from 31st December and the "new" card is of course the "lost" one and was eaten by the cash machine when she tried to use it today!

[V8mate]

How do you know this is the missing card and not the new/replacement one you ordered?

[TheEnd]

Many big companies frank their own mail, then send it / get it collected, so the Royal mail don't "stamp" over the stamp to invalidate it.

No RM stamp, no date

[Nickyboy]

The cards are automatically printed/sent out so the thing about the branch was b/s. The local branches have nothing to do with the issue of cards. Unless it has changed.

[V8mate]

Nickyboy said:

The cards are automatically printed/sent out so the thing about the branch was b/s. The local branches have nothing to do with the issue of cards. Unless it has changed.

The only time the branches get involved is if you have failed to receive a card on more than one occasion or your postcode area has a higher than acceptable risk of it disappearing en route.

But then the customer has to go to the branch to collect it

[matchmaker]

V8mate said:

Nickyboy said:

The cards are automatically printed/sent out so the thing about the branch was b/s. The local branches have nothing to do with the issue of cards. Unless it has changed.

The only time the branches get involved is if you have failed to receive a card on more than one occasion or your postcode area has a higher than acceptable risk of it disappearing en route.

But then the customer has to go to the branch to collect it

The branch claimed that the card was sent out from there because of problems with previous cards going missing - not to us, I assume, as this has never happened before, but possibly to other customers in the area.

The card was sent in a plain, brown, handwritten envelope.

[TheEnd]

Meh, quit moaning.

Plain brown envelopes attract less attention, and for 2nd class letters to take ages over christmas isn't that strange.

Think of the motive.
They forget, you say it may be lost, they agree it must be lost, and they cancel it.
Everyone is happy, the perfect alibi.

Now, would you then send out the cancelled card, after ringing Reg the postmaster, giving him the secret handshake and asking him not to frank the letter so they don't figure out you sent a cancelled card after it was cancelled and after the case was closed?

Or is it more likely to be 2nd class letters were delayed?

[matchmaker]

They said it was posted mid-December. Notwithstanding Christmas mail, it took more than three weeks. And miraculously arrived a week after we queried non-delivery.

Of course, we all know to trust banks, don't we

[Pferdestarke]

A bit fishy, this.

[rich1231]

matchmaker said:

They said it was posted mid-December. Notwithstanding Christmas mail, it took more than three weeks. And miraculously arrived a week after we queried non-delivery.

Of course, we all know to trust banks, don't we

More than an internet conspiracy nut that thinks the banks are in cahoots with the postal system to deprive him of a debit card with a picture of a muppet on.

[stigmundfreud]

rich1231 said:

matchmaker said:

They said it was posted mid-December. Notwithstanding Christmas mail, it took more than three weeks. And miraculously arrived a week after we queried non-delivery.

Of course, we all know to trust banks, don't we

More than an internet conspiracy nut that thinks the banks are in cahoots with the postal system to deprive him of a debit card with a picture of a muppet on.

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