Bank of America decided it detected "unusual activity" on my debit card

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chase does this to us regularly too - generally when we are at Wegman's where we shop nearly every week. Its aggravating as all hell (this is a credit card, I can dispute charges after the fact, don't make me abandon a cart full of groceries to sort it out.)

This is exactly what I mean. Op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chase does this to us regularly too - generally when we are at Wegman's where we shop nearly every week. Its aggravating as all hell (this is a credit card, I can dispute charges after the fact, don't make me abandon a cart full of groceries to sort it out.)

That's fine and dandy for you but as someone pointed out above, the bank is on the hook for the money. How about you pay 50% of every dispute so you don't have to deal with it right then. Does that sound fair?

Not unusual activity
Not protecting you

[Anonymous]

You should stop using your debit card. Too risky. So many stores have had their systems compromised. Use a credit card.

[Anonymous]

We have the UPromise card from Barclay's and I can barely use it without being shut out. But twice they have discovered actual fraud before we have so I put up with it.

[Anonymous]

I don't use debit cards, only credit. It gets cut off every so often. More often, I get a robo call listing charges and asking me to verify them.

When it gets cut off I pull out my backup card. Problem solved, easily.

[Anonymous]

You need two credit cards

[Anonymous]

OP, when was the PayPal purchase made? I have used Paypal more times than I can count and never had an issue once. The fact it was under $50 says a lot too, in terms of "unusual activity".

[Anonymous]

Screw BoA. It's 2015, I'm amazed people still voluntarily do business with these assholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should stop using your debit card. Too risky. So many stores have had their systems compromised. Use a credit card.

Exactly

[Anonymous]

We once cancelled a card for continually shutting off due to "fraud alerts". It was a time when DH and I were both frequently traveling to the pretty much the same locations. DH even called them to tell them our common destinations and asked that they not flag our card...it was causing him huge issues since he was traveling internationally and they would cut off his card before he paid his hotel bill or whatever. Finally DH got fed up after being trapped in the airport parking lot and just cancelled it there and then.

FTR, this is also why I always get a ticket instead of swiping my card when I go into the parking lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need two credit cards

I never go anywhere without two since my B of A debit card was rejected for same reason.

[Anonymous]

I would normally be the last person to defend BoA, since I pretty much use them only because changing checking accounts is such a pain. But, I have had my debit card number stolen 4 times in the last 18 months (two online merchants hacked,a gas station, and one they can't figure out). And BoA caught them all and declined the first fraudulent transaction. I have never had to dispute anything and try to get my money back. So, I cut them slack on this. I'd rather them over than under identify.

Also, it helps a lot if your are the extra 90 seconds and go on the mobile app and set a travel alert before you use your card out of state. That always trips me up but doesn't help with the local grocery store declines, I realize.

[Anonymous]

I had like 3 Bank of America debit card declines in a week a few months ago-- all at stores I buys things at on a regular basis (which is embarrassing). I called customer service and complained, and they were able to make my fraud alert less sensitive. The one decline I have had since then was because the number had actually been stolen.

[Anonymous]

Happened to me when I bought DH a pair of pants at Nordstrom. I don't shop there very often, so they flagged it and called. They didn't cut off my card, but they wanted confirmation that it was me. I felt OK about it, since it means they are checking. I've had my card number stolen numerous times, and people in places like Nevada and Florida have charged stuff to my account and gotten away with it.

It does seem odd that they flagged your transactions, OP, since you often shop at WF. I'd give them a call to ask them to put a note in your account with the names of regular places you shop. I have to side with PPs who agree that preventing fraud is a good thing. The banks are protecting themselves, but your credit can get dinged if someone charges a lot to your card, and who wants that?

[Anonymous]

The more I am reading these stories, I am starting to question how a bank considers something potential fraud. I thought it was an amount thing more than a merchant deal.

Years ago, I was at Richmond International Raceway, and a friend of mine bought 3 things (all different trailers) in about a half hour or so span, but the merchants were all based in different locations, so his card was stopped at the 3rd one and he received a call at home. On the bank's end, it looked like he was in 3 states at the same time which would be impossible. The lesson learned, bring cash, and a lot of it, if you go to a NASCAR race.

I bank with Wells Fargo, never had this type of issue with them but I haven't gone outside the eastern time zone in over 5 years.