Switch card theft: question

Nick Pitfield · 2003-09-29T20:59:19+00:00

Greetings, I have recently been the victim of theft: somebody somehow got my switch card details (cloned it or double swiped I don't yet know) and made a 750 Switch payment to another bank account. Luckily I noticed this, my bank investigated and between them and the other bank they have determined that it was theft by an apparantly known thief. I will get my money back no problem - I now have a crime reference number from the Police and that is sufficient for the other bank to refund to my bank. However, I have gone through some grief and worry over this (it happened in mid July), the stress has caused some physical problems and I have spent a lot of time chasing up the two banks. Assuming the Police successfully prosecute this person for theft, do I later have the opportunity to take out a civil prosecution against that person, and can I get compensation or damages from them ? if so, how much would be likely (the amount stolen would seem to be adequate and reasonable compensation). Comments ?

P

Peter Saxton 22 years ago

I assume you can't deal with many businesses if you assert that most companies offer a quick service and in fact deliver it.

In my experience companies don't have any idea of what they are doing.

This is an example of a reply I have had. My comments are in brackets.

"Dear Mr Saxton,

Thank you for your e-mail dated the 15th August, regarding problems you encountered whilst hiring a skip from the London Borough of Merton. I apologise for the delay in replying.

(this reply was dated 23 September)

I have spoken to our contractor regarding the matter and it appears there was some confusion relating to the location of the skip. It appears our administrative staff recorded the location of the skip as at Church Road SW19 however, the driver assumed the location to be Church Road, Wimbledon.

(I had stated the exact postcode and exact location and told them which Church Road it was and which Church Road it wasn't)

Upon further clarification it was established that the location should have been Church Road, Mitcham and for this I apologise. As our skip service is extremely busy we had some difficulty in trying to arrange an alternative date and time to remove the skip. I have also been informed that the driver did attempt to collect the skip on Thursday the 14th but could not gain access because of a parked vehicle.

(they managed to arrange times with me on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday but they didn't get anyone to deliver or tell me they would not be coming; on the day they say they couldn't gain access if they had told me they were there I could have got any obstruction moved - I didn't see any evidence of an obstruction myself)

The Council tries to adopt a professional approach in operating it's skip service and I am sorry that on this occasion we did not achieve this.

I hope you will continue to use our service and if I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely"

I find that companies send the wrong products out and take longer than they say they will to deliver due to bad procedures.

I was in PC World the other day and the one cashier didn't know the bizarre system requiring a certain product to be scanned twice. She wasn't able to spell my name or company name despite having it on my card. A queue formed but the staff didn't seem to care.

The problem is the development of a "blunder culture". People are not taught or trained to think or do things right.

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M

Marcus 22 years ago

These are people who will not pay and it is Government policy for them not to pay. My wife had her bag snatched and was awarded 40 pounds compensation. The people who are supposed to collect payment don't bother and nobody is willing to take it from his state benefits.

People like John and Marcus are to blame for the thugs who are able to roam around and kill and steal with impunity.

Marcus responds:

With such a mature and sensible comment I shall be sure to treat your future posts with the disdain they deserve.

I hardly see how a society where everyone is a perpetual victim is a positive goal. What is the point of the OP pursuing a legal claim against an, AFAICMO, unidentified perpetrator; when he has had the original disputed amount returned to him by his bank?

The bank is the victim here as they have footed the actual loss. Anyway, the new (to UK anyway!) chip & pin technology should reduce the level of card crime in this country to the benefit of all. (Bar the criminals).

A gentle and essentially liberal society, created on a backbone of firm moral virtues is considerably more preferable to the litigious and compensatory culture you seem to favour Peter. If you disagree with this please feel free to sue me for having an opinion you dislike ;-)

Marcus

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T

Tim Richards 22 years ago

The problem is the development of a "blunder culture". People are not taught or trained to think or do things right.

Hmm, you're right........a girl I work with has recently taken an evening job behind the bar at her local pub.

Every beverage or snack is programmed into the till so if I go there and order a pint of Stella and a bag of peanuts, she presses three keys - Stella, pint, peanuts. She doesn't have to think about it or worry how much it all costs.

We're breeding a brain dead generation.

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M

Marcus 22 years ago

How do you propose achieving the society you prefer?

I don't want a litigious and compensatory culture - I want a society that stops criminals having the freedom to commit crime.

I disagree with your views because you don't seem to be interested in the facts or have a grasp of reality. If you really think that thugs should be able to steal from people without the threat of civil prosecution from the victim you must be on the side of the thugs.

treat others as I would expect to be treated.

criminals from having the freedom to commit crime. Lest we forget, the choice to break the law is one made by the criminal in full knowledge of the consequences of their doing so.

always be those who covet the possessions of others and are prepared to dishonestly appropriate them.

society's humanity, I would have to conclude that the panceaic world you seek is unattainable.

evident flaws in our system an organised force, representative of the society should be tasked with bringing the miscreants of that society in order.

revealing, as illustrated in the third paragraph of your post. I am very much interested in facts and have a firm grip of reality. I don't think that criminals have the right to act with impunity, quite the contrary. Lock up the serious ones and throw away the key, hence rendering further malfeasance impossible!

claim being processed through an already burgeoning legal system.

Oh and by the way - the OP had his card skimmed or cloned, hardly a thuggish act.

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. Anyway, we are getting waaay OT here. I'll continue thread in alt.uk.law.and.order if you wish.

Marcus

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