I accidentally left my debit card shop in the (very dodgy) corner shop near my flat a week ago. A week later I returned, and the (chavvy) guy behind the till says “mate, I recognise you, this time last week you was ‘ere, you left your card, I found it on the ground outside”. So I took my card back. When I tried it today I found the PIN had been blocked because someone had tried to access it 3 times.

As far as I can see, it can only have been someone in this shop. But why then would he be dumb enough to return the card to me? Surely he’d realise I’d see he’d tried to hack it?

Calling the bill seems a bit extreme but I want to remonstrate with these people somehow. For some reason they tried accessing my card!

But why then would he be dumb enough to return the card to me? Surely he’d realise I’d see he’d tried to hack it?

You’ve already explained it yourself…

dumb enough

Assuming you cancelled the card when you noticed it was missing (and assuming this was less than a week) then the old card wouldn’t work anyway.

If you didn’t cancel the card – do it now

The police won’t be interested as there’s no crime or evidence.

Why didn’t you cancel the card when you first lost it? And how come it took you a week to remember where you last used it?

‘cos you got no proof of nowt?

To be honest, I don’t think Sting will be particularly interested in your plight.

Definitely not.

I think you have too much money to bother the Police if you don’t find your debit card till a week’s passed. Give him a wadge of your readies and thank him kindly.

he found it on the ground outside so maybe maybe maybe someone else found it, tried to use it then dumped it where it was originally found?

your bank will be able to tell you where the card attempted use was

I didn’t cancel it because I assumed I’d left it at my parents’ place and made arrangements to return to locate it. I got the card back by chance, when stopping in at the shop while en route home from their place.

I did monitor my bank account online very regularly during the week to check for any unauthorised withdrawals. As said, I have got the card back and it works fine. But I had to unblock it.

The thing that really grates is he actually said “don’t you owe me something” and I was fool enough to give him a fiver for saving me the trouble of having to cancel a card right before I’m due to go abroad for a little while.

Clearly it’s not worth it to call the police but do I have grounds to go into this place and call the guy a thief to his face?

he found it on the ground outside so maybe maybe maybe someone else found it, tried to use it then dumped it where it was originally found

ah, but then how did he know it belonged to JHW?

No. But he has grounds for thinking you’re possibly a little suspicious and ungrateful (or would have if he reads this thread).

Maybe his name on the card was a clue?

CharlieMungus=Sherlock Holmes!

If I was you I’d go in there and call him a thief. However, he knows your name, your account details and probably has a pretty good idea where you live too. Yes, it’d be very senisble to do that.
Just remember to pick your card up next time and be thankful you’ve not found your current account emptied.

The thing that really grates is he actually said “don’t you owe me something” and I was fool enough to give him a fiver for saving me the trouble of having to cancel a card right before I’m due to go abroad for a little while.

That is hilarious. Common decency now costs £5.

The guy didn’t know my name. I am just “that guy with the bike” to him.

CharlieMungus, you’re right. How did he know it was my card if he found it on the ground outside the shop? I must have left it literally on the counter for him to have been able to connect it to me. Or somehow deposited it in front of him. In which case why did he not chase me down about it?

The whole thing stinks. Stinks stinks stinks. The mere fact that he openly asked for payment for this indicates he’s dishonest. Deepreddave, you’re mistaken.

I think I’m going to go in and ask for an explanation of why the PIN was blocked. Does that seem reasonable?

nb a youth leader was shot dead in a random drive-by yards from this shop last year. Maybe I’ll keep quiet.

The card was in his shop presumably behind the counter.what evidence is there that it was him (as opposed to anyone else who worked in the shop)that had tried to use the card.

I’d definitely call the police, they’re always in need of a good laugh.

Yes. Well if I phrase it, “can you explain why this card was blocked” instead of “you sir are a thief”, that suggests it was someone in the shop not necessarily him personally. Calling the cops is out of the question – I’m just wondering whether it would be unfair for me to ask them for an explanation. I don’t want to go in with accusations until I’m sure it’s justified. I think on the basis of what’s been said, I am, actually. Now do I want the aggro. Hmmm.

That would be a far better way to go.

K, thanks all

I wouldn’t bother, you have nothing to gain from this.

I shall pipe down, and buy my milk from the (equally dodgy) shop opposite henceforth.

jhw – Fair enough, given the additional facts I admit my comments were unfair. Sorry. Can I have a fiver now? 🙂

Being serious, whilst you have grounds for concern, which may to you seem irrefutable, my experience with law breakers leads me to always be wary that there are explanations no matter how weird and wonderful that explain why my assumptions might be wrong. I would be surprised if he tried your card unsuccessfully 3x and then returned it as easier to bin or sell it on if he’s so minded – especially given you hadn’t returned so presumably he could be sure you didn’t know you’d left it there. I suspect there’s more to this but you have nothing to gain. Still a stakeout is always a good excuse to eat take away food!

Blocked or not, they now have all the details they need to carry out transactions or clone your card.

report it to the bank and get the card card cancelled before anyone uses the details..
and then move on before your prejudices against ‘dodgy’ shops and people with different accents from yourself turn you into a neighbourhood pariah..

I have done this in Tiso’s twice as they were unusual at the time in not handling your card. Now its more common for noone to handle it I remember to take it with me.

Both times they kept the card securely but disabled the chip but wont destroy the card. Perhaps the shopkeeper did this by entering the pin three times to activate the lock.??

You’ve two scenarios here.

1) he’s guilty.

2) he’s innocent.

If 1) and you go down and call him on it, he’ll go “no I didn’t” and you’ll be no nearer.

If 2) and you go down and call him on it, he’ll go “no I didn’t” and you’ll be no nearer, and look like a dick.

There’s any number of explanations. Perhaps he saw you drop it and stuck it behind the counter, someone else later ‘borrowed’ it unbeknown to him and returned it when it didn’t work so that it wouldn’t be missed / cancelled. Perhaps he saw someone else lift it from you and then chuck it away but “doesn’t want to get involved.” Perhaps he’s a thief or chancer and just stupid. Hey, perhaps you locked it out and didn’t realise.

Whichever is true, you’ve absolutely no way of proving anything other than “I haven’t seen my card in a week and someone’s tampered with it.” You can’t then arbitrarily point the finger and go “it’s him, I’m sure of it, look, he even looks like a wrong ‘un!”, not even if you’re really angry. It could have been in a hundred hands since you saw it last.

Get it cancelled, keep a close eye on your account and move on.

Get the card cancelled and a fresh card issued so you are not constantly worrying about having your account emptied on pay day ie last day of the month or first day of the next month. Keep an eye out for mobile phone company small transactions ie £10 jobs. When my card got cloned/details taken by worker at company I ordered with over web that was percursor to account being emptied.
I assume that there was no reward of £50 on tha card being found as used to be the case. Does the shopkeeper have CCTV monitoring the counter-he may have tried to read your pin from the footage when you used it in there hence the card being blocked.
If it doesnt feel right it is good enough reason to assume the worst.

Can’t believe someone goes “don’t you owe me something” and you hand over a fiver! I’d have told him I would do if he hadn’t asked.

police will not be interested – even if money was taken – its between you and the card company. http://www.creditcardrefunds.org.uk/blog/fraud-victims-told-go-to-the-bank-not-the-police/

As said above if you have doubts cancel the card. Card company will block card if there are strange transactions – If you don’t want to cancel as you are about to go abroad get a cash card in case you do have to cancel or your card is blocked

Let the card company know you are abroad in case you do have to argue on odd transactions

If it is cloned you will get your money back as long as you report it quickly enough – tho its pretty stressful when it happens

I didn’t cancel it because I assumed I’d left it at my parents’ place and made arrangements to return to locate it

I did monitor my bank account online very regularly during the week to check for any unauthorised withdrawals

I think you’ve got some trust issues with your parents…

I suspect the OP is most annoyed about just handing over a fiver.

Very checky thing to say ‘don’t you owe me something?’ yes. You could have responded ‘Yes, thank you very much.’

As for what happened well, you’ve no proof of anything other than speculation as to the level of criminal genius the cornershop counterman has.

At a guess he’s given it back becasue he’s made a copy of the card and is hoping that you haven’t canceeld the card. Next time you use your card in his shop he watches you put your PIN in.

Bingo.

Call the cops.

Thanks all for the advice – v. entertaining in places! As said, a confrontation here is a no-win situation so I’ll just trust in peoples’ basic good nature and assume he deliberately disabled it to activate the lock. I’ve cancelled this card. It is true that mainly I’m indignant about just handing over a fiver to this guy.

It is true that mainly I’m indignant about just handing over a fiver to this guy

Make sure to give yourself a good talking to then.

It’s been a while since I got my PIN number wrong 3 times (drunk student days probably) but does it not swallow your card after the third attempt?

I would still get a new one issued if I had any doubt but if the guy had the knowledge to clone it you’d have lost money by now – unless he’s waiting for a while with the details so it’s not so easily linked to him. Actually, that could very easily be what’s happening.

Get the card cancelled!!