Barclays used to regularly block my card every month or so, because of a payment which used to go out to a French company - this despite me asking (every time I rang to get my card operational again) for them to not block the card because of this very regular and long standing transaction. I even tried pre-empting the block by ringing them the day the French payment went out to ask them not to block my card, to no avail.

The blocks went on almost every month from the time Barclays took over The Woolwich until I changed my account because of their constant ineptitude some 3 years later.
(Freakmandu, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 0:52, 1 reply)

These things
are very hit and miss.

I moved to Brazil in 1998, but kept my UK bank account at Nat West.

Every time I tried to use my Visa card in Brazil, it was declined. This despite Natwest having my Brazilian address on their system. I used to call them at least once a week becuase of it, every time I was 'assured' it wouldn't happen again, that they had put a marker on my account saying I lived there.

Odd thing is, I eventually got fed up with it, and moved my account to Barclays. I have never had that card declined, and must have used it in 20 countries.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 8:36, closed)