Royal Bank of Wankers

[CharlieOneSix]

On both my Nationwide and Ulster Bank card readers you can replace the batteries - there are two of them. On the back of the card reader at the bottom there is a very small rectangular hole. Poke something in here - I use a biro - to hold down a catch.

At the same time, on the bottom edge of the card reader, with your thumbnail pull out the battery tray slightly. Turn the card reader over so the top is now uppermost and slowly pull the tray out so you can note the polarity of the batteries - one is + up, one is + down. The batteries on mine are CR2032.

[Ex-Ascot]

After complaining about the e-mail addressed to me 'Hello Paul' e-mailed our bank manager yesterday with Dear Wayne got one one back 'Dear Squadron Leader ....... '

[ExSp33db1rd]

After reading #21 above, I looked at my Natwest machine, and it is as described, little hole to release the draw,and the instruction leaflet actually suggests using a pen. When in doubt - read the instructions ! CR2032 are specified and I can get them from our local $2. shop, so that will probably by the best way to go, and thank you Unifoxos for the info. about the card draining the battery, I'll try to avoid that.

My one NZ bank gadget has no instructions about replacing batteries, but it appears to be constructed in two halves held together by 4 screws, so presumably ....

However, three Singapore ones, of which the subject of my enquiry is one, are clearly tamper and battery, proof, and all appear to be made by the same outfit, they differ only in logos and names, so are presumably some cunning Singapore Chinese invention, and so I am still faced with some sort of communication to get a replacement.

Thanks anyway.

[Ex-Ascot]

After complaining about the e-mail addressed to me 'Hello Paul' e-mailed our bank manager yesterday with Dear Wayne got one one back 'Dear Squadron Leader ....... '

[Wodrick]

*Speedy* I have two of these things from two different banks and it doesn't matter which one I use for which bank the result is the same. Try it.

I always thought they were sealed but now I look see they are as described, thanks *C16*

[ian16th]

My Barclays one has a small Phillips screw, and a label saying it takes 4 x LR44 batteries. I'll attack it with a screwdriver if it fails before me.

[Cacophonix]

Royal Bank of Wankers or Royal Wank of Bankers?

Wank = collective noun for a group of bankers.

Caco

[unifoxos]

No, it is "Wunch" - A wunch of bankers.

[Pontius Navigator]

It’s not only the banks. A well known web site insists on sending a well expired identity birthday wishes!


On 29 Apr 2018, at 15:01, PPRuNe Forums <admin1@pprune.com> wrote:

Hello allan907,

We at PPRuNe Forums would like to wish you a happy birthday today!



Seeing as I am permanently banned I would suggest you remove this computer generated hypocrisy.

AEH


Thank you for your kind response to our birthday wishes. However, may
we point out to you that you are in fact responding to a computer
generated message.

Whilst we do sincerely wish you a vey happy birthday, we are unable to
have a meaningful relationship beyond this correspondence as this
computer is incapable of human emotion. We will pass on your response
to a real human in due course.

In the meantime, please continue to enjoy your PPRuNe experience and
many happy returns.

PPRuNe Admin

Ah, so that's who you are

[Pontius Navigator]

But did you know that the reader is interchangeable between banks? Certainly if it looks the same it should work. And you can change the battery of you look closely certainly with the ones I have.

[jimtherev]

But did you know that the reader is interchangeable between banks? Certainly if it looks the same it should work. And you can change the battery of you look closely certainly with the ones I have.

arf a minnit! Does this mean that anyone with a gadget issued by a random bank can use it to do funny things with my card?
Reading the above posts it would seem that Mr Wod has two thingies issued by separate banks - who presumably do not consult before issuing the things. By extension of this, his thingy (if my bank buys from the same equipment supplier as his) should work on my account too?

No?

[Wodrick]

My readers are from the Nationwide and NatWest, they are visually the same (identical) but different shades of blue.
I found this just now.

some banks require a card reader for online banking. Here’s how they work:

Online banking website requests a unique code.
Insert your card into the reader.
Enter your account PIN into the reader.
The reader generates a unique one-time code.
Enter the code into the website. Done!

These card readers aren’t necessary all of the time, so they aren’t as inconveniencing as they might seem. Usually the reader is only required for the following:

Making payments to a receiver the first time,
Creating or modifying automatic bill payments,
Creating or modifying transfers of funds,
Modifying account security details, like PIN or password.

The downside is that these card readers are only compatible with a new kind of card called Europay/MasterCard/Visa cards, or EMV cards, which are colloquially known as smart cards or chip cards. Traditional cards don’t have the necessary technology to support the above-mentioned card readers.

And while it all sounds good in theory, it’s not a flawless system. (As an aside, security systems are never flawless.) As such, there are a few hiccups and vulnerabilities that you should be aware of to maximize your safety.
Potential Security Issues to Avoid

The first thing to know — and this might put you somewhat at ease — is that these card readers do not store any of your details on the device itself. Whenever you slip in your card or punch in your PIN, you can rest assured knowing that the reader isn’t holding onto any of that.

This is actually good news for those who are worried about portable online banking. Basically, by requiring a card reader for certain actions, you’re forced to carry that card reader around with you if you ever want to perform those actions while on-the-go.

Some card readers are universal, meaning they can read and generate codes for any EMV card (as long as the card is compatible with the reader’s online bank). So in that sense, you could use someone else’s card reader when necessary and their reader wouldn’t store anything about your account or card.

So it seems normal to interchange readers. The operation between the two is quite different, the Nationwide is a joint account and it first asks me which card I am inserting. It is used for logging into our internet account.
The NatWest use it for verifying transactions, log in is by PIN and password.

[ExSp33db1rd]

The issue of two different banks gadgets working in collusion might be because they give you a code relative to the card that you insert, i.e. a generic reader might be able to liase with any card inserted, and is only giving answers relative to that card, but of course, if I drop my card in the street, and you pick it up and insert it into your bank gadget ..... ????? Maybe ? ( I think I have to use a PiN tho'' ? )

I have three identical gadgets issued by three different Singapore institutions, one is the one I started this thread with, i.e. a failing battery in a sealed container, but all three look identical and are all issued by a third party operator that the banks etc. subscribe to, so .... it might make sense for one of the others to work for the bank with the failing battery ? N'est ce pas ? It didn't.

[Hydromet]

On a slightly different tack...I have a credit card issued by a bank, and a debit card issued by a credit union which is associated with a different bank. Both havethe same pin number, which was issued individually by each institution. Are they colluding, or both using the same hashing function on my name, address, DOB etc to generate the pin. Enquiring minds would like to know.

[unifoxos]

Or it could just be a 1 in 9999 chance?

[Capetonian]

That's interesting as I once had two CC cards from completely unrelated banks, and both had the same CCV number on the back.

Reverse rant! This morning at 0754 I had a text from a friend in CPT saying he'd just paid money into my Standard Bank card account. 5 minutes later, I had an automated email from the bank with a PDF attachment confirming the payment.

[1DC]

Mrs 1DC just waited 30 minutes listening to a computer until the real person answered at the TS crap Bank. The line then changed from clear to such an echo that she couldn't understand a word, apart from please ring back later. Suggested she shifts her accounts to someone else, since TSB had their latest problems she hasn't been able to move any money to other banks. Getting in touch is harder than trying to identify a greek shipowner!!

[Boac]

If it is TSB, email the CEO - that will get you results a little faster.

Try paul.pester@tsb.co.uk or ceooffice@tsb.co.uk. Customer services appear to have a 'secret' email address too csadmin@tsb.co.uk although they have not yet replied (4 days!)

I had 'disappeared' from the online system but 'existed' in the real world, and was getting (slow) 'attention' from the TSB CEO troubleshooting team (who are completely over-whelmed by the situation, and I feel sorry for them). I eventually gave up and 're-registered' using the exact same details and am now 'in'. Mrs B still trying to get a 'missing' account on her screen re-instated. A total shambles and the CEO needs to 'visit' my prison at viewtopic.php?f=3&t=173&p=134563#p134563 post #3867 - and, yes, woody - plenty of room for your LHR friends!

[1DC]

Many thanks Boac, i will pass the information to herself.

[Woody]

Win double the Government and a bunch of bankers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44366731