‘Swiping it will not wipe it’

By Nigel Baudains

LE RICHES has denied claims that a fault with its checkout system is disabling debit cards.

Customers have complained that their card has been put on stop immediately after they used it at one of the company’s outlets. They believe the problems would not occur if chip and pin technology was used in the shops.

Alan and Mary Prevel said they had done a Saturday shop at the Checkers Superstore – which still swipes cards – without a problem. ‘Then we went straight to Guernsey Woodcarvers to pay a larger bill and they told us our card was on stop,’ said Mr Prevel. ‘It was a very embarrassing situation when you find you can’t pay a bill when you know that the money is in the account.’

Mr Prevel said his wife contacted their card provider and a representative told her it was a common problem at Checkers shops.

‘They said the computer system was suggesting the card had been cloned even though it hadn’t,’ he said.

‘My wife had to spend an hour on the phone sorting it out.

‘We just find it hard to believe that the biggest food retailer in the island hasn’t got chip and pin technology.’

A woman who did not wish to be named said the cashpoint would not accept her Barclays debit card after she had used it at the L’Islet Checkers Xpress.

‘When I called the hotline they asked if I’d used it at Checkers and when I told them I had, they said that it happened all the time,’ she said.

Le Riches operations director Mark Cox apologised for any inconvenience to customers.

‘We are confident that there is no fault with any Le Riche system which would result in this action being taken by the banks,’ he said. ‘We are working with the banks to review this issue and would ask that those customers who have been affected contact us to allow further investigation.’

He said Le Riches had major investment planned during 2008 which would result in all tills being chip and pin compliant.

Keith and Carole Bowman told last week how on two occasions their HSBC debit card would not work after they had used it in Checkers stores.