They drew my debit card. What now?
Horror! I'm going to the store today to shop for dinner and what's going on? I decided to pay with my debit card and the cashier tells me that the card is not available. But how come I was checking my bill that day and everything was fine. I seem to have been the victim of theft. The most important thing in such cases is not to panic, but to consider what options I have before me to protect my rights.
What should I do if someone has drained my debit card?
The first thing I have to do is immediately go to the publisher bank and complain about the so-called "unauthorized payment transaction" or directly call the phone on the back of my debit card. These are the cases when someone has withdrawn money from my account without giving him any bank card or pin code or anything. Once I have notified the issue, the issuing bank is obliged to examine and collect information the authenticity of the transaction, its exact registration (ie where my money has been withdrawn, how much time it is, what is the amount, etc.) and whether it is due to a technical malfunction of the bank itself.
I did not have an ATM (no matter which bank) to accept my card because of some technical problem, prevention, and so on. It is possible now that something like that happens. I have to get an answer to my complaint between 15 and 35 business days to figure out what happened and my money to be recovered. The bank is obliged to rule! While I'm waiting for the decision, I have to find and read all the papers that the bank gave me when issuing the card, namely the "General Terms" (yes, those sheets I signed then without looking at them). There I will see what my rights and obligations are, what responsibility the bank carries and how it is done in such cases.
next steps
After learning about the information, I was a little relaxed and reassured. There is a chance that my entire amount will be refunded, and the amount on my card will be the same as it was before the theft. However, if I am drawn to an amount of up to BGN 100, I will bear all the losses. The condition is that I have fulfilled the following obligations:
to have used my card in accordance with the conditions for which it was issued;
I have notified the bank immediately after I have learned that my money is missing;
after receiving the card, I have taken all the necessary actions to keep her data - I do not write my PIN on the card, share it with anyone, not write it on a card, and keep it close to the card (eg in purse and others.
Whether I have been conscientious or not, according to the bank, will understand when I receive the answer to my complaint. If they think I have been correct, I will get the entire missing amount by the end of the next day. If they consider that I have not fulfilled my obligations or decide that I have caused the loss by fraud, they will not refund my amount. Moreover, they will appeal to the competent authorities if they decide that I have committed a crime.
And do I have another option if my bank refuses to refund?
The bank decided I did not keep my personal details on the debit card and would not give me a penny. But he also informed me that I could refer my matter to the Complaints Commission on Payment Disputes at the Consumer Protection Commission. It is an alternative dispute resolution body (the proceedings before it are developed out of court). I can apply to the Commission and if the bank does not respond to my complaint in due time.
NB! I can not dispute the Commission if I did not first try to resolve it with the issuing bank.
How do I file a complaint with the Conciliation Commission on payment disputes?
To do so, I have to make a written statement to the Commission or to sign in and alert online. Consideration of the dispute is free of charge, but my personal expenses are borne in person - for example, as a lawyer, expert. The application must be in Bulgarian and contain:
the name of the Commission;
my three names by ID card and PIN;
the name, seat and address of the bank issuing my debit card;
a statement of the facts and the formulation of the request - here I have to describe what happened, why the application was made and what I wanted from the Commission;
List of documents I have applied - All the documents required by the Commission to clarify the case, as well as the decision of the bank;
my signature.
I have to complete several statements with the application to prove that:
I have filed a complaint and have not responded in time - only if I am in this hypothesis;
I have not dealt with the dispute before a court or other out-of-court dispute resolution body;
I have not signed an agreement with the bank to resolve the dispute.
I filed the complaint. Now what?
If there is a problem with the set of documents, the Commission will inform me that I must remedy the irregularities within a certain timeframe.
I do not follow the instructions, conciliation will not be