Rant

I’m in France at the moment so I am using a Revolut card.

Two days ago I bought a jumper - or rather I tried.

I presented my Revolut card (which had ~5 times more than the jumper cost in credit, and it was declined. Twice.

I then presented my HSBC card and it went through fine.

A little while later I looked at my Revolut app and discovered that they’d marked the transactions that they declined in the shop as “pending”, and debited my account by 160 Euro.

I contacted them via the apps chat function and they said there was nothing they could do, and I had to wait 8 days to see if the merchant claimed the money - if that didn’t happen I could have it back.

What a total bunch of cunts.

Is the Revolut card a debit card? Was it issued by MasterCard or Visa?

I thought the french loved to revolut.

Visa debit card

I've had issues using a monzo MasterCard thing in an aeroplane and another EU country.

It’s the not working, but also taking the money, and then refusing to give it back that I’m finding annoying.

Just not working would be fine, in comparison.

I've had this happen a number of times with various different cards. Never had the transaction go through in the end.

I expect that they will give the money back in whatever it is- five days now. I’m lucky enough that I could put more money on the card to buy lunch and so on- for myself 10 years ago suddenly losing €160 in the early days of a holiday would have been problematic.

I'll have dig tomorrow into the scheme stuff. I'm not connected to Revolut.

The money is probably just ring-fenced, like when you pay for an online purchase but the money actually only leaves your account when the parcel is shipped. It's not any less annoying but it can and does happen with any debit card.

Fair enough, it’s never happened to me before which doesn’t mean it’s never happened to anyone else, I acknowledge.

My HSBC card worked, with no problems, when the Revolut didn’t, and it’s also Visa debit.

It’s the not working, but also taking the money, and then refusing to give it back that I’m finding annoying.

Being somewhat (and by somewhat, I mean a lot) pedantic, they haven't taken anything - it's Revolut's money* that has gone to the vendor - the only thing you have lost is some of your available credit.

At the outside, you might have to make a claim against Revolut for that amount, shold they actually come to you for it, as they are jointly liable under UK consumer credit legislation.

* Not even their money, it's their credit too - the money all goes through clearing. And is still only credit.

Just read that it's a debit card. Ignore me.

I've definitely been in the situation of trying to take out cash from an ATM, the machine not delivering for whatever reason, my account still being debited 'pending' and then not having enough in the account to take it out elsewhere. Only took a day to be released (not 5) but not ideal.

8 day wait, say the Revolut “customer service” goons.

Make a complaint, then escalate to the regulator when they fail to address it.

We were meant to go on holiday for the first time in 3 years this half term, but my wife just tested positive for covid. I feel very sorry for her, particularly since she has been teaching in primary school almost every day of the pandemic (including during the lockdowns when she was in with the key workers kids), but has never tested positive before now. Also feel sorry for my kids, who have been deprived of yet another childhood memory, in this case a holiday in Spain with their grandparents.

Why don't pubs sell proper beer anymore?

Went out with Mrs JJ and the dog for a pre-dinner pint. First pub, no proper beer, just lager and craft shit. Walked out (obvs).

Second pub, also no proper beer. They did have Doom Bar, but I'm not a complete twat and, for the very sad, a rhubarb cider??

Ended up having to go with a glass of red wine, which, along with Mrs JJ's G&T came to twenty one fucking quid. And all because they can't be arsed to stock proper beer.

This country is fucked.

Does the dog have expensive tastes?

Nah, she's from Battersea

You sound bitter.

You'd be fine if you didn't live in a tourist hellhole. :)

You sound bitter.

It was only a mild rant.

It was only a mild beertch.

Fixed. :)

Glad it's been past out.

12 st ewe rich yolk eggs, 2 sticks of netherend butter, 320g barbers cheddar, 200g bacon, 2 pints of whole milk - all eaten by seagulls this morning after the milk and more chap didn't put the cover on.

The only thing they didn't take was a bottle of cream. Maybe they didn't want to get gout.

They actually opened the packet of bacon and ate it, then left the packet.