Blog » Verified by Visa Sucks!

Posted by Roguey on Monday 16th July, 2012   ·   3 comments

A day or so ago I tried to place an order online with play.com for a couple of items. After going through the checkout stage, I was greeted by the Verified by Visa (VbV) iframe, immediately a sigh – when I've seen this, it usually meets my order is going to be rejected 8 out of 10 times (happened to mum so many times over the years).



It must have been months, maybe even a more (could be a year) since I've seen this screen: I haven't used many online retailers recently and if I do mostly eBay/PayPal. So when it asks for my password, I haven't got a clue. So I thought I'll try a couple that I use: 2 attempts later and I'm told I am not allowed to try again. Fine, so let's ask for a new password (after-all once you forgotten it, you should be able to ask for a new one?). Fill in all the details (which I'm not too keen giving on the internet), only to see Process blocked.. so now I can't even ask for a new password now? I am not even sure my new card is registered with VbV either, as it's only changed this month! So technically there shouldn't be any password assigned to that card, as it's a new card.

According to VbV since I tried like 2 times, I must be fraudster?! Now its saying the only way to Unblock it is to phone a number (usually phoning banks/companies, is a nightmare.. waiting ages on a phone in a queue, giving more details to someone).. Why do I have to phone a number to get an online process unblocked too? Surely you should be able to unblock in my online banking?! (Would make sense).. nope, nothing there (no mention at all). By the looks of it, there is no time-out on the block: My card is blocked for good on all VbV sites until I phone them (how nice)..

What a horrible system.. Visa you should be really shamed of it! An iframe is very bad implementation – you don't expect that from important payment systems! I would never use a frame, has it should transfer you to a full-page site (that shows you a secure connection). For many, it looks like a phishing scam (all too easy to make something look like it in 10..5 minutes)! There is no help; once something goes wrong you're forced to phone them at you're expense. Why isnt there some kind-of admin section for us account owners? If they are going to block you, then at least give you a counter telling you that you have just 2 goes. Why is the block permanent too? Surely 24-hour is good enough? Payment blocked is getting too common, you'd never used to get one unless it was for a very good reason.



Even if I was a fraudster, then VbV hasn't even bothered to tell me about this activity by email (which it should know). So I would come to use my card, to find I'm blocked without any idea. Then I'll have to chase them up (probably waiting on there for ages) giving countless details to people, costing me money.

I'll probably get a phone-call from the bank later telling me that fraudster tried to defraud me.. yea.. That was me trying to actually buy something with the stupid thing!?! Why has forgetting a password caused so much trouble? Has the account owner should be able to sort myself, without having to get someone else involved. They scared the heck of mum the first time it happened, phoning her telling that someone tried to defraud her (wasn't actually a fraudster, but her in the end).

So in the end, what has Verified by Visa done? Well, just blocked legit sale.. thanks! Really useful – how can I opt-out (cant even do that), please?! All I want to do is set a new password... Yet in the real-world I can use near field communication (no PIN) up-to £15, or with a PIN without a problem.

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