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TX: 09.12.04 - CHIP AND PIN PRESENTER: PETER WHITE |
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THE ATTACHED TRANSCRIPT WAS TYPED FROM A RECORDING AND NOT COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT.聽 BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF MISHEARING AND THE DIFFICULTY IN SOME CASES OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS, THE 大象传媒 CANNOT VOUCH FOR ITS COMPLETE ACCURACY. WHITE By the beginning of next year most of the 130 debit - 130 million debit and credit cards we use will have an electronic chip in them and instead of signing a printout when you go shopping, you'll be asked to tap your number into a machine. Well last week we discussed how the new chip and pin cards will work and since then we've been contacted by many of you asking about the situation for those blind or partially sighted bank customers unsure about how the system will work for them or whether they have to use it at all. Well you're right to be confused - the Royal National Institute of the Blind has carried out a study and found that only one in five banks gave their researchers the correct information about how the new technology affected them. Well Steve Winyard is head of policy at the RNIB. First of all, I mean what exactly is the situation about blind and partially sighted people and do they have to use them? WINYARD No they don't, they do have a choice, you can choose to stay with a chip and signature card, rather than the chip and pin card. And a lot of people will want to choose the signature solution. But our research showed that banks were more often than not providing the wrong information - they were not telling visually impaired customers and our mystery shopping researchers that this option was available. So we're very keen that banks get the information right. Banks ought to get it right a 100% of the time, let alone, as we found with branches, it was 20% of the time and with call centres 50% of the time. WHITE So they're just basically not telling people - the most important things, they're not telling people they actually have a choice - that the chip and pin is not the only way that you can pay? WINYARD Absolutely there is the option of carrying on with a card that allows you to sign and that's what we want people to remember and if they want to go for that option to ask for it. WHITE Who are the worst offenders? WINYARD Well we had a number of - one of the worst was Alliance and Leicester and I'm very pleased to say that they've responded very positively to our exercise and are putting in place a major programme to educate or re-educate their call centre staff and branch staff so that they do start to provide the right information. WHITE Can we just remind people, very quickly, what the problem is with these - with the actual typing in your signature or your number? WINYARD Two problems really with chip and pin. One is that the little pads that you have to put the information in are very hard to navigate and the numbers are very small, even if you've got some sight it's very hard to find your way around them. And secondly, there are real major concerns about security - I mean who's looking over your shoulder, if you have problems with sight you won't be able to check that there's no someone looking over your shoulder and checking what your number is. WHITE So basically if people are still worried about this what advice are you giving us? WINYARD Well you must find out before January what sort of card you've been issued with and you can go into any retailer, get it put into the machine and if it's a proper chip and signature card you will be asked to sign, but if it's not then you need to go back to your card issuer and say - look hey I want a chip and signature card, it's my right and I want it now. WHITE Steve Winyard thank you very much indeed. Back to the You and Yours homepage The 大象传媒 is not responsible for external websites |
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