Member Article

Almost 7 million bank cards were lost last year

Re-tracing your steps, turning your house upside-down in a desperate attempt to find something you know you’ve put down somewhere – we’ve all had that sense of dread that comes with losing or misplacing something. New research suggests that most lost items were found in a different bag or coat (29%), followed by down the side of the sofa (28%) and in a pocket (25%), but other odd places included the fridge, children’s toy box, down the back of a radiator, in the microwave or compost pile.

The survey of 2,003 people shows that each year the nation is losing items such as glasses (20%), keys (19%), their bank cards (16%) and mobile phones (17%). More than half (58%) confess to having put these items in a ‘safe place’ only to forget where they are, so does this mean that as a nation were becoming ever more forgetful?

This is why Nationwide’s ‘Card Freeze’ is vitally important. The ability to temporarily freeze, but not have to cancel, any action on your debit or credit card, as soon as you realise you’ve lost it provides peace of mind and the comfort that if you soon find it again, you can spend again without having to wait for a new card.

Dave Palmer, Chief Product Owner, Nationwide Digital said: “We’ve all had that feeling of dread when you go to use something and realise it’s not where you thought it was. That feeling is exasperated when the thing you’ve lost is your debit card as you instantly start to worry that someone may have started spending your money.

“Our research shows that a large majority of people who report their card lost or stolen go on to find it, so being able to freeze their card will reduce both stress and inconvenience. If members can’t find their card, then they can easily report it and order a new one within the banking App.”

Our memories can play a massive role in losing our prized possessions with more than half of Brits (58%) saying they often put things in a ‘safe place’ only to forget where that safe place actually is, while 16% say they do this at least twice a week!

46% of us have lost a bank card and immediately cancelled it only to find it again soon after. Most commonly, we re-discover our stuff down the side of the couch (28%), with men typically being victims of loose items, such as change, in their pockets. For women the sense of relief usually kicks in when scouring the depths of their handbags (35%).

Surprisingly, 60 per cent said they’d looked for something already in their hand – more women (71%) confessed to this than men (48%).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Broadcast Exchange .