Recurring Payments Warning! discussion

wilf55 · 9 March 2012 at 11:47AM

just rang my bank rbs put thro to visa debit card dept

they are charging back company for all payments since my cancellation but can only go back 120 days!

there are 2 more payments that she felt the company will reimburse me when the bank claim there money back off them

she said changing card doesnt generally make a difference as when you gave original card details basically you gave them access to your account so if they really want to (some companies take the hint apparently at this point) they can continue to access your funds

She is sending me a form to complete and i have to send proof that i tried to cancel etc but in the meantime i will have last 120 days worth of payments in my account within 24 hours

David1345 · 9 March 2012 at 6:50PM

Optimist wrote: »

At this point you need to raise a complaint through the banks complaints process. Then go to the ombudsman but I doubt it will get that far.

Thanks, I have made a complaint. We'll see. It's bizarre isn't it?

Biggles · 10 March 2012 at 10:38PM

wilf55 wrote: »

i changed my card but recurring payment still continued!

See post #148

manulike · 9 April 2012 at 4:03PM

I have just switched my electricity supply to LoCo2 and what was presented as "monthly direct debit" has now been presented in their "welcome package" letter as a monthly "direct debit" of a fixed £60. They state that I am welcome to lower this monthly fee, if I wish.
Is this not a reoccurring fixed fee payment and should I be weary of it?
Should I insist on paying a variable monthly direct debit?

UPDATE - 12 April:
Just letting you know that the customer service at LoCo2 was very understanding, and although they find it cumbersome to provide monthly statements for variable DD, they were happy to take a quarterly reading from me and bill me quarterly.
Feels like a very friendly and approachable small unit!

magic1310 · 24 April 2012 at 12:21PM

Wiggynut wrote: »

I ended up with this sort of payment (I didn't realise at the time and thought it was a DD!) I've cancelled the bank card (debit card) with the bank as I kept asking Karma Insurance to cancel my policy but they said they can't access my account (they've stopped doing insurance aparently and didn't notifiy people until after they lost access!
I was told to cancel through world pay (?!) I was never told it was going through that either - but as they wont provide me with a password & username I am unable to do that - I've tried contacting the new insurance consultants who are now dealing with Karma's (now ex) insurance customers but they have never responded.

I now keep getting messages that they are trying to take payment (several weeks before they are suppose to even if I'd hadn't canceled?!?!?!?) and I'm worried that I'm going to get charged for this and they could go to a debt collectors etc despite me asking them to cancel several times now.

does anyone know if this can happen or do I just 'forget' it as they can't take money from my account anymore - I've since taken insurance out elsewhere. (plus I moved house and the insurance was for my previous address - one of the reasons I wanted to cancel as they wouldn't change my address!)

I discovered at the end of last month Ziinga.com had taken 58quid from my account. I had no recolection of setting up this account but remember biding on a phone and winning the auction. I entered my card details then read the terms and conditions and realised it would involve a monthly subscription fee so sent a cancelation notice to Ziinga and thought no more of it until checking my account later in the month. After many emails back and forward to Ziinga and my own bank without any joy. Ziinga wanted 28 quid to get out of the contract and o stop the recurring payment, my bank could not cancel it or refund me my money. I accept my foolishness for bidding for the phone. I then discovered this company had taken the same amount out of my account the previous month and I have no corospondance from them detailing setting up an account. it turns out I had two accounts under different emails but luckily only one bank card so they could only access one payment from me. It's so strange that this can happen and as I have been recently conned by eurochance I can't believe I set this up. Ziinga requested I send them photocopies on my bank card both sides and photo identification and authorisation paperwork all after they have access to my account.
i would advise anyone the steer clear of this company as they have blocked me from accessing the live auctions or the phone I bid and won on. I am in the process of opening a new bank account as I feel my account details, passwords etc are out there with companies registered in Spain who could use my information to set up false accounts on sites like Ziinga.
as the old saying goes if it looks to good to be true it probably is. I have lost over 150 pouns and have nothing to show for it.

magic1310 · 24 April 2012 at 1:03PM

I discovered at the end of last month Ziinga.com had taken 58quid from my account. I had no recolection of setting up this account but remember biding on a phone and winning the auction. I entered my card details then read the terms and conditions and realised it would involve a monthly subscription fee so sent a cancelation notice to Ziinga and thought no more of it until checking my account later in the month. After many emails back and forward to Ziinga and my own bank without any joy. Ziinga wanted 28 quid to get out of the contract and o stop the recurring payment, my bank could not cancel it or refund me my money. I accept my foolishness for bidding for the phone. I then discovered this company had taken the same amount out of my account the previous month and I have no corospondance from them detailing setting up an account. it turns out I had two accounts under different emails but luckily only one bank card so they could only access one payment from me. It's so strange that this can happen and as I have been recently conned by eurochance I can't believe I set this up. Ziinga requested I send them photocopies on my bank card both sides and photo identification and authorisation paperwork all after they have access to my account.
i would advise anyone the steer clear of this company as they have blocked me from accessing the live auctions or the phone I bid and won on. I am in the process of opening a new bank account as I feel my account details, passwords etc are out there with companies registered in Spain who could use my information to set up false accounts on sites like Ziinga.
as the old saying goes if it looks to good to be true it probably is. I have lost over 150 pouns and have nothing to show for it.

snowcat53 · 24 April 2012 at 1:19PM

Stumbled acorss this thread and many thanks to savagej for his/her clarifying this. I got caught in a Lovefilm subscription by CPA last year that the bank said could only be cancelled by the firm, but Lovefilm refused to cancel until all DVDs were back - but when they were they immediately sent out a new one so said we couldnt cancel before the next month... and so on. Wish I'd known the facts above then.

Evil_Olive · 24 April 2012 at 11:34PM

Laurenbelle wrote: »

I have also heard that even if you cancel your Debit Card companies can can come back through a previous authorisation code which would then link it to your bank account regardless of how many times you cancel and receive a new card.

I have personal experience of this happening so yes, they can.

According to my bank, during the original transaction you're giving them 'recurring authorisation' to access your bank account at the agreed intervals/amounts via your debit card even if it's renewed/replaced. Only the retailer concerned can cancel it.

So long as you hadn't blocked your card/reported it stolen/whatever BEFORE you gave that authorisation, it's assumed to continue to be valid.

I reported my card stolen and the money was still taken more than a month afterwards. My bank was pretty good - told me it would persue it as an unauthorised withdrawal and I did get my money back in the end but the bank said that the ONLY way I could've stopped the money coming out in the first place would be to permanently close down my whole bank account, completely. (and then open a new/different one).

fermi · 27 April 2012 at 7:13PM

BBC Moneybox tomorrow

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/9717053.stm

Continuous payments

BBC Radio 4's Money Box

Saturday, 28 April 2012 at 1204 BST On Radio 4 and Online

Two of Britain's biggest banks have failed to give some of their customers their legal right to cancel recurring payments set up to pay for services like gym membership, internet security or payday loans.

The admission came after Money Box raised the issue with Lloyds Bank and Santander who both admitted that they had not always complied with the law.

Lloyds has acknowledged that more than two years since the law came into force it has not updated the terms and conditions on all its accounts to reflect the rules.

Bob Howard reports and Paul Lewis talks to Mike Dailly from the Govan Law Centre and Mark Bowman from UK Payments.

agrinnall · 28 April 2012 at 8:19AM

And now appearing on the BBC news website too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17870704

Recurring Payments Warning! discussion

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