Virgin Media (re)instated DD from my account, but associated with unknown address

RichardBranson wrote: »

I'll try and be as brief as possible here:

I've been in dispute with Virgin Media (VM) for most of 2016 over a mistake they made in billing me for dates after I'd cancelled services. This issue also detrimentally affected my credit file which, thanks only to persistent complaint from me, has mercifully now been resolved (at least, for now...)

The particular issue I'm concerned with here however, is that in the midst of the above process I noticed last week that VM had debited ~£100 from my account. My services with them had been cancelled back in February, and the account closed in credit (they sent me duplicate cheques while simultaneously issuing debt collection notices for precisely the same amounts earlier in the year... o_O).

When I contacted them to query why, after not being a customer for so long, they'd taken money from my account, I was told that I'd recently authorised a DD. I'd done no such thing.

Further discussion revealed this new DD was not associated with any address I had previously occupied and the CSR informing me that this could be fraudulent activity (data protection legislation prevented them informing me of the address used, of course). But why would anyone set up broadband services attached to a specific, traceable address using illegally obtained details? Surely that's the dumbest crime ever?

After more discussion, 'a manager' agreed to cancel the DD and suggested I contacted my bank to arrange a DD Indemnity which, duly, I did. However, the (Halifax) CSR I spoke to about this informed me that this happens all the time and, even though I'd cancelled services VM (and indeed any other company) are within their rights to reinstate a DD without notifying me.

Is this correct?

And, even if so; if I'm no longer a customer and have ended my VM contract in credit (with a huge paper trail to prove this from the initial complaint mentioned above), what right do VM have to instate a DD 'agreement' &remove money from my account without informing me? Perhaps an oversimplification, but if I were to be caught withdrawing funds from a person's account without asking their permission I'd face prosecution, no?

It's a bit of a mystery to me and, given the amount of trouble I've had with VM (not to mention the volume of results a quick online query about similar credit file traducement issues turns up) I'm left feeling a little wary, suspicious and like there's more to come...

I guess I'm posting in case anyone's able to shed any light on/offer any advice about what to do next with this..

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

M