Debit card payment has been submitted twice

indian_jalepeno

Hi all, apologies if this should be somewhere else but its late!!

Just been having a root through my current account statement and I have noticed that whilst on holiday in Cornwall a meal which I paid for back in June using my switch card has been used again for the same payment.

Now, this at the time was a restaurant that had only re-opened that day (unbeknown to me) and did not have the automated facility to pay. They said that their other restaurant would take the details and do the transaction over the phone. Not entirely happy about this I still paid for the meal. I just hope I still have the receipt - but that said, my bank statement shows both transactions for the same price to the same place within a 10 week gap.

Unable to phone the bank tonight, but what are my chances of getting this money back and from not letting it happen again. I'm inclined to give the restaurant a bell too, or should I leave it up to the bank to sort out? Surely I won't have to prove that I ate there on both occasions?? Meal wasn't brill either!!!

Any advise is welcomed!!
I J

rolandpol

how long ago was this?

indian_jalepeno

Hi, thanks for the reply - went to bed!!

It was 10 weeks ago that I went there but the second payment came out last Friday gone.

LilacPixie

and while your at it cancel your card. The have obviously kept a record of your card details.

indian_jalepeno

Spoke to my bank this morning. 1st line monkey fobbed me off and said I should speak to the restaurant - which I did. They did seem surprised at the claim but as this transaction was done over the phone to their other company (which turns out to be a phone shop - as mentioned earlier the restaurant didnt have switch connected) all I did was sign the slip - the old fashion way of paying on your card. This I still have.. phew!!
Still awaiting a call from the place. The Phone shop manager has had his phone switched off all day...hmm. I'll give them till tomorrow to contact me and failing that, start the ball rolling down the fraud route...AND place a nice little review on every Cornish food and travel site!!!

Considering what has been done and also being scepticle? myself, how else could this transaction be resurrected again unless it was by deceptive means?

What is the recourse on these types of people? Surely keeping my details was only done for one reason? Or what should really happen once a transaction has taken place when having your card swiped the old fashioned way? Should they shred the carbon copy or keep it for their own records??

Didnt use my card last Friday but i'm sure work would back me up that I wasn't in Cornwall!!!!

Thanks for the replies

londonuk2008

First thing is your bank should have treated this as fraud. They should put the amount in dispute and charge back to the retailer - unless they have a slip signed or chip and pin. I would also notify the local police....this happened to me last year.

indian_jalepeno

Well, phoned up the bank again today, after a lonnng conversation. Trying to get an explanation of why or how this can happen, she basically said that because it was via debit card details,be it chip n pin or the old fashioned way it is out of their hands!!?? I argued that when I handed my card over I wasnt exactly giving them permission to fleece me!!

I tried to get out of her the process of how the transaction is completed once I have paid for a service and left the premises. She was quite vague in this saying it is all done automatically but was adamant that if the restaurant refuse payment back to me then they will pursue it - yeah thanks. As it was my decision to pay by my debit card so therefore I ran the risk of this coming out twice apparently????!!!

One thing she was clear on was that both transactions were submitted on the same day, with the same auth code. The first was paid out ten weeks before the second as this remained pending in my account...Pending what?????... Pending that the same payment hadn't already been requested/paid??? If so then surely my bank is accountable, regardless of how I paid for the meal.


The chap at the restaurant did phone me back within my deadline (after I'd threatened them with the police, fraud etc) otherwise I'd still be waiting for them!! He nervously said it had been a common occurrence :eek: and the fault lay with their bank?? Hmmm, I'm getting confused on how their bank can be culpable when it was they who swiped my card??? Or maybe he's trying to cover something untoward up?

Can anyone shed light on what actually happens and in my case the duplicate carbon payment slip that they had. Did they present it to their bank then their bank request payment from mine or was it all automatically done as per how my bank tried to blag it off to me!!

I am expecting a call back from him tomorrow........

Thanks all

Mikeyorks

indian_jalepeno wrote: »

One thing she was clear on was that both transactions were submitted on the same day, with the same auth code. The first was paid out ten weeks before the second as this remained pending in my account...

You can't have a 'pending' DC transaction on your account for 10 weeks. It's a requirement the Bank return any 'unclaimed' DC values back to your available balance within 7 working days. So - if an authorised transaction doesn't materialise after that period of time - the Bank software should neutralise it.

If both were from the same authorisation then it sounds as though the problem lies with the 'merchant acquirer' who processes the transactions for the restaurant / phone company.

But - regardless of where the blame lies, the resolution, after this period of time, is to insist your Bank pursue it as a disputed transaction. If they can see it is same value / same initiation date / same authorisation code ...... they're being a bit myopic if they can't see they've duplicated a payment out of your funds and need to reclaim it.

indian_jalepeno

Thanks for that. I will contact the Halifax again and insist that they investigate this regardless of it being a debit card transaction. I too agree that it should have been flagged up in the system as all details, dates, amounts etc were the same and for this to stay pending for so long.

Anyone know where or if they have this in their T and C's for returning or neutralising an authorised payment after 7 days?