Really need some advice about Halifax trying it on!

simionleeds

Hi Guys,

Well its my first post here, but i really need some advice.

I hold an halifax easycash account (the very basic account) which comes with a visa electron debit card, no overdraft, etc etc.

The other day, i registered with an online auction site, it said "we will take no money now" and only use the debit card for verification, so i entered my details, knowing that there was no money in the account anyway and that debit cards cannot go overdrawn, i was not worried.

Anyway to my horror the very next day, my internet banking said -£120.00 - due to a "debit card" transaction. It turns out this auction site charges £10 per month membership,and in the small print will charge you annually the next day.

Now the above, is not my concern. My concern is i phoned Halifax and asked how in hell this transaction as been approved, the first person i spoke to told me that debit card transactions dont check for available funds, but rather approve EVERY transaction (yes, she did say this! lol) and then figure out if the funds are there after a week or so, when i got annoyed telling her she was wrong, she terminated the call.

The next person i got through to, proceeded to tell me their were things such as "floor limits".... i looked this up and told her, even on the visa website themselves, they say floor limits DO NOT APPLY TO VISA ELECTRON cards as the transaction is in real time, and if the funds are not there, the money will not come off. When i quoted this to her she told me "we all have our own systems in place" and kept repeating this sentence.

I argued with her, in that if i tried to buy something for £10 in a shop, it would be declined, if i tried getting something out of the cash point, it would be declined, so how the hell has a £120 transaction been approved, she told quoted the floor limits again, which i told her was rubbish.

Long story short, they say its my fault, and ive LET the account go overdrawn, even by their own admission, on the documentation i have when i opened the account it clearly says by no means will halifax allow the account to go overdrawn, this is precisely the reason they give these cards to students, young people, and people with past credit problems.

Does anyone know how this may have happened? Why are halifax telling me about floor limits, authorisations, transactions etc, which actually do not even apply to my card/account and when i challenge them about this, terminating my call.

To top it off, ive just had a letter through saying "YOU HAVE LET YOUR ACCOUNT GO OVERDRAWN, OR ALLOWED SOMEONE ELSE TO LET YOUR ACCOUNT GO OVERDRAWN". lol

Any advice appreciated as they just will not admit this is their fault. This transaction should never have gone through, i dont know how it has gone through, and i dont know whats happening.

Please advise,
Thanks

Swans1912

What state is your account in now, still overdrawn?

Have you cancelled your online membership to get the money back?

Can you afford to get your account back in credit?

simionleeds

Thanks for the reply. the account is still overdrawn. I have contacted the auction site who basically said i should have read the terms and conditions (which i do hold my hands up to!).

My issue is that it should never have gone through, and Halifax are saying this is normal when i know it isnt, you simply cannot spend with a visa electron if you dont have the money in there, infact ive actually had it declined before WITH money in there.

latecomer

To be honest I dont think you are on a winner. You signed up to a site, didn't read the terms and got billed. Debit card payment can and do go through regardless of whether there are funds available. I learned this the hard way a long time ago.

Good luck though.

Swans1912

Can you cancel your membership with this online site, what site is it?

Have you contacted your local branch and the complaints department?