Argos Charging Twice For Each Transaction

kenwood

I bought two items on the evening of Friday 24th October at the Wigan Robin Park branch. I partially paid by Argos Voucher and the remainder by credit card.

Upon checking my card account, I noticed that two identical transactions had been debited from my account.

I've just been to the branch to find out why, only to be told that there was a fault with the system that day which doubled charged everybody. I'm not sure if this affects other branches, but I would check your credit and current account transactions.

Luckily my transaction was on credit card, I'm sure there are other people who paid by debit card and could possibly have been overdrawn by this error.

HTH

impulse

Hi,yes,same happened to me,checked online statement this morning,was charged twice for a purchase on Friday afternoon,this was in Belfast,so it must be nationwide .

I rang the store,they confirmed it was a system problem of which head office were aware of and refunds are being made

ACID

overdrawn?? again why are people buying goods with money they simply dont have>? i know its now answerign your post but i thought id state this

kenwood wrote: »

I bought two items on the evening of Friday 24th October at the Wigan Robin Park branch. I partially paid by Argos Voucher and the remainder by credit card.

Upon checking my card account, I noticed that two identical transactions had been debited from my account.

I've just been to the branch to find out why, only to be told that there was a fault with the system that day which doubled charged everybody. I'm not sure if this affects other branches, but I would check your credit and current account transactions.

Luckily my transaction was on credit card, I'm sure there are other people who paid by debit card and could possibly have been overdrawn by this error.

HTH

kenwood

The reason I said overdrawn is that twice the money has been debited. Some people may have bought something for a considerable amount, ie hundreds, and paid by debit card which they have sufficient funds for. The second duplicate transaction could overdraw them.

kadiekaismummi

ACID wrote: »

overdrawn?? again why are people buying goods with money they simply dont have>? i know its now answerign your post but i thought id state this

I think Kenwood is just pointing out that, you may have enough for the item you buy, but being charged twice for the one object you are buying could possibly make someone overdrawn, if thet only had the money in their account to buy that one item....hope ive explained it properly....x

2boysmum

ACID wrote: »

overdrawn?? again why are people buying goods with money they simply dont have>? i know its now answerign your post but i thought id state this

I think Kenwood meant people would have had enough money in there account to pay for one transaction but not to enough in their account if they had to pay for 2 transactions, easy enough to happen if you are buying a large item, then Argos charges you twice, don't think its anything to do with people buying things with money they don't have

zel69

Hi all, from what I know, when you use a debit card, they can only charge you what is in your account and not overdraw you, this is why I use one. HTH

impulse

zel69 wrote: »

Hi all, from what I know, when you use a debit card, they can only charge you what is in your account and not overdraw you, this is why I use one. HTH

Yes,but the funds may have been available when the purchase was made,and by taking that twice may have used funds which were supposed to be there to pay something else,such as a direct debit,maybe the next day

angel00079

zel69 wrote: »

Hi all, from what I know, when you use a debit card, they can only charge you what is in your account and not overdraw you, this is why I use one. HTH

I think that would depend on the card and the agreement that you have with the issuer. People may be charged if there is not enough to cover a Standing Order. They will probably be stung twice, once from card issuer and from the SO payee.

Yorkielass

This happened to me too - luckily I checked on internet banking last night as I always do and saw it, having spoken to my bank and then to Argos Customer Services I've discovered it'll be 2-10 days before the money's back in my account and Argos don't seem particularly bothered it's happened :mad: Fortunently I had money in my savings account to cover the extra amount (c£100) and I've transferred it across so I don't risk going overdrawn because of it - why did I have to pick Friday to shop in Argos....

kenwood

I've just found this from a website:

How debit cards work

Debit cards are linked directly to your bank account. You can use them to buy goods or withdraw cash and the amount is taken from your account right away.
You can also use debit cards to get 'cashback' from certain shops (you buy goods and also ask for money back from the cashier). The total amount is deducted from your account right away.
When using a cash machine or paying for goods with a debit card you'll need to enter your PIN (personal identity number). When buying goods you usually enter it into an electronic hand held device, but in some cases you may have to sign.
Most bank accounts offer debit cards. Most debit cards double up as 'cheque guarantee cards', guaranteeing that your cheque will be honoured by your bank up to a stated amount.

What happens if there's not enough money in your account?

This will depend on the type of debit card you have:

• if you have a ‘Solo’ or ‘Electron’ debit card the balance in your account is checked before each transaction – if there’s not enough money you won’t be able pay or withdraw cash with the debit card without prior agreement
• if you have ‘Switch’, ‘Visa’ or ‘Delta’ card your account balance won’t necessarily be checked and the payment may still go through

If you go overdrawn the charges you’ll pay will depend on whether or not you have an authorised overdraft arrangement with your bank. If you do, you’ll pay the agreed amount of interest at the end of each month. This is usually much lower than interest charged on credit cards.
If you don’t have an overdraft agreement, or you exceed the agreed limit, your bank may allow the payment to go through but you’ll usually pay much higher fees than if you had an agreed overdraft.

Link to site:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingMoney/BankAccountsAndBankingProducts/DG_10035158

HTH