Wrong payee

Violet

Please can anyone help!

I handle my parents finances online and last month (May) I made a payment from their HSBC current account to pay their Halifax credit card. The payment was debited from the HSBC account. They have now been contacted by Halifax stating the payment was missed and money is overdue.

I now realise my error, when making the payment online I entered slightly wrong information about the payee, now their money has disappeared into cyberspace. I cannot phone the banks directly as they would not deal with me only the account holder. Can I trace the payment? Is it undo-able?

Help!!!

Lokolo

No you can't trace the payment. If the sort code was correct you would need to contact that bank (i.e. if it was Halifax sortcode you need to contact Halifax) and ask them to request the money back from the person who recieved the money. If the account exists. (if it doesn't it will be returned automatically)

This could take many weeks and may not come to any success.

Violet

Do you mean the sort code of the account I was taking the money, the hsbc to pay the halifax card?

got-it-spend-it

No, you need to trace the details it was paid to. Did the payment go to Halifax, just to the wrong person? If so you need to contact Halifax with the details it was paid to, and they can investigate whether it has gone to another persons card, or is lost in the clearing system somewhere.

bradgirl

Violet wrote: »

I cannot phone the banks directly as they would not deal with me only the account holder. QUOTE]

Hi there, I would phone the bank and pretend to be your Mum - they'll never know. Although it's not strictly ethical, it's not like you're pretending to be her for a fraudulent reason, you're just trying to sort out the mess! Alternatively, is it possible to get one of your parents to ring and put the bank person on speaker phone, so that you can tell your parent what to say?

glider3560

If you get one of your parents to phone and ask them to give the bank permission to talk to you about the matter, then they should be fine with this.

jambosans

Lokolo wrote: »

If the account exists. (if it doesn't it will be returned automatically)

If the sort code and account number are correct but the card number was incorrect then it is either in someone else's account or if it didn't match any other customer accounts it will sitting in a holding account. It will not automatically be returned. This would only happen if the sort code and account number did not match.

In response to the OP, you have to contact HBOS Card Services to explain what has happened. However, you are correct, they will only speak to the card holder. Although in some instances if your parents are taken through security then they can give you authorisation to speak and explain the situation.

Lokolo

jambosans wrote: »

If the sort code and account number are correct but the card number was incorrect then it is either in someone else's account or if it didn't match any other customer accounts it will sitting in a holding account. It will not automatically be returned. This would only happen if the sort code and account number did not match.

In response to the OP, you have to contact HBOS Card Services to explain what has happened. However, you are correct, they will only speak to the card holder. Although in some instances if your parents are taken through security then they can give you authorisation to speak and explain the situation.

Where do you enter card number for online transfers?

And I said if the account doesn't exist it will be returned.

Extant

I'd get the exact details of where your transfer went to from HSBC, and then contact Halifax with those details so they know what they're looking for.

jambosans

Lokolo wrote: »

Where do you enter card number for online transfers?

And I said if the account doesn't exist it will be returned.

You enter the card number in the reference section of the transfer. I'm not familiar with HSBC online banking, however the card number is needed to pay the right credit card account.

I know what you said, and I agree, if the sort code and account number is not a valid account then it will be returned. However "the account" may also refer to the credit card itself, so if it goes into the correct sort code and account number, but the card number does match, the funds are held by HBOS until the customer gets in contact.

Violet

Thank you to everyone for the help and advice. On the Halifax website it has a letter template for just such a problem so I emailed them to ask if I would use that letter to send to them or could they just sort it out over the phone. I think I will call and be Mrs Mum but I'm waiting to see what they recommend. Also, hopefully, they will narrow down which telephone number I should call, there are hundreds of different ones!
Thanks again!!!