Bradford and Bingley Aka Abbey AKA Santander & United Utilities

satmanuk

This is a warning to any customers who held a Timesaver account with the Bradford and Bingley.

If at any point in the history of your account, you have had a direct debit with an institution and changed it to another bank, and if you still use your Timesaver account under the new Abbey account.

On the 12th June United Utilities stopped claiming there weekly direct debit from First Direct/HSBC. Baffled as to why the payments had stopped my mother duly contacted United Utilities.

"Your bank has refused the payment" United Utilities said.

Mother contacted First Direct "But they haven't even claimed it" said First Direct.

The same problem again occurred on the 19th and 26th June with both First Direct and United Utilities without explanation as to what had happened.

Today 2nd July, 1 day before another payment was due a phone call to united utilities mother said "I had better setup the Direct Debit again, just confirm the account details".

The details matched their old Bradford and Bingley account now Abbey.

Baffled as to how they got the account details into the first place a little more digging took place.

It appears that 13 years ago when the Direct Debit was switched to First Direct from Bradford and Bingley, the instruction was never actually canceled at branch just with United Utilities.

Now all Bradford and Bingley accounts have changed to Abbey / Santander, they wrote to all companies with an "Active" instruction even if it had been dormant for 13 years informing them of the change over and new details.

Bradford and Bignley state "oh we told them you changed your account number, but didn't authorise them to take payments from it unless previously doing so"

United Utilities state the letter simply said "Customer name and account number will now be using the following Abbey account"

I haven't seen the Bradford and Bingley / Abbey letter but i think two things should have been actioned.

1) The letter should have stated "IF THE CUSTOMER HAD A DIRECT DEBIT SETUP UNDER THIS ACCOUNT PX XXXXX THEN CHANGE IT TO XXXX"

2) Abbey should have checked to see when the last Direct Debit was claimed. Logic states 13 years - its obviously a dead direct debit why action it?

If Abbey had actually bothered to check the customers direct debits they would have known not to send out the letter to United Utilities.

If they had also bothered to include the old account number and the word IF THEN ELSE a simple computer program "if they used this account THEN change it to that account ELSE don't bother and leave the hell alone!!

How many other customers have been affected by this?

Could it happen with Lloyds taking on Halifax as well as Abbey taking on Bradford and Bingley?

When you move your direct debit to another institution always ensure the old one is cancelled if you plan to keep the old account open.

Heed this warning - but with a possible £105 in Bank Charges pending (which Santander / Abbey have agreed to refund) just be carefull it could get costly!

dc110

I just wrote a reply which got deleted but the gist of it was

2) Abbey should have checked to see when the last Direct Debit was claimed. Logic states 13 years - its obviously a dead direct debit why action it?

Lets assume for a minute you had a direct debit no used for a long time but needed it paid. Abbey dont pay it because "logic dictates it should be cancelled"

Are you happy with your bank making these kind of assumptions and putting you into mortgage/rent/council tax arrears for example?

You cant expect the bank to know a DD should be cancelled when it hadnt been cancelled at the bank.

Extant

Direct Debits now have a dormancy period of 13 months (to allow for annual payments), where after the DDI is classed as dormant and should be canceled by the bank.

In short, this should never have happened for a time span as long as 13 years.

dc110

True but it may have been requested that this dormancy period was increased (whether intended or not)

scott_lithgows

Had problems with these clowns,was just finishing switching from B+B to Yorkshire BS (was not going back to shabbey under any circumstances)when they started switching them back ! A few d/d,s have been missed however I have the upper hand on companies as I can refer to my phone call in May and then ask them why they have taken the word of a 3rd party over their customer.(hints of my ability to switch providers,also works a treat)

I got a letter from e-on asking why I had closed my direct debit down(account was closed on 12th June).Not used them since 2004,so B+B should have closed it a long time ago.

To anyone who had a Timesaver account,can I recommend the Yorkshire BS cash transactor account.It has 2 big advantages
1,you can set up standing orders again (stopped by B+B)
2,it is not banking with abbey/santander or whatever those clowns are calling themselves this week.
Abbey will screw you around-its only a matter of time!
Come home to a Building Society-what B+B should have stayed.

Extant

dc110 wrote: »

True but it may have been requested that this dormancy period was increased (whether intended or not)

Highly, higly unlikely it could be extended to 13 years.

This is just a screw-up.

satmanuk

dc110 wrote: »

True but it may have been requested that this dormancy period was increased (whether intended or not)

It wasn't - as far as my parents were concerned the direct debit had been canceled.