Internet banking and Direct Debits

steve_cov

I have had multiple conversations with A&L (my bank for only three months) about my inability to see all my Direct Debits on their internet banking service. I now plan to complain in writing.

Rather than re-write this for this site, I hope you will accept me posting the contents of my letter below. Can anyone shed more light or offer any other help? Martin: is there any consumer revenge to be had here?

Dear Sirs

Current Account Number: [removed]

As a user of your internet banking service, I recently logged on to look at my account. While doing so, I noticed that not all of my direct debits are listed on the site. This is extremely unhelpful when planning and monitoring my finances.

Unfortunately, the response I received from your customer service team was jargonistic and unaccommodating. Eventually I gathered that there are two types of direct debits, only one of which appears on the designated screen. However, your document Your Guide to Internet Banking clearly states on Page 13:

By selecting ‘Direct Debits’ you can keep track of all the regular payments leaving you account. And if you need to cancel any, you can now do it all in a few clicks.

This statement is patently untrue, and your staff have so far shown little willingness either to apologise or to correct the fault. The suggestion that I should remember this payment, rather than see it listed, seems to contradict the whole purpose of internet banking.

There are enormous financial benefits to banks of customers switching to internet banking services. It is, therefore, unacceptable that there remains a direct debit system which is incompatible with the promises made to users of your internet banking service and acts as an obstacle to sound financial planning. I hereby request that you:
(a) refuse to enact any future direct debit mandates unless they use the system which is compatible with your internet banking service;
(b) require all direct debit beneficiaries currently using the incompatible system to draw payments from my account to cancel their mandates and establish new instructions under the system which is compatible with internet banking.

I moved to Alliance & Leicester because I was tired of my previous bank, Abbey National, promising one thing and doing the opposite. I sincerely hope that my experience of Alliance & Leicester will not render me as unhappy. Much as I do not want to have to transfer my account yet again, I will not hesitate to do so if your service falls short of reasonable expectation.

Yours faithfully

Sorry to copy text in full, but this has really really angered me and I won't take it.

Milarky

Well direct debits don't always show on my current account (Nationwide) but I accept that they won't do so until at least one payment is drawn by that method. (Technically, you enter into a direct debit with the third party - not your bank - so that the first they know is when they receive a request from that third party). Once a payment has been drawn on your account however you would rightly expect to see that itemised on your statement and listed among your active direct debit 'payees' thereafter.

[Are these DD payees that are not showing ones that have not yet drawn any payment perhaps or are they ones already shown on your A&L statement?]

ronaldmacdonald

Milarky wrote:

[Are these DD payees that are not showing ones that have not yet drawn any payment perhaps or are they ones already shown on your A&L statement?]

Can the OP update this as I am interested in this as a potential A&L customer. Barclays show all DD's so its a bit pants if A&L cannot do the same.

MPH80

I spoke to A&L recently about a 'missing' HSBC direct debit.

They said (and I've no idea how true it is) that if the direct debit is created via the old 'form' system - then the direct debit is not visible online.

If it is done electronically (as most are) then it will be.

Now - this does make some sense - because my Nationwide DD isn't visible and they are definately still using forms.

However, it's worth noting that my HSBC DD did eventually show up! So I'm just missing the one now.

As I said - no idea how true it is - but it's just what I've been told by their CS.

M.

steve_cov

Milarky wrote:

Are these DD payees that are not showing ones that have not yet drawn any payment perhaps or are they ones already shown on your A&L statement?

No, the first payment was taken on 10 April so it's in operation. The customer service people alleged that they can't see the requested payments until they've been taken either.

Further update: I am chums with a Council Tax Manager at Coventry City Council, who says that they do use what he recognised as an "old" system, but that they will soon be updating to a "new" one. However, he banks online too (but with HSBC) - and he can see his Council Tax DD on his account. Same billing authority, same system: maybe it is the A&L's fault after all?

SalsaDanca

I have had the same problem with A&L since I switched to them a year ago. The direct debit page lists most, but not all, of my direct debits, and some of the ones that are listed don't show the value and date of the last transaction.

I use an accounts package to keep track of all my direct debits and standing orders, so the lack of information on the A&L website is not a problem for me, but it is still annoying.

Rob

MPH80

steve_cov wrote:

No, the first payment was taken on 10 April so it's in operation. The customer service people alleged that they can't see the requested payments until they've been taken either.

Further update: I am chums with a Council Tax Manager at Coventry City Council, who says that they do use what he recognised as an "old" system, but that they will soon be updating to a "new" one. However, he banks online too (but with HSBC) - and he can see his Council Tax DD on his account. Same billing authority, same system: maybe it is the A&L's fault after all?

Well - I know this is an A&L specific problem. Having had online banking with Natwest, IF, Nationwide and Cahoot all for Current Accounts - I know none of the others had this problem.

M.

Jays

Direct Line does not have this problem either, it shows all direct debits and standing orders, even the ones that are designated quarterly, or even annually.

Come to think of it, it even shows those that have not been paid because we have cancelled them at source; it even allows you to seen all the list of past payments for each one.

Jays

Mikeyorks

My Halifax account also shows all DDs where I have 'signed' a mandate. And that includes whether the mandate is filed electronically or on paper with the payee. In fact just used that facility to check a varied mandate has been lodged for my Council Tax - as the Council have been really slow.

But, as most mandates are 'variable' - wouldn't expect to see a value attached until the first DD had been initiated. Whereupon the Halifax entry then shows value / last date taken.

meanstreak

This annoys the hell out of me too as an A&L Online Banking customer.

I spoke to one of their Liverpool drones about it yesterday and was given lots of scary information about who 'owns' a direct debit. Basically, the bank are 'slaves' to direct debit mandates and it's the third party who own them. They can change the amount, reinstate them - basically, do what the hell they want with them. This is why every company wants people to use DD

I'm in the process of cancelling as many of my direct debits as possible (the ones where I know for definite how much will be taken out) and replacing them with standing orders.

Edit: By the way, A&L's online banking site as a piece of software is, quite frankly, terrible. I am a professional web developer/programmer and am very concerned with the choice of server/programming language they are still using and their 'two-step' authentication is pretty pointless.