I feel stuffed

goldenstarshine

hi,
I gave my direct debit card details to a firm to make a monthly delivery of goods
just a small amount each month.
Of course it was charged in advance
I e mailed them to stopthe delivery by 25 july this year
to make sure a new charge was nt made for the forthcoming month.

I look at my bank statement and see a charge for 25 july and another for 25 aug

In a panic I ring the bank
please stop any further payments to this firm.. etc

Im sorry sir, thats an agreement between you and the firm, we cant interfere with that.

wot ? you re the bank.. I want you to stop someone taking money out of my account.

you gave them the details sir, its your agreement with them.. if you are in dispute you must contact the fraud office

exasperated I hung up ....
how absurd this is. a firm somewhere in London now Ive got to get on to them and beg them to stop taking my money.

I guess with a standing order, I would have control over that, I could cancel at any time.

It begs the question why should a firm insist on using this method... it puts them in control
already they ve nabbed £36 off me for nothing... this is crazy

I never dreamt that the bank would nt have the power to stop this madness.
Ive just got back to the firm by e mail for them to explain themselves, but meanwhile
I feel totally stuffed.
The firm is nationally known, its not some dodgey outfit.
This smells to me like sharp practice rather than anything else.
But why cant the bank warn debit cards users... in bold capital letters about this form of payment and the way you can feel totally stuffed

Proc

Okay,

I'm guessing that you gave them your debit card details...not the direct debit details (there's a difference). I'm also guessing that they just take the money each month via card payment?

If the bank isn't playing ball, just cancel the card, (report it lost) and get a new one. They won't be able to take the money from the old one.

If it was only the direct debit details they took (account number and sort code) the bank should be absolutely able to cancel this.

wot ? you re the bank.. I want you to stop someone taking money out of my account.

This was just priceless and had me in stitches - not due it's wit, but the apparent stupidity.

Esqui

You can cancel a direct debit at any time, as well.

goldenstarshine

ALL I did was give my debit card details over the phone

which begs the question, why could nt the firm be satisfied with a monthly standing order from my bank account.
I suppose the answer is that this way they have control
the other way, I can cancel it at any time

at the moment I am totally stuffed and at the mercy of this firm which by sharp practice is charging me and not giving me the usual service.

I guess in the end Im going to have to get the bank to issue me a new debit card with new numbers
that " should " solve the problem.

LeeSouthEast

You're confusing terms. A direct debit card doesn't exist, hence the differing comments here.

There are direct debits.
There are debit cards.
Both products do not exist as one.

If you have a direct debit, cancel it.
If you've given them your card details, report the card lost and get a new one.

If you've granted Continuous Payment Authority, neither will have any affect on them taking money. You need to get the company to stop taking the payments... it's the only way to stop this.

goldenstarshine

quote
If you've granted Continuous Payment Authority
end quote.
just by giving a few numbers of my debit card over the phone, could I have unwittingly granted this Continuous Payment Authority ?

tbw

You HAVE to get the debit card cancelled and the only easy way to do that is tell your bank its been lost or stolen. (They will get difficult with you if you try any other route).

Some years ago I allowed my son to use my credit card details for a one off purchase - the company concerned then started taking regular payments each month and the bank said they couldn't do anything about it even though I insisted the arrangement was for one payment only. I rang back the next day and told them my card had been stolen and they blocked it immediatel. Bit of a nuisance waiting for the new card to be issued but the easiest way out.

They won't be able to get money from a new card as the number will be different - which is why those perishing Satellite Direct lot keep phoning me to ask for my new details as they have found they can no longer access my account. And I'm not that daft!

goldenstarshine

i THINK in the end, Ill have to do that and say its lost .. I lost my bag or something
But this firm is a nationally known firm
they are making an enemy of me, once this is all over Ill paste my experience all over the web, won t do their reputation any good atall.

goldenstarshine

sporedude wrote: »

This site should come with an IQ test and a test for spelling. YOU gave them YOUR details. Its YOUR fault.

thanks sparedude for your kind advice
you re full of it are nt you ?

sunil1234

goldenstarshine wrote: »

thanks sparedude for your kind advice
you re full of it are nt you ?

just cancel the card quicktime, just say you lost it. no need to make a drama by saying you lost your bag etc as well.

regards

LeeSouthEast

goldenstarshine wrote: »

quote
If you've granted Continuous Payment Authority
end quote.
just by giving a few numbers of my debit card over the phone, could I have unwittingly granted this Continuous Payment Authority ?

In short, yes. I'm not exactly sure how CPA works but from what I understand even cancelling the card and getting a new one won't stop CPA payments from coming out of your account. Someone else better in the know may post, or just google "Continuous Payment Authority".

The only way to get CPA payments to cease is for the company to stop taking them. :mad: