Undercharged on my credit card

kingkano

Astaroth wrote:

It isnt the receiving of the money that is criminal it is the knowingly taking it/ spending it (and then refusing to give it back)

If you know something isnt yours and take it it is theft - be that a TV in a shop or £5000 in your bank account.

Most people claim ignorance, they didnt realise the £5000 wasnt theirs and so are given a reasonable period to pay it back - though how believable that someone who has been overdrawn for the last 10 years and is only on in a min wage can be when they suddenly see a £5k jump in their balance is another question

I previously worked for a catalogue company and occasionally peoples payments would be paid into the wrong account and the person took the money out of the account before we could recover it then refused to give it back. We would take them to court twice - firstly under the civil courts to recover our money and then under criminal courts to get them their just deserves.

I absolutely cannot believe this is true. But if it is, I am going to go around posting money through peoples doors/sticking it in their bank accounts at random - so I can sue them and prosecute them for theft!! I could be a millionaire!

Astaroth

But if you sue them all you do is get your money back so no net gain. Plus they have to take the money and then refuse to give it back.

If taking something you know isnt yours and then refusing to give it back isnt your definition of theft then what is?

EagerLearner

I'd agree with previous posters - stick the money in a high interest savings account until you hear otherwise. Maybe there is a 'reasonable timeframe' within which they can try and reclaim it from you and after that it's down to their error - investigate, but put the cash into savings first. My conscience wouldn't allow me to try and get away with spending it!

EagerLearner

King_Of_Fools

There is no "reasonable timeframe" in which the money has to be claimed. They can correctly and legally claim the money from the account many years later as it has been authorised even if the card has long since been closed!