Can banks change direct debits from one account to another without permission?

mrshall

Hi All,

I'm new here and I really hope someone can help me (before I goto in my bank and start playing wholey hell)!.

I have 2 bank accounts with the Yorkshire Bank, one I have had for years and the other I opened about 6-7 months ago. (as recommended by the bank, so I wouldnt get automatically charged for being a few pence short, and which also costs me £10 a month which I wasnt told when I set it up (but they gave me a month free and I let it go))!

I set up my car insurance by direct debit to come out of my new account, but gave the details for my older account to my new employer for my wage to go in, forgot to change it over and got charged £35 when the AA tried to take my payment. Fair enough that was my fault. I rang the AA made my payment by debit card and gave them new direct debit details for the account my wage goes in. That was on the 8th of December.

This month when it came to pay my insurance the AA took it out of the other account (that my wage doesnt go into) so I rang the AA and they said that on the 15th December they were sent a code from my bank telling them to take it out of my newer account. There was no money in there, I've been charged £35 twice (cos they tried again a week later).

I did not give my bank permission to do this.

Can my bank change my direct debits from one account to the other without my permission? (The AA lady said not and also my bank are liable for the £12 admin charge from the AA which I had to pay on top of my monthly premium)

Can someone please clarify if banks have the right to do this?

Many Thanks

Lyndsey Hall
(Newbie)

hicskis

The bank would require your authority (your permission). It's possible that you gave it under the Term's and Conditions of your account but i doub't it.

Are you really sure that the AA changed your instruction (authority) with them and they are not stringing you along.

If i were you i would contact both parties by phone - being ever so nice of course - to try and pin point where the fault lies.

I would lay odds that the AA didn't act on your instruction - if i'm right - they would be liable of course.

dunstonh

For the AA to get some communication from the bank re the direct debit, they either must have tried to collect the payment using an incorrect account number and the bank gave them the new one. Or, if you have transferred direct debits between accounts, the bank may still have the original instruction on the other account.

In which case the permission exists for the bank.