Debit card advice please

lee.j

Hi i'm new here i've just signed up for some advice..apologies in advance if i ramble on.
my problem is this..i'm a natwest customer and currently have a natwest visa debit card.I'm currently in the usa and last week i used my debit card to book a hotel.But, an hour or so later i cancelled the booking and the manager at the hotel assured me my payment would be cancelled.He said the payment would'nt actually go out from my account .He said my available balance would probably drop by the amount and then after a couple of days it would ''fall off'' and would never actually leave my account.This was last tuesday.I've been checking my balance online since and the payment has actually gone out from my account today.I've called natwest and asked about issuing a chargeback but i've been told i cannot because chargeback is for visa credit cards only and that basically i have got no way of obtaining a refund.Is this correct? If not,could somebody advise me as to what the next step i take should be?

Toe-Jam

lee.j wrote: »

Hi i'm new here i've just signed up for some advice..apologies in advance if i ramble on.
my problem is this..i'm a natwest customer and currently have a natwest visa debit card.I'm currently in the usa and last week i used my debit card to book a hotel.But, an hour or so later i cancelled the booking and the manager at the hotel assured me my payment would be cancelled.He said the payment would'nt actually go out from my account .He said my available balance would probably drop by the amount and then after a couple of days it would ''fall off'' and would never actually leave my account.This was last tuesday.I've been checking my balance online since and the payment has actually gone out from my account today.I've called natwest and asked about issuing a chargeback but i've been told i cannot because chargeback is for visa credit cards only and that basically i have got no way of obtaining a refund.Is this correct? If not,could somebody advise me as to what the next step i take should be?

No thats not true its for debit cards aswell, refer them to the leaflet that accompanies the new visa debit card regarding a chargeback if the amount has fully debited, I.E you can see it in your online statement then you need a chargeback, if it is still pending then it may go back in after a period of up to 10 days.

hippey

But if they have issued the refund then it should well go back in the next few days, I would contact the hotel first to assertain what is going on.

With non-US cards there will often be a delay in the transactions going through.

If they had already processed your card it isn't as simple as just cancelling the transaction (unless it's a pre-auth) however you will lose out on the exchange rate for the refund.

lee.j

i've spoken to the guy at the hotel today.He was adamant the payment had been refunded until i showed him a printout of my statement with the payment clearly gone from my account.Then he changed his tune and basically told me there was nothing he could do and i'd just have to take the hit so to speak.

lee.j

anybody got any advice?

will-in-estoril

Do you have a receipt for the credit amount?

inmypocketnottheirs

What was the terms of the booking that you made? If it was that room was booked at short notice and payment was required in full, or if the booking was not cancellable, then I am afraid that you are probably liable for the amount. Did you ask?

If however, your card number was only being held as security against you not turning up, or not paying, then your bank should do a recharge.

Did you book and give your card details direct to the hotel orvia a booking agent or website such as Expedia or hotels.com?

lee.j

inmypocketnottheirs wrote: »

What was the terms of the booking that you made? If it was that room was booked at short notice and payment was required in full, or if the booking was not cancellable, then I am afraid that you are probably liable for the amount. Did you ask?

If however, your card number was only being held as security against you not turning up, or not paying, then your bank should do a recharge.

Did you book and give your card details direct to the hotel orvia a booking agent or website such as Expedia or hotels.com?

i have a receipt here yes.i booked at the hotel last tuesday and cancelled said booking an hour or so later.at the time the guy at the hotel said it would be fine and that he'd make sure my payment was cancelled.but now the payment has gone through and totally gone from my account hes changed his tune and now saying there is nothing he can do.i've called natwest and at first i was told i cant do a chargeback on a visa debit card.then today i was told i had to go into my branch and fill out a form.if i do that..by the time im back in the uk and able to visit my branch the 120 day time limit will have elapsed and i wont be able to claim my money back.I'm not due back in the uk until early september.

inmypocketnottheirs

Sorry to say it then, you have likely as not have lost the money.

onlypaddy

lee.j wrote: »

i have a receipt here yes.i booked at the hotel last tuesday and cancelled said booking an hour or so later.at the time the guy at the hotel said it would be fine and that he'd make sure my payment was cancelled.but now the payment has gone through and totally gone from my account hes changed his tune and now saying there is nothing he can do.i've called natwest and at first i was told i cant do a chargeback on a visa debit card.then today i was told i had to go into my branch and fill out a form.if i do that..by the time im back in the uk and able to visit my branch the 120 day time limit will have elapsed and i wont be able to claim my money back.I'm not due back in the uk until early september.

do you have to do it in branch? if not then a relative could get the form and post it back to you to sign