Missing Money

jillyp_2

Can anybody help with this problem? My elderly parents recently shopped at our local Lidl and attempted paying for their groceries amounting to £28 with my mum's new debit card. The cashier proceeded to say that the machine was 'playing up' and that the debit could not be made. There was money in the account as an arrangement had been made for her pension to be paid into the account. My father (totally opposed to cards) paid the bill with cash. The following month mum's statement showed a debit of the £28 by Lidl and after a personal visit to the store along with several telephone calls to customer service resulted in them saying that Lidl was not liable for this debit as the bank were responsible. Following several phone calls to the bank they too have avoided responsibility leaving my mother £28 out of pocket. Who should we contact next, without incurring further telephone costs and inconvenience??:mad:. Naturally as is the case with the older generation they do not wish to 'make a fuss' and now avoid using the debit card which means back to square one carrying unnecessary amounts of cash around with them.:(
Awaiting anyone's advice.

oscarsmum

Hi I work in a cash office and we have come across this problem. If Lidl have not received payment on the card but it has been debited from the account it will go into a 'holding' account. If Lidl do not then claim it it, will be returned into your parents account. This could take a week. Keep checking their account and hopefully the money will be returned. The bank should be able to verify this procedure, if you query it with them, but you will find they will blame the supermarket and vice versa. Lidl will only return the money if they received the cash and card payments, and then their till would show a surplus of £28, if this hasn't happened then in time the money should go back into their account.

earthmother

I had the same thing happen to me at Lidl last summer - the lad on the till said the machine was playing up, and took cash instead (luckily I had some on me). It wasn't until I checked my statement the next week, and saw the same amount debited to Lidl (not just a holding amount, but a completed transaction) that I realised he hadn't given me a receipt confirming the card transaction was cancelled (which I have in other similar circumstances).

I went back to the store, and luckily for me the manager was able to pinpoint the extra transaction in the accounts somehow and they gave me my cash back there and then (muttering something about this lad being in trouble again, so obviously it had happened before) - I got the feeling he simply hadn't cancelled the transaction properly.

I'm afraid I don't know where to recommend you go next, but if you haven't already, maybe it would be worth asking Lidl to check their accounts for the day in question in case they can pinpoint it as my store obviously could.

alwaysonthego_2

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toniq

I had this issue a while back, what got me my monies back was by contacting my bank getting through to the back room , ask for the suoervisor ask them to give you a fax number so you can get lidls to fax the bank.

When you get the fax number speak to lidls and ask them to fax the bank confirming no monies are due, the bank will then drop the transaction, mine was returned to my acct within the hour.

good luck, it is a pain but the only way i was able to resolve my similar problem.

DebtHater

oscarsmum wrote: »

This could take a week.

Yes, in an ideal world it would be within a week.

However, money can stay in a holding account for up to 6 months! All depends on how quickly your bank cycle their payments and return unclaimed money.

Craig_Donny

I work in a shop and this has happened before.
If its the same, niehter the bank or lidl have your money, is sorta floating around waiting to be claimed by lidl, but lidl wont claim it because you paid cash.
So dont worry and keep your eye on your bank account, it SHOULD go back in. If not keep ringing the bank, im shocked your bank didnt tell you this to be honest, you must of got some blonker on the phone.

Good Luck!

chelms38

If both the shop & bank are giving you the runaround try Watchdog.

NeverInDebt

Yea that would really help the OP. Watchdog couldnt give a stuff

chelms38 wrote: »

If both the shop & bank are giving you the runaround try Watchdog.