HFO taking automatic payments despite asking for manual

marking_bad

I am paying off a credit card debt which I stupidly (in my student years) didnt pay off, and it has gone to debt collection. I have set up a manual payment per month, but despite twice saying i do NOT want the payment to come out of my account automatically, they keep doing so.

Are they allowed to do this? Is there something I can do to stop them from doing it?

I want to manually call up and pay, in case i dont have enough funds to cover the payment, and it lands me in more debt. Is that not reasonable?

I heard these guys were shysters.

Tixy

How are they taking payment?
Is it as a debit card payment or as a direct debit payment?

If you haven't given a continuing authority then they shouldn't be taking it automatically. (Unless that is your bank account is the same bank as the credit card in which case yes they are, its known as offsetting and you need to move to a new banks current account to stop it happening).

marking_bad

Different bank accounts.

I assume debit card, I'd have to sign something for a direct debit?

Tixy

marking_bad wrote: »

Different bank accounts.

I assume debit card, I'd have to sign something for a direct debit?

Depends if you have given them your bank account details in the past or your debit card details. DDs can be set up by the phone, if you authorise it.
If they have your card details one way to stop them is to cancel the card and order a new one.

But first I would try telling them (by letter) that as you haven't authorised ongoing payments you insist that they stop taking these payments and that you will contact them each month to pay (or set up a standing order - that way you can cancel if you need).

Hannah_10

What's the debt and who was it originally to? (For example, debt was originally to Barclaycard)

Where do you now bank?

See this... http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/setting-off