Credit Card Fraud query...

MissDVL

Hello all I'm hoping someone can give me a bit of advice.

At the end of November I had a payment made to BT of over £260 on my credit card which I didn't make. This would be bad enough itself if it weren't for the fact that a) I cut my card up nearly two years ago and b) there is no way anyone could have the details from the card required to make a payment i.e. expiry date, security code.

Obviously I had the fraud department at Halifax look into it and after about a month they refunded the money back onto my card, but never explained to me how this !!!! up had happened. I actually found the address of the person who's account the payment had been made to after BT let it slip to me over the phone! I was half tempted to go down there and give them what for before I discussed the issue with several people and realised there was no way anyone could have physically used my card details to make a payment.

I am now under the impression this was either Halifax or BT's mistake and that they had used my card details to pay someone else's bill by mistake. However, I have never ever had an account with BT for them to have been able to get my card details.

The whole situation has caused me a considerable amount of stress, as I also had my purse stolen a few weeks prior to this happening (which I initially thought was linked) but like I say I haven't had the card for years.

I now want to know how I can go about making a formal complaint about the situation and what I am likely to get out of it, as the whole thing is just baffling and Halifax refuse to tell me how it has happened.

If anyone has any similar experience or any advice it would be much appreciated, thanks.

chattychappy

MissDVL wrote: »

I now want to know how I can go about making a formal complaint about the situation and what I am likely to get out of it, as the whole thing is just baffling and Halifax refuse to tell me how it has happened.

Halifax are entitled not to tell you how it happened - not being funny, but technically it's none of your business. You reported the transaction and they reversed it. Personally I've always thought institutions could go a bit further, but we don't know the real circumstances. It could be someone further down a chain.

I don't see why you're entitled to any money, but you obviously feel strongly. So the best you can do is write a letter. Try and identify any shortcomings in the way they handled your complaint or any expenses you incurred in resolving it - particularly if you work and had to take time out to make calls etc to deal with it. Perhaps suggest an amount and see what they say.

But the mere fact of a bank making a mistake doesn't entitle someone to compensation beyond getting the mistake rectified.