I need help with Sky / Halifax

emilyx78

sorry if this is the wrong forum, I just dont know what to do or who to ask for help as stuck between a rock (sky) and a hardplace (halifax).

On Friday last week, £35.80 was taken from my husbands debit card account on his online bank statement it just said (Sky debit card payment) firstly we havent had sky ourselves for over year, my mother wanted sky and he paid for the initially payment over the phone by this card and she set up a direct debit, this is over a year ago, she is no longer using sky and has set up a payment plan to clear her debt, so I told my husband to contact his bank as he didnt authorise the payment, halifax said its nothing to do with them talk to sky, sky said its not them as there direct debits always say sky digital, and wont talk to him as he doesnt have a sky digital card number?! so he went back to halifax who refered him back to sky...

So what do we do? I didnt think companies were allowed to keep your card number? or take a payment without your consent? and I thought if you told your bank you didnt make a payment they had to do something???

I just need some advice. it pay only be £35.08 but we cant afford to loose it or have any more taken....

Help please

PZH

emilyx78 wrote: »

...my mother wanted sky and he paid for the initially payment over the phone by this card and she set up a direct debit, this is over a year ago, she is no longer using sky and has set up a payment plan to clear her debt.

Has she formally cancelled the Sky contract by giving 30 days notice to them?

Is the debt with Sky?

Has the payment plan been approved with Sky and a DD set up from her account?

Are the funds available in her account ( i.e. has she missed a payment )?

emilyx78 wrote: »

...halifax said its nothing to do with them talk to sky, sky said its not them as there direct debits always say sky digital, and wont talk to him as he doesnt have a sky digital card number?!

It sounds like a charge to the card and NOT a Direct Debit - so there will be nothing showing on your account in that respect.

Have you tried your mums digital card number? (You may have to get her to call or you call on her behalf whilst she is there.

emilyx78 wrote: »

...So what do we do? I didnt think companies were allowed to keep your card number? or take a payment without your consent? and I thought if you told your bank you didnt make a payment they had to do something???

Usually they're not (?), but I think it depends what you consented to at the time the initial payment was made. You really need to dig the original Terms & Conditions out and have a read what you agreed to?

aheaton46

You shouldn't be talking to Sky. As far as you are concerned it's an unauthorised withdrawal from your account, so keep pressuring the Halifax to sort it out.

PZH

aheaton46 wrote: »

You shouldn't be talking to Sky.

That depends if they've managed to "link" the account in some way?

aheaton46 wrote: »

As far as you are concerned it's an unauthorised withdrawal from your account, so keep pressuring the Halifax to sort it out.

I do agree with this statement - but again it depends on the terms that they agreed when they paid the initial payment for a third party.

emilyx78

Has she formally cancelled the Sky contract by giving 30 days notice to them? YES

Is the debt with Sky? YES

Has the payment plan been approved with Sky and a DD set up from her account? YES

Are the funds available in her account ( i.e. has she missed a payment )? they are she has stuck to her payment plan.

Ive asked my mum to contact Sky today an try and sort it out as they wont discuss it with us, and Halifax just keep saying theres nothing they can do!

emilyx78

and it was just a one off initial payment, surely they cant keep card details that long?

PZH

emilyx78 wrote: »

Ive asked my mum to contact Sky today an try and sort it out as they wont discuss it with us, and Halifax just keep saying theres nothing they can do!

emilyx78 wrote: »

and it was just a one off initial payment, surely they cant keep card details that long?

Sounds very much like it is an unauthorised payment then, as previously mentioned by aheaton46, so it has everything to do with Halifax.

Tell them it's an unauthorised payment (not a DD) and you require a chargeback as there are no goods or services it relates to as far as you are concerned (don't mention your mum's situation to them - totally separate situation)

OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest

The responsibility lies firmly with the Halifax. Demand to speak with a person of seniority at your branch immediately. If you have not authorised this payment they HAVE to reimburse it immediately to your a/c