Help - down by £285

Panic_Central

I wonder if anyone can give me some advice.
My daughter was booked on an art course which had to be cancelled. It was paid for (£285 on debit card) sometime ago and we were only told it was cancelled a few days before it was due to start. I spoke to the course department & they offered either a refund or a different course. No other course was suitable so I asked for a refund. I asked for a cheque as I no longer have access to the current account I used to pay for it. (I am getting help from CCCS and that account it was one of my creditors - overdrawn by about £1000 and so I'm no longer able to use it).

I had several phone calls to the college about this & each time made it clear I wanted a cheque - they agreed. Today I had a letter saying the money had been refunded into the account it was paid from :eek:

I rang immediately and they said there was nothing they could do. The policy is that fees are refunded in the same way they are paid. I said I should have been told this - the woman I spoke to agreed and said someone had made a mistake when they spoke to me - I said that didn't help me - I was still down by £285. I am waiting for a call back but they have basically said "tough" up to now.

Am I likely to get anywhere by keeping on at them? I feel so upset about this = I tried not to cry on the phone but I think she knew I was close I also got angry which I feel really embarrassed about but it's too much money for me to loose.

Thanks - sorry this is so long!


PC
xx

pollyanna24

Surely the money will bounce back to them as there is no account any more. Not sure if this is how it works.

I would just keep on at them to send a cheque, I'm very good at complaining. The more times you harp on and give them a hard time, the more likely they will do what you want.

It's not like you're complaning out of turn, you just want what is owed to you.

Panic_Central

Thanks for your reply pollyanna. I don't think the payment will bounce back because the account is still open I think - because I will be paying overdraft off. It's just that I have no access to it.

I will keep on but also don't want to spoil my daughters chance of going there next year!!!

SunderlandBlackCat

You need to contact Citizens Advice & possibly your local Trading Standards Office.

CAB should be able to help with the wording of drafting a letter making a formal request for a refund. Include in the letter a reasonable deadline to repay you (2 weeks should be enough) Send this recorded delivery.

If they have not given you the refund by your deadline send them a "Letter Before Action" stating that you are giving them a further 2 weeks to pay up or you will take them to court.

If they still don't pay up you can take them to court under the small claims track.

Sooler

Panic_Central wrote:

Am I likely to get anywhere by keeping on at them? I feel so upset about this = I tried not to cry on the phone but I think she knew I was close I also got angry which I feel really embarrassed about but it's too much money for me to loose.

The person that said you could have a cheque is the one that made a mistake, it's standard practice to refund only to the same card that was used for payment. This is more likley than not to be stated in the colleges terms and conditions to which you would have agreed to when paying by debit card. The college has no other option than to refund to the debit card. It's probably also in the terms and conditions of the debit card.

It would be an abuse of the card to be able to pay for things with it and then to get cash/cheque refunds.


Your overdraft on the account will now have reduced by £285.

Panic_Central

I don't see why it's an abuse of the card Sooler - it was a debit not credit card so "real" money went out of my account.

You are right that the person who told me I could have a cheque was the one who made the mistake but why should we have to suffer for that (and we will suffer because there will be another course my daughter will want to do & I'll either have to say no or will have to find the money).

lynzpower

plenty of people close bank accounts for plenty of reasons ( not just CCCS type things)

I would go to the head of finance about this. If youd have been told you couldnt get a cheque you could have asked for the moeny to be deposited into another bank account.

Millionare

Panic_Central wrote:

I don't see why it's an abuse of the card Sooler - it was a debit not credit card so "real" money went out of my account.

You are right that the person who told me I could have a cheque was the one who made the mistake but why should we have to suffer for that (and we will suffer because there will be another course my daughter will want to do & I'll either have to say no or will have to find the money).

Its to do with Money Laundering Regulations. Thats why amounts have to be returned to debting card(s).

pollyanna24

If this money has (albeit mistakenly) gone towards an overdraft, does this not help you out that you have less of an overdraft to pay and the money you were going to put towards your overdraft next month can now go elsewhere?

climbgirl

pollyanna24 wrote:

If this money has (albeit mistakenly) gone towards an overdraft, does this not help you out that you have less of an overdraft to pay and the money you were going to put towards your overdraft next month can now go elsewhere?

Yes, hasn't it reduced your overdraft, I don't see why it's a problem?

Money refunded is always refunded back to the original card or account because of money laundering regulations. It's quite difficult to get this changed unless the account has closed. Which isn't the case here I'm afraid. I don't think you've really got any recourse here, the college hasn't done anything wrong.

Panic_Central

climbgirl wrote:

Yes, hasn't it reduced your overdraft, I don't see why it's a problem?

It's a problem because the overdraft is being paid off at a set amount - through CCCS so yes it will reduce it but I will not have access to the money. It was money that I had partly saved & partly been given as a gift by my brother (to pay for the course). If my daughter still wants to take a course I will either have to say no or find the money again which given the current state of my finances is not possible.


"the college hasn't done anything wrong." Well it has actually - they told me I could have a cheque and are now telling me I can't.

I don't want to get in to an argument about this obviously & I can understand the money laundering issues but the situation has left me quite angry & upset.

Thanks