Unknown direct debit on my bank account?

rtho782

A direct debit has appeared on my bank account in the name of "MC TRUCK & BUS LTD".

The bank say they do not know where this came from and have now cancelled it for me, but that the company in question can reinstate it if they like.

Companies house show me the following about this company:

Name & Registered Office:
MC TRUCK & BUS LIMITED
BEDDOW WAY
AYLESFORD
MAIDSTONE
KENT
ME20 7BT
Company No. 01241061

I have then found a contact number for them here: http://www.volvotrucks.com/dealers-vtc/en-gb/MCTB/SubDealers/maidstone/CompanyDetails/Pages/CompanyDetails.aspx

I have called them and tried to ask what it is about, but they will not help me or talk to me as I'm not a customer (I have never bought a lorry or a bus...)

Maybe I'm being a bit overdramatic, but I'm at the point where I am tempted to phone their local police station and report the company for attempted financial fraud/theft.

Does anyone else have thoughts on what I should do?

opinions4u

Tell the bank to cancel it.

virgin_moneysaver

rtho782 wrote: »

A direct debit has appeared on my bank account in the name of "MC TRUCK & BUS LTD".

The bank say they do not know where this came from and have now cancelled it for me, but that the company in question can reinstate it if they like.

Companies house show me the following about this company:

Name & Registered Office:
MC TRUCK & BUS LIMITED
BEDDOW WAY
AYLESFORD
MAIDSTONE
KENT
ME20 7BT
Company No. 01241061

I have then found a contact number for them here: http://www.volvotrucks.com/dealers-vtc/en-gb/MCTB/SubDealers/maidstone/CompanyDetails/Pages/CompanyDetails.aspx

I have called them and tried to ask what it is about, but they will not help me or talk to me as I'm not a customer (I have never bought a lorry or a bus...)

Maybe I'm being a bit overdramatic, but I'm at the point where I am tempted to phone their local police station and report the company for attempted financial fraud/theft.

Does anyone else have thoughts on what I should do?

the bank can also provide you with a reference/ customer number that the company quoted when claiming - call MC Ltd, give them this number as apparantly this is your customer number so they can speak to you & go from there - good luck

jalexa

rtho782 wrote: »

The bank say they do not know where this came from...

and have now cancelled it for me, but that the company in question can reinstate it if they like.

I have called them and tried to ask what it is about, but they will not help me or talk to me as I'm not a customer...

Maybe I'm being a bit overdramatic, but I'm at the point where I am tempted to phone their local police station and report the company for attempted financial fraud/theft.

What the bank says "we do not know..." cannot be true. It arrives electronically via BACS. When it says the company can reinstate it "if they like", I'd like to hear some informed confirmation on that. While it is true that direct debits get created before they can be challenged, I remain unconvinced that a company can continue to present erroneous or "fraudulant" mandates willy nilly. Of course the issue is that Direct Debit is policed by your bank (not by the police!) and you may just have detected that some bank staff are either/or barely competent on the issue or disinterested.

It is a requirement of direct debit that "paperless mandates" are required to be confirmed by paper mail (possibly by email) and also the date and amount of the first collection must be notified in advance. I'm assuming you received no such confirmation.

The Originator is right not to talk to you for the reasons stated and you should not talk to the Originator. A key indicator whether the arrangement is erroneous, eg a simple sort code or account number keying error, (or "fraudulant"), is whether the Originator has your name and address. (Don't give any personal infomation you don't have to to any organisation - and I include the police (who today have admitted losing a memory stick with personal information).

I suspect the Originator doesn't have your name and address (unless you foolishly provided it). I was also of the opinion that a mandate (even a paperless mandate) requires the account holder's (your) name. If that is true and the Originator didn't have the (correct) name, then I question why your bank accepted the mandate. Anybody?

This matter is 100% the responsibility of your bank to address. Nobody else. I'd push your bank really hard on the "account name" issue with the same resolve that you intended for the police.

pqrdef

jalexa wrote: »

also the date and amount of the first collection must be notified in advance.

By the merchant to the address held by the merchant.

Given how easy it is to set up a mandate on the wrong account, methinks it would be a better system if this information were notified to the bank and forwarded to the account-holder at the address held by the bank.

Methinks also that one doesn't need to be a genius to figure this out.

jalexa

pqrdef wrote: »

Given how easy it is to set up a mandate on the wrong account, methinks it would be a better system if this information were notified to the bank and forwarded to the account-holder at the address held by the bank.

Good point.

Polulating a paperless mandate requires among other things, sort code, account number and the account "name".

Any idea if the account "name" is sent to the bank (or only the sort code and account number)?

Naf

jalexa wrote: »

What the bank says "we do not know..." cannot be true. It arrives electronically via BACS.

The staff at the bank will have no more details available to them than you have by looking at the name on the mandate. Granted someone must have more details as the company is obliged to have signed up to the DD guarantee to be able to claim DDs. The bank also can't give you much info for data protection. Its a nightmare, believe me.

jalexa wrote: »

When it says the company can reinstate it "if they like", I'd like to hear some informed confirmation on that. While it is true that direct debits get created before they can be challenged, I remain unconvinced that a company can continue to present erroneous or "fraudulant" mandates willy nilly.

What the bank staff mean (but often fail to convey properly to customers) is that having your bank details and legal consent (verbal/written) the company can reinstate the DD if you still owe them money. This primarily applies to things like mobile phone contracts or loan/hire agreements, but can apply to other services also. It doesn't affect your coverage by the DD guarantee.

Naf

jalexa wrote: »

Any idea if the account "name" is sent to the bank (or only the sort code and account number)?

I suspect it's just the SC/AN initially, and the rest can be checked on the paperwork should it be queried. This would save a huge amount of time, and still doesn't create a vast amount of work because the DD guarantee serves as very good protection and DD fraud is therefore fairly small. With just your SC/AN and even your name there is little anyone could do other than pay into your account.

fs110

What the bank staff mean (but often fail to convey properly to customers) is that having your bank details and legal consent (verbal/written) the company can reinstate the DD if you still owe them money. This primarily applies to things like mobile phone contracts or loan/hire agreements, but can apply to other services also. It doesn't affect your coverage by the DD guarantee.

I would add if the company THINK you owe them money (rightly or wrongly) they can and may reinstate it. Until you get it sorted, just check your accoutn every few days and if a new DD is set up, just cancel it again. Eventually they will get fed up and investigate why it keeps getting cancelled and then it will get resolved. Not ideal but will provide a solution until you get some sense from them,

AbbeyDhabi

fs110 wrote: »

I would add if the company THINK you owe them money (rightly or wrongly) they can and may reinstate it. Until you get it sorted, just check your accoutn every few days and if a new DD is set up, just cancel it again. Eventually they will get fed up and investigate why it keeps getting cancelled and then it will get resolved. Not ideal but will provide a solution until you get some sense from them,

Errrrrrrrr, not quite. The company can ask for it be re-instated, and the bank may take their word for it that they have the customer's permission. But that really would be rather naughty.

It's true cancelling a direct debit does not cancel any money owed, but once a customer cancels a mandate with their bank, it stays cancelled, until the customer says otherwise.

However, the advice to keep a close eye on you account is good. Can't trust anyone these days!

jalexa

Naf wrote: »

What the bank staff mean (but often fail to convey properly to customers) is that having your bank details and legal consent (verbal/written)

So, how is the process policed when the Originator does not have "consent" but has made a keying error in entering the account details? As is probably case with the OPs issue.