Debit Card Fraud

iancmitch

Hi there

Can anyone answer this question for me.

I paid a deposit for services to a company using my debit card using a chip and pin machine at their premises.

5 months later they have used those details to take money from my bank account, I dont even know how they are allowed to have all my card details from that chip and pin machine?

I dont want to mention the name of the company at the moment, but there is a site dedicated to them in which it seems they do this alot

Any ideas please?

thenudeone

Sounds odd. It's not unusual for companies to make charges after the event (for example to cover refilling a hire car with fuel) but the agreement would state that this is what you agreed to.

If you clearly haven't agreed to it, raise a dispute with the bank, and see what they say.

iancmitch

I havent agreed to it, and I have the bank looking into it, I just dont know how they used my debit card details as I am not aware that chip and pin machines store this info for them to use again? if this is so then that is dangerous

MichaelCR

I thought 'Authorized' Debit card payments must be taken within 90 days ? Its quite common for many companies to take the actual money out a few weeks or even months afterwards, Which can lead to other problems such as unarranged overdraft fee's, etc etc.

iancmitch

Hi the original amount was taken on the day, this amount was taken 5 months later using my card details, which meant they must have noted down my code on the back if the card, but the card never left my sight, so I am confused to say the least

The company is Fitness First and they appear to be doing this to many people, there is a web site were other people have had the same problem and like me the company just ignores you.

We are fully paid up as of a month ago but they have now taken this money without any explaination what so ever

http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/1035/companyname/Fitness-First.html

shiny76

What explanation did Fitness First give you?

iancmitch

They are just ignoring us, wont reply at all

meer53

If you have a contract with them and have cancelled it (or your direct debit to them) and you owe them any more payments, they will use whatever information they hold to debit you. Check your terms and conditions.

Gromitt

They probably put the second transaction through as a "Card holder not present" transaction. Your bank will confirm.

chattychappy

meer53 wrote: »

If you have a contract with them and have cancelled it (or your direct debit to them) and you owe them any more payments, they will use whatever information they hold to debit you. Check your terms and conditions.

Yep. There are two separate issues which the T+Cs should show.

1) is the money owed?
2) was the second transaction authorised?

If the money is owed, but no further transactions were authorised (by T+Cs or otherwise) then it should be possible to dispute it - though in this situation you might not want to.

Dave_the_Ginger_Cat

It also depends on what you signed.

If you signed a continuous payment authority, then these remain in place until you cancel them at both ends. You may have chargeback rights if the payment was not authorised by you, but you may also find it's in the small(er) print of a gym contract.

I would generally advise against signing up to such deals as you have far less control than other payment methods.

There's a separate thread relating to Credit Card issues on this topic https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/256