Paid someone by mistake - banks not wanting to help :(

BoGoF

Dr_Cuckoo3 wrote: »

what was the sort code ?- 62-13-35

I doubt that the sort code used for a mail order collection account is also used for personal bank accounts and you say that you only entered the account number incorrectly

You can report the matter to the Financial Ombudsman at any time on 0800 0234567 and they will pass a summary of your complaint to the financial firm

I do this all the time to save paying for stamps and phone calls

The catalogue company is covered by the Financial Ombudsman too

Yeah, thats what the FOS is there for, to save the cost of stamps. That really helps people with genuine complaints.

Pastychucker

I can't remember the sort code off the top of my head.
When I did the online payment I got the sort code correct - thats how we know it was a Nat West account. Then by some weird coincidence my catalogue customer number is someone's NatWest bank account number. I put my customer number in as the account number of the payee by mistake instead of the account number of the catalogue company. The money has gone to some stranger not the catalogue.

BoGoF

Pastychucker wrote: »

I know the chances are pretty slim of getting the money back - I am kicking myself for the error I made. However, I just want one or them to give it a go!! Natwest said that if I had been with them that they would have passed it to their fraud dept. to investigate as whoever got the money had kept it when it wasn't for them. I don't think if I got £120 paid into my account I'd be willing to pay it back either but it's surely worth a try.

You wouldn't be willing to pay it back but expect someone else to....charming when you are relying on the goodwill of others because there is nothing Santander or Natwest can formally do to reverse the transaction.

Gromitt

Unfortunately Santander is probably the worst bank to try and get them to do something they don't want to do, and since its not their error, they don't really have to do anything. You can try a complaint, but they may reject it stating the money was correctly transferred to the sort code and account number you gave to them.

How long ago are we talking? If its been a few days it should be a lot easier than if its been a few months. Even if Santander decide to do something, if the recipient of your cash is not, then it may take a LONG time to get anything at all - see the various other threads on this forum on the same subject - at least one transferred 10K to the wrong account number! (and has not got it back yet)

Dr_Cuckoo3

Pastychucker wrote: »

I can't remember the sort code off the top of my head.
When I did the online payment I got the sort code correct - thats how we know it was a Nat West account. Then by some weird coincidence my catalogue customer number is someone's NatWest bank account number. I put my customer number in as the account number of the payee by mistake instead of the account number of the catalogue company. The money has gone to some stranger not the catalogue.

It should be in the list of bill payments on Santander internet banking (Santander pre-fill the sort code and account number for catalogue bills in any event)

Littlewoods catalouges use Nat West sort code 62-13-35

I think it went to another business collection account rather than a personal account

withabix

It is just as likely that the payment has gone into a suspense account at Natwest, rather than someone's account, because the chances of your catalogue account number matching a Natwest account number are slim.

As I said above, Santander will have to deal with this. Natwest will not deal with you, because you are not their customer.

Go into a branch. Give up trying to deal with this through a call centre.

rb10

You need to ask Santander to put a 'trace' on the money. Natwest saying that it needs to be passed to their fraud department is rubbish - where has any fraud been committed? It's an error, and the process for putting it right needs to be done by Santander.

You can check whether the sort code and account number combination is valid at http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/demos/bankvalidator.aspx . If it's not valid, then it doesn't exist, and the money is sitting at Natwest. If it is valid, then it may exist.

Unfortunately neither bank's customer service is great, so it may take them some time. Don't be afraid to hassle them, and submit a formal complaint.

jonnyd281

What are they submitting a formal complaint about - the transaction was processed in acordance with the instructions they gave the bank, hardly the banks fault now is it?

rb10

jonnyd281 wrote: »

What are they submitting a formal complaint about - the transaction was processed in acordance with the instructions they gave the bank, hardly the banks fault now is it?

No need for a formal complaint at this stage - give them the opportunity to resolve it first.

But if Santander refuse to put a trace on it (telling them to contact Natwest) or the process just takes ages (because Santander and/or Natwest are being useless - pretty likely given these two banks) then you have grounds to make a complaint.

YorkshireBoy

jonnyd281 wrote: »

What are they submitting a formal complaint about - the transaction was processed in acordance with the instructions they gave the bank, hardly the banks fault now is it?

No, but Santander do say* that under such circumstances they will "use reasonable efforts to recover any money paid out of your account or not paid into your account as a result of the failed or incorrect payment"

From what has been posted so far they haven't done this. Indeed, it appears they are actually refusing to do this, thereby breaching their own T&Cs.

References: Santander T&Cs

* Condition 7.4 (last para)


In summary:

Condition 7.1 covers the notification of 'incorrect payments' from the account. OP has complied with this condition.

Condition 7.3(b) deals with the remedies available for 'incorrect payments', and says they'll trace the payment for you.

Condition 7.4(b) says, however, that they're not responsible if you provided the wrong account details, BUT...goes on to say they'll use the 'reasonable efforts' mentioned above to help you resolve the matter.

And that's why OP needs to make a complaint.