Paypoint mix up at Post office, PO and utility company unhelpful!

lindos90

Hope someone can help! has anyone come across a paypoint mistyping the reference number resulting in money paying off someone elses bill? And what can we do?

I took my mum out to get her pension and pay an electricity bill a few weeks ago. She paid at a local post office.

She has now received a letter from the electricity company saying she has not paid. She called them up and told them she had paid. He was very rude and abrupt with her. He somehow confirmed that they had recieved a payment, but it was used to pay another account and not my mums!

Ive looked at the paperwork and it looks like the reference number has been typed incorrectly when she paid with paypoint at the post office!

(Im very surprised that it has to be typed in to be honest, as its such a long number, and very open to a mistype, theres a barcode on the bill, I assumed that would be used.)

PO are saying that they pay it on our behalf before asking us to pay them?! So they are unable to give a refund, even though its their mistake.

Electricity people are saying its not their problem as they didnt make the mistake its down to the PO to sort out as they typed the wrong reference number in. (Thay have a point really!)

Now my mums faced with not getting her quick payment discount which she always gets, and not sure if she should pay again. (Shes worried sick that she will be cut off over Christmas, although Ive tried to reassure her this should not happen, older people worry about that sort of thing, and dont take any amount of reassurance on board do they!)

What should we do? Both the PO and the electricity company are blaming each other and saying the other one should sort it, and we are in the middle.

Apologies as I have posted this on the utility board first, but didnt get replies, I PM'd two board guides on 12th, to request it was moved here, but as its not been, I have reluctantly duplicated it, sorry.

wealdroam

If the Post Office have made a mistake then it is for the Post Office to correct matters.

Having said that, if the utility company can identify the payment and see that it has been credited to the wrong account (not sure how they can do that though), I cannot understand why they cannot simply put things right at their end.

Sorry, that doesn't help much does it?
How about talking to Citizens Advice Bureau?

Maybe write a letter to the Post Office holding them responsible for the bill being paid late, for the loss if the quick payment discount and for the potential loss of power because the bill isn't being paid.

unholyangel

You could also try contacting the energy supplier again asking if you scan the receipt, can the debit the payment from that account and add it to your mums. Effectively they have been paid, the payment just didnt go to the right account.

Also, not sure how viable it is (and tbh i'm thinking its a very long stretch) but you could also try the DPA route with the energy supplier.....that you have informed that their records are incorrect and they have a duty to correct them within a reasonable time. I say its a long stretch because effectively, their records are correct.....their records show they received no payment for account 1 and have received a payment for account 2.....which is exactly what happened.

Contacting citizens advice is probably your best bet. Or you could even try calling Consumer Direct to see if they can offer you any advice.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on

lindos90

Thanks for all your suggestions. Im initially going to try the leccy company again I think, and try not to take no for an answer, even though it was the PO who made the mistake, it would be much more straight forward to transfer the money rather than battle for a refund and pay it back again!

They have my mums money, and several of you have suggested that transfering the money seems the most sensible solution. They would not do it for my mum, just hoping they might for me, with the power of MSE!:money:

unholyangel

You'd be amazed how many monkeys wont do anything outside of the box though because of "policy".

They may not have the authorisation to do that, but a manager should. Try asking to speak to a manager or ask if a manager can call you back.

If you get the same little twerp i got last week, you've got no chance. Apparently my meter ticking over £10 worth of gas in less than 2 hours when no gas appliances had been used is "normal" usage for me even though I only use £90 of gas a year and no I couldnt speak to a manager as he didnt feel I needed to speak to a manager. He then proceeded to tell me that my pilot light was responsible......for £10 usage in less than 2 hours......My response was that I know energy prices have increased but increasing by well over 1000% is ridiculous.

Sometimes putting your complaint in writing is your only option, as i found out!