Duplicate debit ard authorisations leading to money frozen in account

Barrmorter

I have made a purchase online at thetrainline.com buying four tickets at around £10 each. A couple of days later these amounts left my account but my bank, the cooperative, has a remaining freeze in place for £40 claiming that it is frozen as they are waiting for the merchant to claim it and I need to speak to them to get it removed as it is a duplication. When I speak to the merchant they claim that nothing is outstanding and all monies have been received and cleared in their system. I then go back to my bank who say if the money is claimed then I can make a fraud claim, but if they don't then the money will remain frozen in my account forever and it is their policy never to remove these freezes even though it is obviously a duplication.

Is the right that they are able to freeze money indefinitely in my account? Should there be a process where authorisation duplications are prevented? If a total authorisation for £40 occurs should they be making payments from my account for 4x£10 as they were never authorised?

Basically my bank has stuck it's fingers in their ears and refuse to listen yet have frozen money for a payment that has already cleared. Is their any advice on whether this is allowed or any form of recourse I can?

Thank you on advance for any help.

savagej

Visa authorisations only stay in place for 4 working days whether the money is claimed or not it should have matched up with the debit but obviously not in your case, it will just fall off itself. The person you spoke to at the Co-op does not seem to understand the authorisation system properly. Different card types have different lengths of time authorisation can stay in place Mastercard is typically 15 days but can be as long as 30 days but in the end all unclaimed authorisations do come off even although the retailer could still claim the money up to 6 months after the transaction from your bank or 6 years if they took it to court.

can you go back to the Co-op and ask the exact date and time of the authorisation and who it was given too to make sure it is thetrainline, then if it was less than 4 working days ago I would just wait it out as it is a hell of alot easier than trying to find the correct dept of thetrainline to tell them to tell the correct dept at the Co-op that they have no interest in the other £40 and to remove the authorisation.