Direct Debit Guarantee - Sky TV

lvm

Hello,

Just wondering, when you use the Direct Debit guarantee to reclaim a payment made, is this return funded by the bank and do they immediately recall this from whoever the payment was going to?

The details are...Sky are p*ssing me off a little, haven't applied a discount correctly and despite telephone calls and using their online chat, are incapable of sorting this.

I'm thinking about recalling the direct debit payment just out of principle and to annoy them a little. I do have a heart though and wouldn't want to cause my bank any probs or have them cover the payment as it's not their fault.

I have every intention on paying what I owe (although will be asking for bill to be covered by Sky as a gesture of goodwill for the hassle they've caused me!).

Any thoughts/advice?

grumbler

lvm wrote: »

Just wondering, when you use the Direct Debit guarantee to reclaim a payment made, is this return funded by the bank and do they immediately recall this from whoever the payment was going to?

It is funded by the bank, then they recall. It's up to them how 'immediately' to do this.

The details are...Sky are p*ssing me off a little, haven't applied a discount correctly and despite telephone calls and using their online chat, are incapable of sorting this.

I'm thinking about recalling the direct debit payment just out of principle and to annoy them a little.

On what grounds?!
There is neither "on principle" nor "to annoy" among the legitimate reasons for demanding the refund under the DD guarantee.

I do have a heart though and wouldn't want to cause my bank any probs or have them cover the payment as it's not their fault.

You would cause both.

If you wanted "to annoy" you should have just cancelled the DD.

Calfuray

If the direct debit fails or there is an indemnity claim, your account may end up blocked for non payment.

older_wiser

i'm in a similar situation sky had begun to charge for the computer virus protection service they offer. i contacted sky 2 months ago when i noticed the charges its 3 pounds per month but the charges date back to december. not a great deal but after 2 months of promising action i decided to cancel my DD which i did. i phoned to say i had done this and told them i would pay the portion of the forthcoming bill via CC minus the mistaken charges. they agreed and now my new bill is for the proper amount minus virus protection charges. who knows how long it might have gone on for but sky were ok with it. as long as you pay whats owed minus the contested amount on the bill they can't really complain.

meer53

Do Sky charge for any direct debits they are unable to collect ? I'd check before cancelling it.

older_wiser

no they don't

but its 5 pounds extra on your next bill if you don't issue new DD details and pay via CC. but if you tell them in advance what your doing you can contest the 5 pound charge if they do.

Buzby

The reasons you give are not those the Guarantee covers, so the problem wold not arise - they'd refuse!

older_wiser

Buzby wrote: »

The reasons you give are not those the Guarantee covers, so the problem wold not arise - they'd refuse!

if you dispute the amount of the DD with the company thats taking it as its an error in the companies billing process i'd say it would be covered. Otherwise whats the purpose of the DD guarantee. you have to use the correct wording with your bank but i can't see a bank refusing if the incorrect amount was taken from your account.

grumbler

older_wiser wrote: »

if you dispute the amount of the DD with the company thats taking it as its an error in the companies billing process i'd say it would be covered.

If the amount in the bill was incorrect, but the amount taken was the same as in the bill then DD guarantee has nothing to do with this. The amount has to be disputed with the company. If the customer was not happy with the amount they should have cancelled the DD and paid what they believed to be a correct amount by other means.