Direct Debit Cancelled but British Gas Still Taking Payments.

Legacy_user

Hi folks. I have a problems that's been going on for nearly 2 months now. The story is this. I set up a direct debit for the first time with British Gas for my gas and electric. The monthly payment plan was £20 month electric. due on 1st of each month and £40 gas by direct debit on 7th. First DD to be taken in May then once every month there after.

To my horror I found out from my bank that a double or duplicate payment of both my gas and electric had been set up by mistake by British Gas. The bank also told me that I had been set up for 4 direct debits instead of 2 which it should have been. And that B Gas had taken a double payment of £20 on 1st may. So I told my bank and they refunded me the £20. My bank also cancelled the duplicate direct debits.

Then on 7th May I found B gas had taken £ 60 out of my account instead of £40.my bank refunded that as well. So then I decided to stop all direct debits with British gas and told both my bank and British gas on the phone,and in writing that I don't want any more direct debits. I told then to stop my DD on 7th of May.

British gas told me they cancelled my direct debits and told me they put me back on paper billing by cash starting on 10 June and sent me 2 magnetic paypoint cards.

Then today,this morning I find out from my bank that British gas have set up another direct debit on 28th May and have taken out £60,all without my consent or knowledge as I told B Gas no more direct debits.I want to pay by cash only. So I told my bank and they have now refunded me the £60.

The problem is that I have made a complain but B Gas deny they set up or took duplicate payments from my bank account. The situation is this-the bank knows and can see B Gas took double payments but B gas say they didn't when they did.

I have now found out this afternoon that the payment nos for my both my gas and electric are not even mine. so British gas have in fact set up another customers direct debits using my bank details. As my bank gave me the payent or gas and electric account numbers and they are NOT my gas and electric account,they are that of another British gas customer. So I was and am in fact paying someone elses utility bill!

So i phoned B gas back gave them the payment nos and B Gas confirmed that one of their customer services advisers set up another British gas customers direct debit using MY bank account details.

British gas say they have now deleted my bank details from their database but I don't believe them. As they told me on 7th May that they have canceled all my direct debits bit they still took payments despite my confirm in writing and B gas telling me and witing to me that all direct debits from them have been canceled.

Worse still my bank told me that because B gas have got my bank details they can still set up a direct debit again if they want to. Although I have made it clear to both my bank and B gas that I don't want any more direct debits from British Gas.

What do i do now as i feel my bank account is not safe because British Gas told me they cancel my D and I am back on a cash payment plan. Yet they still took £60 direct debit which they in they set up under another customers account by mistake from my bank account. It seems that British Gas say one thing but do another. Now I am worried sick that they are going to steal more money from my account.

How can i make it stop as i told my bank I don't want no more direct debits from British Gas and told British Gas the same thing. Britsh gas say I am not on a direct debit anymore but they still took £60 direct debit on 28th May.Which my bank refunded to me. But now i am worried British Gas will do it again. And my bank say there's no way to stop them because B Gas have my bank details.

So what now?

ValHaller

Why start a new thread? The old one contains all the history and people can just check to see whether any advice they want to post has already been given.

I suggest people reply on the old thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4583881

System

ValHaller wrote: »

Why start a new thread? The old one contains all the history and people can just check to see whether any advice they want to post has already been given.

I suggest people reply on the old thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4583881

Thanks for the reply Val. Yes I did make a new post on the other thread but because it's an old thread nobody has responded to it. I still have this problem with British Gas and it has not been resolved.

I have now found out(yesterday) that British gas have in fact set up direct debits for another customer using my bank account details. And the money they took out of my bank account did not even go my my gas or electric account it went to another customers-so British Gas have now told me.So I have in fact been paying some elses gas and electric bill.

When I asked my bank how can I stop British gas taking money out of my account. The bank told me I can't and they cannot stop British Gas setting up more direct debits because British gas have got my bank details.

But I cancelled all direct debits with British Gas on 7th May both though British gas and though my bank. And told both my bank and British Gas that I don't want anymore direct debits by British Gas I want to pay my bills by cash only.

British gas have set me up on cash only billing on 7th May they even sent me a letter confirming this that all my direct debits were canceled.

Now I find they have set up another direct debit without my knowledge or consent. In addition to that I have found that they have in their error,set up direct debit for another customer using my bank details. Which is why I have had duplicate direct debits being taken out of my account.

British gas say they have now deleted my bank details but because they have lied to me from day one and told me they never took those payments-when they did as my bank and I can see them.
I don't believe anything that British Gas say to me. I think they are liars and they are also stealing my money.

Where can I go for advice in this as i think I should now go to CAB or a lawyer and take legal action against British Gas. As I want British gas to stop taking money out of my account and they are still taking direct debits without my consent. And as I have said they are not even being credited to my gas and electric account.

And the bank speaking to me in a formal way when it MY MONEY being lost is not very helpful. And I want British Gas to stop doing this to me. I made it clear to Both British gas that I don't want any more direct debits from them. but British Gas are still taking them from my account. So NO my problem is not solved at all.

System

So what my bank are saying is that they the bank can refund me the money if British Gas take out any more direct debits without my consent.Which is done under the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme.
But they cannot stop British Gas setting up more direct debits or stop them taking them because British Gas have got my bank details.

So this means that our bank accounts are not secure. As British Gas can just take money out of my account anytime without my consent.And I cannot do anything to stop it.Unless I close that bank account which I don't want to do.As I use that account to pay all my other bills by direct debit,BT,Sky TV etc and this mean I would have to transfer all my direct debits to another account.

CKhalvashi

annbarbs wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Val. Yes I did make a new post on the other thread but because it's an old thread nobody has responded to it. I still have this problem with British Gas and it has not been resolved.

I have now found out(yesterday) that British gas have in fact set up direct debits for another customer using my ban account details. And the money they took out of my bank account did not even go my my gas or electric account it went to another customers-so British Gas have now told me.So I have in fact been paying some elses gas and electric bill.

How have third parties got your bank details?

I've never had direct debits for someone else set up on my account, and I've banked in the UK for around 10 years now.

When I asked my bank how can I stop British gas taking money out of my account. The bank told me I can't and they cannot stop British Gas setting up more direct debits because British gas have got my bank details.

Name
Address
Postcode

Date

Dear Sir,


Cancellation of Direct Debit
Account number:
Sort Code:
Company Name: Centrica PLC t/a British Gas

Reference: [Insert the Direct Debit reference from your bank statement]
Amount: [If known]


Please cancel the Direct Debit Instruction detailed above effective from British Gas. If any further direct debit is set up, please remove this immediately.



I have copied this letter to British Gas for their information.


Yours faithfully


[signature]


[FONT=&quot]AnnBarbs[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Cc [/FONT]British Gas

Copy, Paste into Word, put into black (I've highlighted so you see easily), fill in details, format, print, pop in post to bank and BG. 5 minute/50p job.

But I cancelled all direct debits with British Gas on 7th May both though British gas and though my bank. And told both my bank and British Gas that I don't want anymore direct debits by British Gas I want to pay my bills by cash only.

British gas have set me up on cash only billing on 7th May they even sent me a letter confirming this that all my direct debits were canceled.

Brilliant news

Now I find they have set up another direct debit without my knowledge or consent. In addition to that I have found that they have in their error,set up direct debit for another customer using my bank details. Which is why I have had duplicate direct debits being taken out of my account.

British gas say they have now deleted my bank details but because they have lied to me from day one and told me they never took those payments-when they did as my bank and I can see them.
I don't believe anything that British Gas say to me. I think they are liars and they are also stealing my money.

Write a formal complaint, or do it over the phone. BG are a trustworthy company, and they should refund payments taken, as long as you can prove the account belongs to you. Ask for these payments, plus any bank charges you've incurred, plus £10 an hour in the first instance.

If this doesn't work, tot up the amounts, add 8% simple interest, and use this (link) to draft a letter, if they don't help. To calculate the interest, work out the payments, then use .08, 365, multiply by the number of days, and multiply by the amount. Add this to the balance.

On a calculator, for a £100 debt over 100 days, it's:

0.08 / 365 * 100 * 100 = £2.19

The total owed here is £102.19. You may need to calculate a number of interest figures, so have a pen and paper to hand. Specifically note the interest in a separate column in the LBA you write, to provide a breakdown of what is for what.

Again, £10 per hour, plus any expenses (call costs) will be reasonable for a court.

Where can I go for advice in this as i think I should now go to CAD or a lawyer and take legal action against British Gas. As I want British gas to stop taking money out of my account and they are still taking direct debits without my consent. And as I have said they are not even being credited to my gas and electric account.

See above, no need.

And the bank speaking to me in a formal way when it MY MONEY being lost is not very helpful. And I want British Gas to stop doing this to me. I made it clear to Both British gas that I don't want any more direct debits from them. but British Gas are still taking them from my account. So NO my problem is not solved at all.

As above, pop letter in post.

CK

System

No nobody else has my Bank details no. I never bank on line and have never given my bank details to anyone except the people I pay my bills to. My bank told me and it shows that British Gas took all those payments and set up those direct debits.

Ann_Barbs-important_note wrote:

My Problem with British Gas started in may 2013 when I had set up a direct debit for the first time with British Gas. Before that British Gas never had my bank details. So the fault is with British Gas. As I never had any problems before this. That is no other money has been taken out of my account that should not have been. Only by British Gas.

With British Gas on your gas and electric bills each customer has an account of customer reference number which never changes.This is your gas and electric account number.

My bank has now given me the customer ref numbers for all payments taken by British gas and they are that of another British Gas customer not mine.

So yes in their error Someone in the billing dept of British gas set up a direct debit for another British gas customer using my bank details by mistake. That what I found out yesterday from the complaints team when I gave them those payment numbers that they asked me for.

I could close that bank account and have my other direct debits taken from my other bank account.This would stop British Gas stealing any more money off me.As they don't know my other bank account details. But I don't really want to do this.As this means I would have to tell BT and all the other companies that I pay my other direct debits to that I have changed my bank details. Which means notify BT,Sky and the other companies that I want to use another bank accout to pay my direct debits with. So it;s a hassle but at least it will stop British Gas, as British gas don't know about my other current account.

But I should not have to do this as I told British Gas no more direct debits. And I cannot watch my bank account 24 hours a day worrying about what British gas will take from me without my consent next.
How am I supposed to live like that? That's why maybe I need to seek legal advice to stop British gas from doing this to me.

Yes I should write that letter and I did copy and paste it into Wordpad. But as I don't have a printer I will have to write it out by hand. And No I don't think I should write my bank or sort code details in my letter.Because if it gets lost in the post then some else could get my bank details.

CKhalvashi

annbarbs wrote: »

No nobody else has my Bank details no. I never bank on line and have never given my bank details to anyone except the people I pay my bills to. My bank told me and it shows that British Gas took all those payments and set up those direct debits.

I regularly end up giving my bank details out. This is every time I write a cheque (10-15 a month), and when I'm setting up DD's (not often)

With British Gas on your gas and electric bills each customer has an account of customer reference number which never changes.This is your gas and electric account number.

My bank has now given me the customer ref numbers for all payments taken by British gas and they are that of another British Gas customer not mine.

I'm aware of how it works, it's the same with any energy company.

So yes in their error Someone in the billing dept of British gas set up a direct debit for another British gas customer using my bank details by mistake. That what I found out yesterday from the complaints team when I gave them those payment numbers that they asked me for.

I wouldn't have thought it's someone within British Gas that has done this. When I set up a direct debit, I've ALWAYS had to give the details manually, even when they've been on the system before.

This is without exception.

I could close that bank account and have my other direct debits taken from my other bank account.This would stop British Gas stealing any more money off me.As they don't know my other bank account details. But I don't really want to do this.As this means I would have to tell BT and all the other companies that I pay my other direct debits to that I have changed my bank details. Which means notify BT,Sky and the other companies that I want to use another bank accout to pay my direct debits with. So it;s a hassle but at least it will stop British Gas, as British gas don't know about my other current account.

You've been refunded. As stated above, I feel that someone outside of British Gas has set this up, not someone within British Gas.

Use an account switcher service. It's free, and the new bank will do the running around for you. I did it when we switched to HSBC about 3 years ago, however all banks offer this. It's no hassle at all.

If it's a non-basic account, and a direct debit is set up, this could leave you with unauthorised overdraft charges, interest and/or fees. Keep an eye on the account.

But I should not have to do this as I told British Gas no more direct debits. And I cannot watch my bank account 24 hours a day worrying about what British gas will take from me without my consent next.
How am I supposed to live like that? That's why maybe I need to seek legal advice to stop British gas from doing this to me.

British Gas have done nothing wrong, and neither has your bank.

You haven't asked them in writing to stop, neither have you the bank at this time. At the same time, there is no direct debit on your account. This means that legally, they're following the PSR's.

Yes I should write that letter and I did copy and paste it into Wordpad. But as I don't have a printer I will have to write it out by hand. And No I don't think I should write my bank or sort code details in my letter.Because if it gets lost in the post then some else could get my bank details.

Even if the details do go missing, the worst that will happen is someone being able to set up a direct debit, as someone has done to you already.

I own what many would consider a large company (250+ employees), and we cannot offer DD facility, so it's limited to a select few trustworthy companies.

I've put my bank details in a number of letters to the bank (usually ones including cheques to be paid in), so the security risk is nil, as should fraud occur, you will get your money back anyway.

CK

System

CKhalvashi wrote:

You've been refunded. As stated above, I feel that someone outside of British Gas has set this up, not someone within British Gas.

I wouldn't have thought it's someone within British Gas that has done this. When I set up a direct debit, I've ALWAYS had to give the details manually, even when they've been on the system before.

No No No. I have not given my bank details to anyone and I have never ever used that account online as I never bank or pay my bills online and I don't shop online either.

So only the companies I pay my bills to by direct debit know my bank details, no one else.


And yes I did give my bank details manually or verbally over the phone to the billing dept of British gas when they set up the direct debit in May.

But when I gave the payment numbers of the direct debits taken from my account by British gas they confirmed that those are not my gas or electric account numbers.They are that of another British gas customer. Also I looked on my gas and electric bills and those reference no's are not the same as mine.

So yes British Gas have set up a direct debit for another customer using my bank details by mistake. British gas told me this and when I read out those payment numbers-British gas recognized them right away and said they are that of another British gas customer. But they would not tell me who that customer is obviously. Same as that customer doesn't know who I am.

They also told me that the customer they set up the direct debit for by mistake does not have my bank details as British Gas told me they never read out or confirm anyone's bank details not over the phone and not even in writing. Meaning when a direct debit is set up they do not put your bank details in the conformation letter no way.

So the customer has to read them out himself.Which they cannot do as they don't have my bank details. Because I have not given my bank details to anyone except the utilities or companies I pay my bills by direct debit to.

Read this post on the other thread here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4583881


from JSR it happened to him to. Quote:

Ann_Barbs wrote:

British gas would not really be that stupid as to give my bank details to another customer would they?

JSR wrote:

Virgin Media did it to me so it does happen. There is not much anybody can do just with your bank account/sort code so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Jeremy Clarkson famously printed his bank account in a national newspaper and all that happened was that somebody was able to set-up a direct debit to a charity.

So it can happen as it happened to me and this other members here.

CKhalvashi

annbarbs wrote: »

No No No. I have not given my bank details to anyone and I have never ever used that account online as I never bank or pay my bills online and I don't shop online either.

So only the companies I pay my bills to by direct debit know my bank details, no one else.

And yes I did give my bank details manually or verbally over the phone to the billing dept of British gas when they set up the direct debit in May.

As them to check back through that advisers log, I still think you're clutching at straws here.

So yes British Gas have set up a direct debit for another customer using my bank details by mistake. British gas told me this and when I read out those payment numbers-British gas recognized them right away and said they are that of another British gas customer. But they would not tell me who that customer is obviously. Same as that customer doesn't know who I am.

Until they admit they've done it, I think it's best to give them benefit of the doubt here. If you were to take legal advice, what evidence have you to take them to court?

If there's no direct evidence (and I'm not convinced there is), then there's no direct link between your account and the other account in question.

They also told me that the customer they set up the direct debit for by mistake does not have my bank details as British Gas told me they never read out or confirm anyone's bank details not over the phone and not even in writing. Meaning when a direct debit is set up they do not put your bank details in the conformation letter no way.

That's strange, because every time I set up a direct debit instruction, I get something in the post a few days later confirming the details.

When I have the documents with me (which won't be until I get home tonight now), I'll be happy to post a copy of one here, with address and bank details removed, of course.

I've never been a British Gas customer, but I have about 20 direct debits leave my account each month, and this has been the case with all.

from JSR it happened to him to.

So it can happen as it happened to me and this other members here.

No, I interpreted that as having two direct debits on the same account, which is something very different.

As I've already said, and will stand by until you can sway me on the balance of probability, there's no point even contemplating taking British Gas to court, as I am not satisfied to the 'on the balance of probability' (which is what the courts will use) that they have actually done anything wrong.

It could be a case of human error, or it could be a case of customer error, and until the fault end has been ironed out, there's absolutely no point thinking about it.

also, there's no 'e' at the end of Khalvashi

CK

System

CKhalvashi wrote:

Until they admit they've done it, I think it's best to give them benefit of the doubt here. If you were to take legal advice, what evidence have you to take them to court?

If there's no direct evidence (and I'm not convinced there is), then there's no direct link between your account and the other account in question.

Yes the complaints manager at British Gas told me that.So yes British Gas did admit they have done it. Though they tell me they did not realize their mistake until they got the payment no's from me yesterday. Before yesterday I did not know I had to give them the payment no's until another complaints manager told me to ask my bank for them.

So I got the payments nos from my bank gave then to British Gas and they then said the duplicate payments match that of the other customer.

But a I told you, before I set up my direct debit with British gas in May I did not have this problem. No money from British gas was ever taken out of my account by British gas before May. this all started when I set up my direct debit with British Gas in May which is now cancelled.

CKhalvashi

That's still not cast iron evidence. If they've admitted it, ask them how they wish to resolve the issue. £20 for your time sounds reasonable, as you've lost nothing. Remember to report this to the DWP.

I don't mean to appear blunt here, I seem to be hitting head + brick wall stage. I've tried to offer reasonable and practical advice, and I'm being treated as though I know nothing. Whilst I have not looked over your case in great detail, I am actually good outside the forum of sorting these sorts of problems out.

Now BG have cancelled the Direct Debit, it should remain cancelled. If it doesn't, fire the letter before action off, otherwise, as I mentioned, £20 seems reasonable to me. I've always cancelled over the phone, and never had a problem.

CK