Donated And Got Debited Twice

fallen121

Dunno if there is a pattern here but another thread on here complaining about problems with charity donations so here goes.

This is as much a vent as anything. Saw an article in a newspaper, decided to donate some spare cash from a Paypal account via JustGiving, checked out the charity and it was all kosher.

Whilst going through the donation process, received an on screen message saying the donation hadn't been processed and to try again or use a different payment method, tried again and then got two emails thanking me for my donation, logged back into Paypal to find I'd been debited TWICE.

Thing was, because I was donating was six or seven quid left in a Paypal account, the second donation triggered a direct debit to my current account because the Paypal account was empty. To say that I was livid would be an understatement as the account doesn't have any money in it and overdrafts trigger an automatic £5 a month fee plus interest.

Then tried to contact JustGiving support but of course it was email only and that has been outsourced to a company called Zen. Filled out the form but of course my login timed out and then it transpired I needed a second account because login is not the same as for JustGiving and then it wouldn't accept my email address because I am already registered at JustGiving with that email address so I had to re-register using another one and then lost everything I have typed.

I've basically just given up now but fed up that a 5 minute £6 donation will end up costing me best part of £20 once overdraft interest is factored in.

:mad::mad::mad:

Valli

Why not contact them and tell them what you've told us?

Trick is to check if you have had a confirmation e mail after ANY 'failed' payment before restarting the process.

You COULD also complain to your bank under the Direct Devit guarantee - the two emails, referring to the same payment amount and timed so close together will add weight to your claim BUT I am not any sort of expert on banking matters; this is just what i would try, given the overdraft.

fallen121

I SHOULD have checked after getting the first message, you are absolutely right. I stupidly BELIEVED the message on the screen.

I was in a hurry to go pick my husband up from work and was running late so thought, "If I don't do this now it will never get done".

I HAVE re-registered and submitted my complaint. I suspect that what I will be told is because it is Paypal I will be expected to sort it out myself. And Paypal are not the most easily contactable when it comes to customer support.

There comes a point at which the time spent contacting Paypal and the Bank, being on hold, getting standard emails which don't address the issue, getting fobbed off by call centre staff who just want to get rid of you etc. etc. will come to outweigh the additional cost. Sometimes it is better to eat the cost and save the stress.

The awful thing about this is that part of me doesn't want to complain and deprive this poor woman of money she now thinks she has. And a part of me NEVER wants to donate to charity ever again after all of this.

Every time I try to do something good something goes wrong which usually ends up costing me time/money. So I become harder and less inclined to do good. The cumulative effect is that people in general are less inclined to do good because they see that in general their generosity is exploited whilst those who never do good seem to prosper. It's quite a depressing prospect to extrapolate, really!

ljonski

The road to Hell is paved with the bodies of do-gooders!

Valli

I didn't mean to come across as preaching when I said about the messages; just that there have been a few threads about similar problems. So I mentioned it in the hope that it helps someone in the future. Hope I didn't come across like that!

And I quite see what you mean about the effort of complaining.

And your signature is most intriguing!

fallen121

ljonski wrote: »

The road to Hell is paved with the bodies of do-gooders!

Thank you for making me laugh! :T

fallen121

Valli wrote: »

I didn't mean to come across as preaching when I said about the messages.

Not at all!

Valli wrote: »

And I quite see what you mean about the effort of complaining.

You expend more energy and create more stress than that which was caused by the original mistake sometimes!

Valli wrote: »

And your signature is most intriguing!

It's a lyric taken from an Astrud Gilberto song called "I haven't got anything better to do"

http://www.amazon.com/Havent-Got-Anything-Better-Do/dp/B000N3SVQ4

fozmcfc

Normally paypal transactions take a few days to come out of my bank account. If you have another account with money in it, couldn't you have transferred between accounts to rectify it.

If that is your only account and has no money in it, then giving away money that you can't afford to charity is the last thing you want to do surely.

fallen121

fozmcfc wrote: »

If that is your only account and has no money in it, then giving away money that you can't afford to charity is the last thing you want to do surely.

Excuse me, but this sounds very much like I am getting told off for something I haven't done! So excuse me if I sound a bit indignant.

My Bank account currently has a nil balance. Mortgage and other bills are paid. I have £120 in my purse to get me through until Payday. Yes, there is a direct debit to Paypal but they more or less insist on that now. Also it's not a problem provided I don't use Paypal when there's no money in it.

When I gave that money to charity, I gave them £6.56 which was the exact amount of money I had in the Paypal account. How was I supposed to know they would debit the Paypal account twice and then invoke the direct debit?

I am working next week and don't know if I can get to the Bank in time to pay in £6.56 but I will try.

The point I am trying to make is that I am now having to do a lot of running around and being put to a lot of trouble and extra expense because I tried to help someone worse off than me and someone screwed up. If I go to the Bank I have to forego my lunch and effectively donate the £6.56 again. That £6.56 means no scone for my breakfast each morning for a week to make the money up. I am happy to do this but it is not really what I signed up for! No-one will say sorry. No-one will make it right.

Lecturing me about giving to charity when I can't afford it doesn't really help me. I had £6.56 and was willing to give it away. That was money I actually had in the account at the time I made the donation. JustGiving TOLD me the donation hadn't been taken and suggested I try again. My mistake was I believed it.

If I draw £10 out of the ATM I don't expect the Bank to debit my account £20.

dan3811991119

Should have just cancelled the direct debit and opened a dispute on the paypal payment inside your account to eventually bring the account back into credit