card payment I didn't make

lixandra

Hi all, I have a bit of a strange query, I wasn't even sure where to post it -- but my concern is that my credit history will potentially be affected so here I am. I'll try to keep it short.

I have an account with TalkTalk (phone, Internet, tv) and I'm paying by direct debit around the 1st of each month, something like £60-70. On the 1st of November I noticed that no DD was taken from my bank account so yesterday I called TalkTalk and to my surprise they told me that my bill was paid on the 28th of October 'by credit or debit card' and that my account is £2 in credit. So that's why they didn't take the DD on the 1st of Nov.

TalkTalk refused to tell me the last 4 digits of the card that was used to make the payment but they did tell me it was made online 'by credit or debit card'. So, because I don't have any recollection of making this payment I checked my debit card and all my credit cards (3 cards active, and 2 cards that I happened to close early October). There is no record of this payment made on the 28th of October on any of these 5 credit cards. My bank account doesn't show it either. So I call TalkTalk again, and the guy tells me that, if I give them the last 4 digits of the cards I have and there is a match with the card that was used to make the payment, they will tell me. There was no match... I read the last 4 digits on all cards. I told him that I didn't make the payment and he essentially told me that there's nothing they can do, the payment was made, they can't tell me the card number or the last 4 digits... and that's that.

Is there anything else I can do to track this payment, aside from checking all my cards one more time in a couple of weeks or at statement time?

I'm just concerned (paranoid okay) that this phantom payment will somehow ruin my perfectly green credit history (I'm due for mortgage renewal early next year).

Many thanks for any suggestions you might have.

Sinhanada

It shouldn't affect your record at all. In fact you have kept your account up to date.

Keep the payment you would have made to Talk Talk as from what I can tell, someone has entered their details incorrectly and made a payment to your account and not theirs. You need to get back to Talk Talk and advise them of this and if you are told there is nothing they can do, ask to speak to their manager \ supervisor.

[Deleted User]

You need to work out how the payment happened, there are 3 possibilities I can think of:

1. Someone you know is aware you have financial problems and wants to help you (this doesn't fit your situation)
2. There has been a problem with TalkTalks system (maybe? but they say the payment happened and have a record of it)
3. Someone has mistakenly sent the payment to your account instead of their own

#3 seems the only real option here, so to work out if it is this you'll need to look at how payments are made. Go to the TalkTalk website and go through the payment process, see if it lets you pay off a bill with just an account number, if that is possible then I'm almost sure it's #3.

If that is what has happened it depends on the policy of TalkTalk, but it seems very much like you're going to have that payment reversed and taken from your account so personally I would contact TalkTalk again and be adamant that this has happened and you want to solve the situation, they should be able to help you or at the very least make a note on your account so if this does go awry you have grounds for a complaint.

lixandra

Thanks both. I did check my payments history under My Account in TalkTalk, and it shows direct debits payments for the most part, and two card payments - one in July that I indeed made and one in October that I didn't make.

My account is set up for direct debit and there is no card saved for payment, every time you make a card payment you have to enter all credit card details.

@citricsquid nobody would pay my phone bill so I suspect it's either a system mistake or someone who paid my account inadvertently. The bill amount was £71.24 and the payment was £73.46 so a bit of a discrepancy there.

What puzzles me is that the TalkTalk rep doesn't really care, I told tham that I am 100% sure I didn't make the payment because I called all my card providers - 'fun' time spent on the phone - and it is a mistake, but they're not investigating further. I should probably make a complaint by letter? or ask the rep to speak with a manager?

Sinhanada

lixandra wrote: »

What puzzles me is that the TalkTalk rep doesn't really care, I told tham that I am 100% sure I didn't make the payment because I called all my card providers - 'fun' time spent on the phone - and it is a mistake, but they're not investigating further. I should probably make a complaint by letter? or ask the rep to speak with a manager?

Definitely escalate this and speak to a manager. Make a note of the time you have called and who you have spoken to. Unfortunately I would suspect there is someone out there who is having a similar fight to you but asking why their payment hasn't been put onto their account.

Moral of the story? Talk Talk are consistently voted worst Customer Service and it shows why here!

ALIBOBSY

I think I would give speaking to a manager one go and also ensure they put a note onto the account as to what has happened so if/when the payment is reversed you can insist they don't add any charges as you have already informed them.

One thought I had was to go online and pay the correct amount for your bill now anyway. That way although you will be in credit now, once the payment is reversed your account will be correct and back to zero.

Ali x

StuC75

That will only work if the payment is reversed before the next bill,, what will likely happen is that account will go further into credit, which will be reduced down when the next bill is prepared (meaning a month without a dd being taken)..

If Talk Talk is not willing to reverse this out, just keep your own money aside to pay when this is reversed.. After all if they did manually move it out, and the actual payers bank did then reverse it out as well, then you would be out of pocket - since it would only be reversed from your account and not any holding account that they may actually move those funds it to...

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

I think I would give speaking to a manager one go and also ensure they put a note onto the account as to what has happened so if/when the payment is reversed you can insist they don't add any charges as you have already informed them.

One thought I had was to go online and pay the correct amount for your bill now anyway. That way although you will be in credit now, once the payment is reversed your account will be correct and back to zero.

Ali x

danielhermann

lixandra wrote: »

Hi all, I have a bit of a strange query, I wasn't even sure where to post it -- but my concern is that my credit history will potentially be affected so here I am. I'll try to keep it short.

I have an account with TalkTalk (phone, Internet, tv) and I'm paying by direct debit around the 1st of each month, something like £60-70. On the 1st of November I noticed that no DD was taken from my bank account so yesterday I called TalkTalk and to my surprise they told me that my bill was paid on the 28th of October 'by credit or debit card' and that my account is £2 in credit. So that's why they didn't take the DD on the 1st of Nov.

TalkTalk refused to tell me the last 4 digits of the card that was used to make the payment but they did tell me it was made online 'by credit or debit card'. So, because I don't have any recollection of making this payment I checked my debit card and all my credit cards (3 cards active, and 2 cards that I happened to close early October). There is no record of this payment made on the 28th of October on any of these 5 credit cards. My bank account doesn't show it either. So I call TalkTalk again, and the guy tells me that, if I give them the last 4 digits of the cards I have and there is a match with the card that was used to make the payment, they will tell me. There was no match... I read the last 4 digits on all cards. I told him that I didn't make the payment and he essentially told me that there's nothing they can do, the payment was made, they can't tell me the card number or the last 4 digits... and that's that.

Is there anything else I can do to track this payment, aside from checking all my cards one more time in a couple of weeks or at statement time?

I'm just concerned (paranoid okay) that this phantom payment will somehow ruin my perfectly green credit history (I'm due for mortgage renewal early next year).

Many thanks for any suggestions you might have.

There is no need to Panic. Your card account is clean, as if the amount due is not paid by the due date then your credit history goes bad. Here in this case the card used by the other person is to panic. He or she must have mentioned the card account number by mistake and your account was billed up with.
But keep a track if the other person somehow manages with the help of authorities to take back the amount from the bill( don't know if this is possible), then it will be time for you to immediately pay the amount due in your card account.

lixandra

Okay so I wrote an email to TalkTalk (they have a form online) and confirmed to them I didn't make that payment on the 28th and requested an investigation. I also went ahead and paid the October bill by debit card with the correct bill amount and informed them about that in the email. Hopefully they'll fix things and if not, well at least I have it in writing should something happen later on.

Thanks all!