Magazine subscription problems.

There_Goes_Trouble

I have no idea where I should have posted this but I know this forum gets a lot of views so thought I'd get quick advice here. Please move it though if its in the wrong place. I did look and couldn't see that it fitted anywhere else really.

I've been trying to set up a magazine subscription as a gift for my Dad's 70th birthday.

For some reason, it turns out that the offer I was trying to take up was invalid, however I made the order by phone rather than online and was not told this until about my third phone call. At no point have I been told that I cannot have the offer.

The first time I placed the order (Friday 12th Sept) my details were taken and I thought all was fine. we gave my Dad a home made 'certificate' on his birthday and he was thrilled with the gift which is for his favourite weekly car newspaper. It didn't arrive that week (was due Thursday 17th Sept and I had double checked that there was enough time to set the subscription up for the paper to arrive that day) so I called on the Saturday. They couldn't understand why the order had not gone through and had no record of the order on their computer, however they did have my details which I had only given when I placed the order. They took my details again and assured me the paper would arrive the following Thursday. It didn't.

To cut the story short a bit, I have now made six phone calls over that last four weeks and have been promised three times by people that they would 'look into it and call me back' which never happened and I ended up chasing them up every time.

Finally last Saturday it appeared that they had resolved the problem with the invalid offer and so I placed the order again, as they advised me to do. All of this has been by phone. On Monday this week the money was taken from my account and on Wednesday i received a confirmation email (longer than the 24 hours I was promised it would be sent but, at least I got it.)

The paper has not arrived today as promised (although I know it could be in the post and might arrive tomorrow) but when I checked my account today I have found that they have taken the money again today and so have now charged me twice!!

I am absolutely furious although I will be calm when I call at 8am tomorrow.

So after all that, my question is this:

I plan on demanding that they refund the money to my account by 5pm. I suspect they will say they can't do that and it will take x number of days. Is it actually possible to do a same day refund, and if not, what is a reasonable period of time that I should agree to?

Is it actually classed as theft to take the amount twice from my account? I authorised one payment and they have taken two.

Can I charge them interest on the money if they are slow to refund it? If we agree on 3 working days for example and they don't stick to it, can I legitimately ask for more back than they took?

The amount is £87.30 which is a lot for me to have go out of my account twice. I had budgeted for the first payment but obviously not the second.

When I call tomorrow I will be calm and reasonable, but to the point and determined. I want to know what my rights are and what I can and can't legally and reasonably ask for.

I have tried to google it but can't find any info that applied to my situation.

Thank you for reading, and for any help you can give.

Armorica

It's incompetence rather than theft. You don't say (I think) how it was taken - debit card, credit card, or direct debit. If it was direct debit, then the guarantee kicks in and you can claim an 'immediate refund' from your bank for payments taken in error/without notification. You would only be entitled to direct losses not indirect e..g. if charged overdraft fee, not just compensation without suffering financial loss.

I'm a bit bemused why you didn't just set up online though?

(lol oh, and it definitely shouldn't be under 'marriages', but under one of the banking/payment or consumer sections)

There_Goes_Trouble

Thanks. I didn't think of the banking section because it's not the bank's error - or is it? The payments have been taken 3 days apart so I doubt it would flag up as odd on the banking system. I will try and ring or get to the bank tomorrow for advice.

I used my debit card to make a one off payment, it's not a direct debit so I can't use the DD procedures I don't think. I didn't do it online as I don't like using my debit card online and I didn't want to put it on my credit card as I'm trying to get them paid off. I also had a few questions I wanted to ask so it just seemed silly to ring up to ask questions and then not place the order by phone. Clearly that was a mistake!