Thames Water took money from my bank a/c without permission

allyc22

I recently moved out of one shared flat into another and so phoned Thames Water to close the old account and open a new one. Whilst on the phone nothing was mentionned about how I wanted to pay and so I waited for a bill. Before any bill arrived I checked my bank a/c and saw that I'd incurred charges for use of an unauthorised overdraft. Thames Water have used the bank details I gave them for the old a/c to set up a direct debit for the new a/c without permission.

Is there anything I can do about this? It just seems so unfair that I'll be out of pocket for the bank charges for something that is Thames Water's fault :mad:

HappyMJ

Go to your bank and get them to refund the money as per the direct debit guarantee.

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/your-account/585.htm

Ask them to refund the OD charges. Then make alternative arrangements to actually pay the bill. As it's water I'd manually pay on receipt of bill. You don't usually get discounts for paying this one by direct debit.

GingerBob_3

HappyMJ wrote: »

Go to your bank and get them to refund the money as per the direct debit guarantee.

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/your-account/585.htm

Ask them to refund the OD charges. Then make alternative arrangements to actually pay the bill. As it's water I'd manually pay on receipt of bill. You don't usually get discounts for paying this one by direct debit.

Northumbria Water do give a DD discount.

Incidentally, anyone know when you pay monthly if you're paying a month in advance, in arrears, or half and half?

Cardew

GingerBob wrote: »

Incidentally, anyone know when you pay monthly if you're paying a month in advance, in arrears, or half and half?

That doesn't really apply as you are not billed monthly.


If you are not metered your bill is due payment in April for the whole year ahead, although most(all?) companies allow two payments on 01 April and 01 Oct.


If metered, most companies bill six-monthly. So for a billing year 01 April to 31 March, the full 6 monthly amount(standing charges and water/sewerage) is due in full 01 Oct.


To further complicate matters not all companies take 12 payments in a year.