Halifax lost my money

8elarus

Hi all.
Some advice needed please.
I paid my self employed tax bill at my local Halifax branch over the counter with cash. The cashier scanned the bar code on the bill, took the money and stamped it 'paid' on the day.

A little while after I started receiving letters from a DCA on behalf of HMRC chasing me for the payment of the same very bill. I sent them a copy of the receipt and they apologiesed and left me alone.

A couple of weeks after I got another bill from the tax man for the exact same amount I already paid. When questioning them about it -and it's a story for another thread and complaint- I was advised they never received the money.

I went into my local branch and was promised a manager will call be back shortly. 2 days down the line I got a call from the 'manager' who was incredible rude. Stated I paid the bill with my easy cash card and I only had 9p balance on the day, so the payment was declined.
I replied I paid in cash but he 'manager' kept pushing me into agreeing I used the easy cash card and had to pay the bill again. By the end of the call I was in tears and started questioning my own sanity! I have a current account with a very healthy balance, why would I use an account with no money in it??? I checked the receipt and it's the usual stamp you get when you pay your bills over the counter.

In the meantime HMRC keep chasing me up for the amount I don't owe them.

I don't feel comfortable with calling Halifax again and want to write to them, and also complain about the 'manager' who accused me of lying!

The address I found online is Halifax
PO Box 761
Leeds
LS1 9JF

Is there an email address? Does anyone know what could've gone wrong???
I've been with them for veer 10 years and also have an appointment with their mortgage adviser next week. I'm mortified this trashed my credit score.

NICHOLAS_2

If you handed cash to them then it should be on film. They record everything.

grumbler

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/current-accounts/other-bank-accounts/basic-bank-account/

Features of this account

• A Visa Electron card

AFAIK, the main feature of Visa Electron (or, possibly, 'online' Visa now) is that all transactions have to be autorised online, i.e. fail if there is no money in the account.

So, even if allegedly you paid with a card, it's their fault that somehow they accepted the payment without checking the balance first.

They stamped it 'Paid', then it had to be paid. Full stop. IMO they don't have a leg to stand on if you escalate the complaint.

dj1471

They have an online complaint form:
http://www.halifax.co.uk/contactus/how-to-complain/

YorkshireBoy

dj1471 wrote: »

They have an online complaint form:
http://www.halifax.co.uk/contactus/how-to-complain/

That's just simply a request for them to call you back isn't it? EDIT: Apologies...right down at the bottom (after you've ticked goodness knows how many boxes and provided lots of other information) there's a box you can type your actual complaint in.

Letter is the best way to go here.

OP, did you put a card in the reader at all...perhaps for ID purposes? If you did, did you have to enter your PIN? Maybe the cashier simply(!) pressed the wrong button?

McKneff

Personally, in ths day and age when payments can be made electronically, by card, by transfer, by any other electronic measn, why on earth would anyone pay cash.


I would pay cash if it was insisted on but I would not be accepting a receipt that was just stamped 'paid'
I would want a proper receipt, date, time, even down to a photo on me mobile, lol. Too many idiots and too many thieves about....

jonesMUFCforever

McKneff wrote: »

Personally, in ths day and age when payments can be made electronically, by card, by transfer, by any other electronic measn, why on earth would anyone pay cash.


I would pay cash if it was insisted on but I would not be accepting a receipt that was just stamped 'paid'
I would want a proper receipt, date, time, even down to a photo on me mobile, lol. Too many idiots and too many thieves about....

In your opinion what constitues a proper receipt?
In my book if a customer hands over a pre printed bill with either a side receipt or top of the bill and this is stamped by a Halifax customer then that is a proper receipt. What else could it be?

8elarus

Thanks all! I'm going with a letter by signed for delivery.
Does anyone know who's their CEO or customer service director?
Will also submit the complaint online-just don't trust it. If they lost the money, then they can overlook my complaint...!

OP, did you put a card in the reader at all...perhaps for ID purposes? If you did, did you have to enter your PIN? Maybe the cashier simply(!) pressed the wrong button?

No, I've not put a card in and wasn't asked to put a pin in.Simply paid cash. Why? Because I didn't see the point in putting the earnings for the day in just to pay it all out straight away.

runforlife

It will be on cctv.

meer53

Am i missing something here ? How do you pay a bill at a Halifax branch with cash ? Do you not have to pay the cash into your account first, then pay the bill ?

masonic

meer53 wrote: »

Am i missing something here ? How do you pay a bill at a Halifax branch with cash ? Do you not have to pay the cash into your account first, then pay the bill ?

Bank giro credit slip?