Closed accounts with credits
kwikbreaks
Posts: 9,187 Forumite
Every year over the summer months I take a 30day rolling mobile broadband contract with Three. Every October I cancel it. Every time I end up with what is usually a pretty minor credit (49p this year but depending on dates could be anything up to just short of the £15 contract if they've taken an extra payment).
At the bottom of the bill it says call to get the credit back. When I did I asked why they don't just credit the account the DD comes from automatically. I found the answer I was given laughable - "you might have cancelled the bank account" which I couldn't resist replying was a load of horse manure. Then annoyingly they wanted me to give the bank account details for the refund to confirm they matched theirs.
My belief is that they don't repay in the hope people cba to call and ask. A few million small credits still amounts to a tidy sum.
They are not alone. Sky were forced to contact people they had left in credit and I got a letter about the £5ish they hadn't repaid when I cancelled my mother's account when she died about 7 years ago.
At the bottom of the bill it says call to get the credit back. When I did I asked why they don't just credit the account the DD comes from automatically. I found the answer I was given laughable - "you might have cancelled the bank account" which I couldn't resist replying was a load of horse manure. Then annoyingly they wanted me to give the bank account details for the refund to confirm they matched theirs.
My belief is that they don't repay in the hope people cba to call and ask. A few million small credits still amounts to a tidy sum.
They are not alone. Sky were forced to contact people they had left in credit and I got a letter about the £5ish they hadn't repaid when I cancelled my mother's account when she died about 7 years ago.
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Comments
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Just to confirm, but they asked you to confirm that your bank details were correct and you refused to do this?
Mountain out of a molehill I'm afraid...
Also, there is an argument that the company may be following data protection in ensuring that the correct person is making the request. Not to mention the obvious fact that confirming bank details ensures that the money goes to the correct place and ensures that the customer's journey is short. If they list your refund amount along with the contact information AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR BILL then I also cannot see how they are trying to impede you in getting the credit back. I'm just not seeing your viewpoint I'm afraid.
The Sky issue seems to be altogether different0 -
Where did I say I refused? Of course I gave them the details to get the refund after taking the effort to call. My point is why should I have to call to get a refund when they have the details of the account to be credited? My Energy supplier just credited the balance when I switched so why can't a phone supplier.0
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kwikbreaks wrote: »Where did I say I refused?
Admittedly, you neither said that you refused or cooperated. You did, however, mention horse manure so I (incorrectly) assumed that you had not given the details.
I still see nothing wrong with what they've done, UNLESS they asked you to call a premium (or even a non free) phone number in order to claim back the money.
You may be right about people not being bothered about re-claiming, but they did have the courtesy to inform you AND they provided a coherent (even if horse manure) reason for it.0 -
The phone number provided would only be free if still on Three or if include in a call package (it wasn't 0800). Regardless of cost why should I have to waste my time calling them when they have all the information they need to make the refund - i.e. settle their debt to me. The amount in this case was tiny and it was only my own bloody mindedness that prompted me to call.0
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kwikbreaks wrote: »why should I have to waste my time calling them when they have all the information they need to make the refund -
Bank details can change within 30 days, especially when customers don't commit to anything long term. Also, customers may use pre-paid cards to purchase 30 day rolling contracts because there is no need to commit to anything. So you can't entirely blame them for wanting to make sure that the refund information is correct!0 -
The ludicrous chance that the bank account may have been closed too didn't stop the energy company paying over £100 of refund without the need for me to call them. This was paid by direct debit from a standard bank.
Given your constant defense of Three's actions I'm wondering why....The Sky issue seems to be altogether different0
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