Who should cancel a DD??

knightstyle

So I am sorting out my MILs affairs as she is now in a care home. All fairly straightforward but EDF say I have to cancel the DD to them. The bank won't let me do this till we have power of attorney, this is applied for but will take many weeks. Meanwhile the EDF account builds up credit, £500 so far as her house is empty!
Other suppliers managed to cancel the DDs so why not EDF?

HappyMJ

knightstyle wrote: »

So I am sorting out my MILs affairs as she is now in a care home. All fairly straightforward but EDF say I have to cancel the DD to them. The bank won't let me do this till we have power of attorney, this is applied for but will take many weeks. Meanwhile the EDF account builds up credit, £500 so far as her house is empty!
Other suppliers managed to cancel the DDs so why not EDF?

Just go into the care home with a mobile call the bank and get MIL on phone agreeing to cancel all DD's against her account...job done. If she's just in a care home she's most probably able to say yes to the bank and approve the request.

Vortigern

knightstyle wrote: »

So I am sorting out my MILs affairs as she is now in a care home. All fairly straightforward but EDF say I have to cancel the DD to them.

What instructions have you given EDF with regard to the energy supply to your MIL's former home?

Is the supply still connected till you sell the house? If so, EDF should continue to bill your MIL but you might persuade them to reduce the amount of the DD and refund the surplus.

If the supply has been disconnected, or the house sold, EDF should produce a final bill, refund the surplus credit and cancel the DD. Even if they don't cancel the DD they should stop using it.

Afterthought: Are you sure this is a direct debit? In the unlikely event that it's a standing order, EDF couldn't cancel it, it would have to be cancelled by your MIL.

Dobbibill

Does your MIL not have an online account for either EDF or banking?

If so, logging into either should allow cancelling a DD.

If it is a SO, then as previously said, it needs to be done via the bank.

knightstyle

Thanks, have now persuaded the bank to stop the DDs. But I thought it was EDFs job to do this. The problem with the bank was that she/I could not answer the security questions. The last statement we have ends in November but the bank asks what credit was added to the account on 14th December. Plus how many accounts does she have with Lloyds, well she has an ISA with TSB, does this count?
Anyway I eventually managed, after three long calls to get it cancelled by the bank.
Southern Water did it with no fuss and just a few minutes on the phone explaining the situation to them.

agrinnall

Are you sure the reason EDF wouldn't cancel the DD was because they needed it to be done by your MIL rather than you? As the DD originator they certainly have the power to cancel DD, but they may have felt they did not have the authority to do so (rather like the initial response from the bank).

HappyMJ

knightstyle wrote: »

Thanks, have now persuaded the bank to stop the DDs. But I thought it was EDFs job to do this. The problem with the bank was that she/I could not answer the security questions. The last statement we have ends in November but the bank asks what credit was added to the account on 14th December. Plus how many accounts does she have with Lloyds, well she has an ISA with TSB, does this count?
Anyway I eventually managed, after three long calls to get it cancelled by the bank.
Southern Water did it with no fuss and just a few minutes on the phone explaining the situation to them.

It does get hard when you forget (or lose the written copy of) all the passwords. I've recently opened a First Direct account and there are 6 different answers I must remember forever, a password and a string of numbers. There's no way I can remember all that so I have to write it down defeating the point of high security.

Lloyds and TSB are now separate. Your MIL may have had a savings account and it's just another way of getting through security.

DigForVictory

My husband (far as I know sane & competent) is appalling at dealing with systems & forms etc, so we regularly call, establish he is who he says he is & he hands me the phone & I then sort out whatever he wants.

As long as the account holder can establish that they who they say they are (and it isn't always passwords - a safety net of other questions like mothers maiden name, first car, name of first pet, etc are all often available - ask!) then they can get through the who are you hoops & then hand the phone on.

Your MIL is lucky to have you ready willing & able to do this for her - others sometimes have to get CAB to help them!

Ballard

Direct debits should ideally be cancelled form both ends. Initially the originator should be contacted and then the bank. Cancelling it with the bank won't stop the originator requesting funds.

From the information you've provided, EDF will attempt to take another amount whereupon the bank will return it as 'instruction cancelled'. EDF may charge for the unpaid so I'd suggest that you inform them what's happened just in case.

Vortigern

agrinnall wrote: »

Are you sure the reason EDF wouldn't cancel the DD was because they needed it to be done by your MIL rather than you? As the DD originator they certainly have the power to cancel DD, but they may have felt they did not have the authority to do so (rather like the initial response from the bank).

Agreed. In the worst case EDF could ask for sight of the POA.

YorkshireBoy

Vortigern wrote: »

Agreed. In the worst case EDF could ask for sight of the POA.

OP hasn't got POA yet. Indeed, they say it "will take many weeks" to obtain.