Bank Payment Error

tjn1970

We tried to make a faster payment to our energy company with our online bank account (Smile) but got an error message saying the transaction had failed. We then couldn't choose the energy supplier from the drop down menus on the payment page.

As the bill needed paying, we transferred the money from this account to another bank, and made the payment from that account instead.

However when I checked the Smile statement the payment had gone out to the energy supplier after all - so effectively the money had now been paid twice. I immediately contacted Smile and the customer services agent said he could see the payment had been cancelled and so didn't know why it had gone out and would recall the payment. (This situation had also taken us overdrawn)

The energy company say the money was recalled and returned on 23rd March but it is still not in our account. Smile are saying that they cannot say whether or not the payment has been returned and that it has not been received and we need to speak to the energy supplier. They cannot see payments coming into the account - only those leaving. The energy supplier are clear the money has been refunded and say it should have been returned to our account the same day.

11 days later and our £300 is still missing and we have bills to pay again.

How long should the money take to be returned to our account when the payment has been made in error by the bank and they have recalled it and the receiving account agrees to return the money? We're getting nowhere fast and I don't want to go overdrawn again this month. Help!

diamonds

Call Smile, log a complaint. It was their online error.

agrinnall

At a guess (as I'm not sure what the process is for recalling Faster Payments) I would say that the money has come back to Smile but is sitting in a suspense account because the return transaction didn't have enough information to identify that it should be credited to your account. As diamonds says, make a formal complaint to Smile, I'd be reasonably confident that a bit of manual checking will locate the payment OK.

diamonds

I would assume a bank error is the same as a customer error. But the bank credits your account immediately.


Martin has a guide http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/banking/2016/01/sent-money-to-the-wrong-bank-account-now-it-should-be-easier-to-get-it-back

grumbler

Generally, if the return was made by a bank transfer, it's up to the sender to track it. Normally it's some tracking number that they give you to pass to the receiving bank.

Westie983

When calling back a DD or payment, its either returned to the account immediately if its a Direct Debit Indemnity, or within 48 hours if its a payment gone out in error.

I would contact Smile if your energy company insists that the payment was returned, it could be in a suspense account at Smile waiting for you to contact them so they can allocate it to your account.

Does your energy company show the £300 you made via another bank? or just the return of the first amount? could the energy company have sent back the second payment and you need to look in that account?