Uncancelled Direct Debit

kilgore55

I have recently discovered that I have a Direct Debit with BT that dates back to 2002 for a property that I have not lived at since 2003. I have spoken with BT who have offered be 10 months of payment back as a gesture of good will but this would amount to about 10% of what I have paid since leaving the property. I have not used or needed the line in question, as I have had other phone lines with other companies that were BT lines, and was shocked to discover that I had this direct debit. I cannot remember setting up the account or if I ever contacted them to cancel the account.

As a result I have also not received and notifications about changes to service or increases to the Direct Debit. If I had of know about the Direct Debit I would have cancelled it sooner but I do have problems with my memory and this was the first bill that I ever had in my name.

Has anyone else had any experience of similar situations with trying to reclaim Direct Debits such as this? If so how successful were you? At the moment BT and I are at deadlock and I do have a letter that allows me to go to the ombudsman if I wish.

Thanks in advance.

bengalknights

You can go into your local bank branch and use the DD guarantee scheme, you may have to explain to them though.

[Deleted User]

As a result I have also not received and notifications about changes to service or increases to the Direct Debit. If I had of know about the Direct Debit I would have cancelled it sooner but I do have problems with my memory and this was the first bill that I ever had in my name.

Any notifications would have been sent to your old address and (possibly) an old email address. The DD would have been obvious in your bank statement surely?

kilgore55

@bengalknights I have been told that that could effect my credit rating.

@Colin_Maybe the DD were on my bank statements, but I had long forgotten that I had an account with BY (I cant even remember open it and had to double check where the address actually was) and the occasions that I have noticed it I have had a BT line through another supplier and thought it was to do with that.

DCFC79

kilgore55 wrote: »

@bengalknights I have been told that that could effect my credit rating.

@Colin_Maybe the DD were on my bank statements, but I had long forgotten that I had an account with BY (I cant even remember open it and had to double check where the address actually was) and the occasions that I have noticed it I have had a BT line through another supplier and thought it was to do with that.

Who told you it would effect your credit rating ?

Only you can see the rating, the credit history is what lenders etc see.

Carrot007

DCFC79 wrote: »

RE: Can people stop loaning money/being a guarator to family/friends, it rarely ends well and you lose out as your money is gone or you get shafted with being a guarantor.

And:

Who told you it would effect your credit rating ?

Only you can see the rating, the credit history is what lenders etc see.

Can people please stop being pedantic and realise people mean history when they say rating?

Would it be a problem to anwser the question rather than nitpick?

pmduk

Explaining to somebody what a credit rating actually is isn't nit-picking. So stop nit-picking yourself!

OP if you haven't cancelled the contract the DD wll have been taken correctly exercising the DD guarantee might result in a default being registered on your credit history. I'm not sure whether BT report these matters to the CRAs, but you might want to be careful

phillw

pmduk wrote: »

Explaining to somebody what a credit rating actually is isn't nit-picking.

It does come across as pedantic. Like if someone tells you they lost their leg and you point out that it's not lost, it's right there next to them.

DCFC79

Carrot007 wrote: »

Can people please stop being pedantic and realise people mean history when they say rating?

Would it be a problem to anwser the question rather than nitpick?

Not nitpicking, just putting them on the right path rather than believe something to be important when it isn't.

Your concern is duly noted.

brewerdave

I THINK that the DD guarantee is time limited, so as BT have already offered 10 months back, I very much doubt that the Bank would go further......most of the banking records for the earlier years will be virtually irretrieveable anyway, as they will be "archived"

Hazzanet

brewerdave wrote: »

I THINK that the DD guarantee is time limited

The direct debit guarantee is unlimited as to time and amount.