Self-employed - pay went into wrong account

[Deleted User]

Hello everybody,
I was employed by company X until February this year, at which point I resigned and went to work for another company, company Y. They paid me into one of my bank accounts (I have two).

I now work part-time and self-employed for company X, as a zero hour contractor. I submit an invoice every month using their online template. I gave different, but correct bank account details on the invoice form, as I use a different bank account for my self-employed work (it makes it easier to submit a tax-return when I only have to look at one account).

Company X transferred the payment into the account that they used to pay me in. I didn't realise this and asked them why I hadn't been paid, only once I checked the other account did it become apparent that they had made a mistake and transferred the money into the wrong account.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - I would just transfer it to my other account myself. But this is a terrible company with a terrible record for looking after their staff (thus why I resigned as full-time employee). If legally possible, I want to them to have to pay me into the correct account, and they can retract the pay from the other account from their own means. If this isn't possible for them to do, and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).

My point of view: I clearly submitted the bank details on their invoice form that they provided to me. This is their error and their poor admin. I am self-employed on zero hours. Is there any legal reason that I have to accept being paid in the wrong account?

Apologies for the long post, and I know it may seem like an annoying/inconvenient question. Too many employees have been treated terribly by this company, and even though it is a tiny amount of money, it'd be good to try and get them to start correcting their ways, with any extra money going to charity.

Please let me know where I stand legally.

Thanks.

[Deleted User]

Anonymous13579 said:

Hello everybody,
I was employed by company X until February this year, at which point I resigned and went to work for another company, company Y. They paid me into one of my bank accounts (I have two).

I now work part-time and self-employed for company X, as a zero hour contractor. I submit an invoice every month using their online template. I gave different, but correct bank account details on the invoice form, as I use a different bank account for my self-employed work (it makes it easier to submit a tax-return when I only have to look at one account).

Company X transferred the payment into the account that they used to pay me in. I didn't realise this and asked them why I hadn't been paid, only once I checked the other account did it become apparent that they had made a mistake and transferred the money into the wrong account.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - I would just transfer it to my other account myself. But this is a terrible company with a terrible record for looking after their staff (thus why I resigned as full-time employee). If legally possible, I want to them to have to pay me into the correct account, and they can retract the pay from the other account from their own means. If this isn't possible for them to do, and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).

My point of view: I clearly submitted the bank details on their invoice form that they provided to me. This is their error and their poor admin. I am self-employed on zero hours. Is there any legal reason that I have to accept being paid in the wrong account?

Apologies for the long post, and I know it may seem like an annoying/inconvenient question. Too many employees have been treated terribly by this company, and even though it is a tiny amount of money, it'd be good to try and get them to start correcting their ways, with any extra money going to charity.

Please let me know where I stand legally.

Thanks.

 How very childish 
 WHEN you have a double payment because you haven't informed them it was a simple error, you can donate what you want wherever. BUT you'll still owe that money back to them. 

Dox

Anonymous13579 said:

Hello everybody,
I was employed by company X until February this year, at which point I resigned and went to work for another company, company Y. They paid me into one of my bank accounts (I have two).

I now work part-time and self-employed for company X, as a zero hour contractor. I submit an invoice every month using their online template. I gave different, but correct bank account details on the invoice form, as I use a different bank account for my self-employed work (it makes it easier to submit a tax-return when I only have to look at one account).

Company X transferred the payment into the account that they used to pay me in. I didn't realise this and asked them why I hadn't been paid, only once I checked the other account did it become apparent that they had made a mistake and transferred the money into the wrong account.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - I would just transfer it to my other account myself. But this is a terrible company with a terrible record for looking after their staff (thus why I resigned as full-time employee). If legally possible, I want to them to have to pay me into the correct account, and they can retract the pay from the other account from their own means. If this isn't possible for them to do, and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).

My point of view: I clearly submitted the bank details on their invoice form that they provided to me. This is their error and their poor admin. I am self-employed on zero hours. Is there any legal reason that I have to accept being paid in the wrong account?

Apologies for the long post, and I know it may seem like an annoying/inconvenient question. Too many employees have been treated terribly by this company, and even though it is a tiny amount of money, it'd be good to try and get them to start correcting their ways, with any extra money going to charity.

Please let me know where I stand legally.

Thanks.

What a fuss about nothing. You've been paid, so just transfer the money to the 'correct' account. Now is not the time to kick off about such trivial things.

TELLIT01

You have been paid into one of your bank accounts and you are aware that it was a simple admin error.  You say they were/are a terrible company and you now want to make things more difficult for them and yourself by demanding that they recall the original payment and make a new one.  Where is the logic or sense in that, when in all likelihood they will make a mess of the process.  Transfer it between accounts yourself, it will take a matter of seconds.

If you end up with double payment and don't return the overpayment it is theft, as you are aware that it has happened.

Comms69

Anonymous13579 said:

Hello everybody,
I was employed by company X until February this year, at which point I resigned and went to work for another company, company Y. They paid me into one of my bank accounts (I have two).

I now work part-time and self-employed for company X, as a zero hour contractor. I submit an invoice every month using their online template. I gave different, but correct bank account details on the invoice form, as I use a different bank account for my self-employed work (it makes it easier to submit a tax-return when I only have to look at one account).

Company X transferred the payment into the account that they used to pay me in. I didn't realise this and asked them why I hadn't been paid, only once I checked the other account did it become apparent that they had made a mistake and transferred the money into the wrong account.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - I would just transfer it to my other account myself. But this is a terrible company with a terrible record for looking after their staff (thus why I resigned as full-time employee). If legally possible, I want to them to have to pay me into the correct account, and they can retract the pay from the other account from their own means. If this isn't possible for them to do, and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).

My point of view: I clearly submitted the bank details on their invoice form that they provided to me. This is their error and their poor admin. I am self-employed on zero hours. Is there any legal reason that I have to accept being paid in the wrong account?

Apologies for the long post, and I know it may seem like an annoying/inconvenient question. Too many employees have been treated terribly by this company, and even though it is a tiny amount of money, it'd be good to try and get them to start correcting their ways, with any extra money going to charity.

Please let me know where I stand legally.

Thanks.

So terrible you went to carry on working for them? You can insist on anything you like. The simple fact is that
A: they wont offer any more work
and
B: they'll sue you for the original payment.

You will not be keeping double the payment, no matter what. And since that is your intention, you're also attempting fraud.

LilElvis

As you appear to have changed the bank details on your invoice without explicitly drawing their attention to the fact that this was a change then I would say that the fault lies with you. 

gettingtheresometime

I really do despair at some of the 'problems' that people post and this takes the gold medal.

As others have said, this ranks as being so petty that I'm struggling to believe it. 

Also, when we've changed bank accounts we have always drawn it to our clients attention. You won't end up with a double payment as it would only take a half efficient purchase ledger clerk to trace the payment - in fact by not drawing their attention to the change suggests you engineered the situation knowing what would happen.

General_Grant

Anonymous13579 said:

. . .
. . ., and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).
. . .

I thought members of our military were supposed to be honourable people.

middleclassbutpoor

Brilliant!

Could you imagine your post if they had failed to pay you because you made one minor admin mistake in your job? 

Then because they got annoyed at all the little things that you do which annoy them; insisted as a lesson to you that you should have to do a full weeks work again before you get your pay for the original week you worked? Oh and for the time you have just done, they will donate that to charity if you can't claim it back through your bank?  

My guess.... You would be livid and this is because the response would be completely disproportionate for the error made is my guess. 

What should you do?

1 - Give your head a shake 
2 -  Either do them a favour and quit, or re-evaluate the fact that despite some annoying issues you value the fact that you are actually in a position to be fully compensated for the work you do. 
3 - Ask them to note the change in bank details for your next pay. 

Brynsam

Anonymous13579 said:

Company X transferred the payment into the account that they used to pay me in. I didn't realise this and asked them why I hadn't been paid, only once I checked the other account did it become apparent that they had made a mistake and transferred the money into the wrong account.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - I would just transfer it to my other account myself. But this is a terrible company with a terrible record for looking after their staff (thus why I resigned as full-time employee). If legally possible, I want to them to have to pay me into the correct account, and they can retract the pay from the other account from their own means. If this isn't possible for them to do, and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).

My point of view: I clearly submitted the bank details on their invoice form that they provided to me. This is their error and their poor admin. I am self-employed on zero hours. Is there any legal reason that I have to accept being paid in the wrong account?

Please let me know where I stand legally.

The legal position is very clear. You have suffered no financial detriment and the position is extremely easy to remedy, so you have no sort of claim.

Takeaway_Addict

Anonymous13579 said:

Hello everybody,
I was employed by company X until February this year, at which point I resigned and went to work for another company, company Y. They paid me into one of my bank accounts (I have two).

I now work part-time and self-employed for company X, as a zero hour contractor. I submit an invoice every month using their online template. I gave different, but correct bank account details on the invoice form, as I use a different bank account for my self-employed work (it makes it easier to submit a tax-return when I only have to look at one account).

Company X transferred the payment into the account that they used to pay me in. I didn't realise this and asked them why I hadn't been paid, only once I checked the other account did it become apparent that they had made a mistake and transferred the money into the wrong account.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - I would just transfer it to my other account myself. But this is a terrible company with a terrible record for looking after their staff (thus why I resigned as full-time employee). If legally possible, I want to them to have to pay me into the correct account, and they can retract the pay from the other account from their own means. If this isn't possible for them to do, and I end up with a double payment, I'll donate it to a military charity (I'm ex military and make monthly donations to these charities anyway).

My point of view: I clearly submitted the bank details on their invoice form that they provided to me. This is their error and their poor admin. I am self-employed on zero hours. Is there any legal reason that I have to accept being paid in the wrong account?

Apologies for the long post, and I know it may seem like an annoying/inconvenient question. Too many employees have been treated terribly by this company, and even though it is a tiny amount of money, it'd be good to try and get them to start correcting their ways, with any extra money going to charity.

Please let me know where I stand legally.

Thanks.

Don't be an idiot