Withdrew money from betting accounts to closed bank accounts

noxir92

Hi, I hope it’s ok to post this here. If not, please let me know where the best place to post this would be.

Little bit of a complicated messy problem that I’m looking for help with…

I stupidly, accidentally withdrew money from the below betting sites to two of my closed bank accounts across 3 instances.

• On 7/4, I withdrew from a Netbet to my Lloyds account
• On 15/4 I withdrew from Betfred to my old HSBC account
• On 21/4 I withdrew from Slotto to the same old Lloyds bank account.

I’ve spoken to Netbet, who have given me an ARN number to track it and have ask me to ask Lloyds to provide proof it didn’t reach them. 

Lloyds have said they can't see the payment Netbet made, and that they can’t trace the payment using the ARN number, and I can’t see how they can prove that something didn’t happen. Lloyds have said Netbet will need to raise a payment in error, which I’ve suggested to Netbet, but they just seem to ignore this request and repeat the ARN number.

Betfred said I need to contact HSBC. HSBC said they can’t see anything hitting my account, which I’ve told Betfred. Betfred haven’t responded and I can’t see them being useful here.

Slotto told me to contact Lloyds too (no ARN provided). Lloyds, again, said they can't see the payment being made and to contact Slotto and have them raise a payment in error.

I used the switching service with both Lloyds and HSBC, which as I understand should mean all payments are redirected for the next 3 years (of which I’m well within), so I was hoping the funds would just be passed on.

I’ve not got much hope of the betting companies being useful, and it feels like the banks are giving me the runaround a little bit? Surely they can see the transactions coming in and can trace any transactions with that account, even if it’s now closed.

Any advice would be really really appreciated! It’s just under £250 in total that I’m waiting on and desperate not to lose!

I tried to put as much detail as possible, but let me know if you need any further info.

JezR

Were these withdrawals made as bank transfers, or back to a card on the account previously used to deposit?

noxir92

JezR said:

Were these withdrawals made as bank transfers, or back to a card on the account previously used to deposit?

Back to the card, which I think is technically done as a refund. 

jonesMUFCforever

OP your money is gone for ever - you will never see it again - They will play you off against the banks because they have your money and won't give it back to you.

[Deleted User]

Never trust betting companies. They just have no interest in providing customer service in the same way as any other business. They are just legalised criminals.

colsten

Deleted_User said:

They are just legalised criminals.

Schrodinger's betting companies, legal yet criminal.

noxir92

Surely there must be a way of recovering the funds? I've withdrawn to the correct account with these companies on other occasions and the money has hit my bank within a couple of days of requesting it. That coupled with the ARN numbers they have provided me make me think they have actually sent the money.
Who can use the ARN number to trace it? Surely a bank would have access to a system that can take the ARN number and trace a transacation?

jonesMUFCforever

Even if the bank ''finds'' the funds via the ARN what makes you think they will pass the money onto you - because you are no longer their customer? 

ZeroSum

The money should bounce back to the betting company about a week later. 

It'll be sitting in one of their suspense accounts somewhere. 

John_

jonesMUFCforever said:

OP your money is gone for ever - you will never see it again - They will play you off against the banks because they have your money and won't give it back to you.

Don’t be silly, banks and regulated companies don’t conspire to stay customer funds.

born_again

noxir92 said:

Surely there must be a way of recovering the funds? I've withdrawn to the correct account with these companies on other occasions and the money has hit my bank within a couple of days of requesting it. That coupled with the ARN numbers they have provided me make me think they have actually sent the money.
Who can use the ARN number to trace it? Surely a bank would have access to a system that can take the ARN number and trace a transacation?

Certain departments have access to that system. Certainly will not be front line staff. As it takes quite a while to find transactions. 
Even if you are no longer their customer, they can forward it on to your new bank.
That really should be happening as standard. But it appears that a lot of debit card payments are not being transferred as they should. Often this could be due to it being a manual process at your old bank.