Claiming Online Competition winnings safely by debit card

Mancunian123

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, but really it's banking advice I need about what bank information can be given out safely.
Long story short.  I paid to enter an online competition (for a charity fundraiser) with a decent monetary prize to the winner and the rest of the entry fees to charity.    And I won.
The £5 entry fee was taken online by Debit Card over the organisers  website.   Then after winning, the prize, (a few hundred pounds), was credited to my account on the website.  Much like (say) an online bookmakers website, there is a button to withdraw funds, which I clicked.  But it didn't work.  So I contacted the company.  They said because the win was bigger than normal, the website wouldn't allow automatic payment, as someone has to approve it.   Fair enough.     
Now, to my thinking, after approval, they should be able to pay the winnings back to my debit card. The one from which they took the original stake.
However they're saying they want to telephone me to get my bank account sort code and account number to make the payment.   This seems very dodgy to me.  Surely we shouldn't ever give our sort code and account number over the phone to a stranger?????
Now I don't for one minute think the competition is anything other than an honest one, but their insistence on wanting to call me to confirm my account no and sort code over the phone worries me.

Should they be able to pay the winnings to my debit card without any further information?  ( They had no problem taking the £5 stake from my debit card.)   Or do they really need me to provide my account details?  Am I being paranoid?

Shakin_Steve

As has been discussed on here many times, you give your account number and sort code to a stranger every time you write a cheque. If it's a reputable organisation, name it, unless you think you shouldn't be telling a bunch of strangers.

Malkytheheed

If you wanted someone to post you something would you give them your address? 


Noone can steal anything from you with your account number and sort code. They can only deposit money into your account. 

Malkytheheed

Shakin_Steve said:

As has been discussed on here many times, you give your account number and sort code to a stranger every time you write a cheque. If it's a reputable organisation, name it, unless you think you shouldn't be telling a bunch of strangers.

No sure that analogy, while accurate, is relevant much anymore. I haven't written a cheque in 15 years! 😂😂

Zanderman

Malkytheheed said:

Shakin_Steve said:

As has been discussed on here many times, you give your account number and sort code to a stranger every time you write a cheque. If it's a reputable organisation, name it, unless you think you shouldn't be telling a bunch of strangers.

No sure that analogy, while accurate, is relevant much anymore. I haven't written a cheque in 15 years! 😂😂

You may not have done, but others have.  And do.  

badger09

OP
If you're reluctant to give your current account details over the phone, why not ask them to post you a cheque. I'm assuming the prize is not large enough to exceed cheque deposit by app limit?

colsten

Mancunian123 said:

However they're saying they want to telephone me to get my bank account sort code and account number to make the payment.   This seems very dodgy to me. 

The dodgy bit is why they want to call you to get your sort code and account number. They probably want to talk you into some other deal, or for you to donate your winnings to them.

Just put it in an email to them and that's it.

theshed

Malkytheheed said:

If you wanted someone to post you something would you give them your address? 


Noone can steal anything from you with your account number and sort code. They can only deposit money into your account. 

I think Jeremy Clarkson would disagree with you there !
He published his bank details in his 'paper column giving the same argument.
A well known charity helped themselves to a small donation.
I believe he allowed them to keep 'donation' but point was proved.

General_Grant

badger09 said:

OP
If you're reluctant to give your current account details over the phone, why not ask them to post you a cheque. I'm assuming the prize is not large enough to exceed cheque deposit by app limit?

There's always Royal Mail to post to the bank (as well as receive it from the organisers).

colsten said:

Mancunian123 said:

However they're saying they want to telephone me to get my bank account sort code and account number to make the payment.   This seems very dodgy to me. 

The dodgy bit is why they want to call you to get your sort code and account number. They probably want to talk you into some other deal, or for you to donate your winnings to them.

Just put it in an email to them and that's it.

bradders1983

theshed said:

Malkytheheed said:

If you wanted someone to post you something would you give them your address? 


Noone can steal anything from you with your account number and sort code. They can only deposit money into your account. 

I think Jeremy Clarkson would disagree with you there !
He published his bank details in his 'paper column giving the same argument.
A well known charity helped themselves to a small donation.
I believe he allowed them to keep 'donation' but point was proved.

Not quite. Some cheeky scamp who read the article filled in one of those charity monthly donation things you get in the paper with the details and set up a Direct Debit, which he could have easily reversed using the Direct Debit Guarantee and he would have had the funds back rather quickly.  

As already said there is absolutely no risk to giving out your sc and an.

Time2Go_25

theshed said:

Malkytheheed said:

If you wanted someone to post you something would you give them your address? 


Noone can steal anything from you with your account number and sort code. They can only deposit money into your account. 

I think Jeremy Clarkson would disagree with you there !
He published his bank details in his 'paper column giving the same argument.
A well known charity helped themselves to a small donation.
I believe he allowed them to keep 'donation' but point was proved.

No they didn't someone setup a DD to take his money and donate it to the charity had nothing to do with it. Also DD can only be setup to approved beneficiaries. Once these people are approved they have to give indemnity guarantees through their banks. In addition as it was a DD his bank would have had to refund the money anyway whilest it investigated. It is very difficult to steal someones money using a DD.
If taking money was as easy as knowing a sort code and account number, nobody would ever dare right a cheque, buy anything online or buy anything over the phone.