Faster payment gone to wrong account

Cosmo983

I paid by debit card and they told me refund would be made to bank account. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas on how to try and reclaim these funds. It’s a huge loss to me. The account details were invalid days after the money was transferred if not before so if someone else did receive the funds they have taken them and closed their account. This is illegal and can be reported to the police seemingly. The difficult is it’s usually the sender of the funds who would report it and i wasn’t the sender, I was the intended recipient. British Airways won’t share any information with me regarding any contact they’ve had with my bank or what was said about returning the funds. 

SpreadableToast

Cosmo983 said:

I paid by debit card and they told me refund would be made to bank account. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas on how to try and reclaim these funds. It’s a huge loss to me. The account details were invalid days after the money was transferred if not before so if someone else did receive the funds they have taken them and closed their account. This is illegal and can be reported to the police seemingly. The difficult is it’s usually the sender of the funds who would report it and i wasn’t the sender, I was the intended recipient. British Airways won’t share any information with me regarding any contact they’ve had with my bank or what was said about returning the funds. 

I don't think someone has done a runner, transposing digits just doesn't work because there is an algorithm that generates account numbers (as well as debit and credit card numbers) and it almost always (if not completely) stops these errors from occurring.

I suspect their systems just marked it as paid even though it had bounced.  Make an official complaint and then take it to an arbitration provider such as CEDR if they don't play ball.

Cosmo983

SpreadableToast said:

Cosmo983 said:

I paid by debit card and they told me refund would be made to bank account. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas on how to try and reclaim these funds. It’s a huge loss to me. The account details were invalid days after the money was transferred if not before so if someone else did receive the funds they have taken them and closed their account. This is illegal and can be reported to the police seemingly. The difficult is it’s usually the sender of the funds who would report it and i wasn’t the sender, I was the intended recipient. British Airways won’t share any information with me regarding any contact they’ve had with my bank or what was said about returning the funds. 

I don't think someone has done a runner, transposing digits just doesn't work because there is an algorithm that generates account numbers (as well as debit and credit card numbers) and it almost always (if not completely) stops these errors from occurring.

I suspect their systems just marked it as paid even though it had bounced.  Make an official complaint and then take it to an arbitration provider such as CEDR if they don't play ball.

That’s really helpful. I too think it’s unlikely that there are two accounts so close together in number held at same sort code. I’ve went back onto BA today. 

RG2015

The OP made the initial payment by debit card. Surely the refund should have been made to the same debit card.

I am not disputing the OP’s account of events only the repayment method used by BA. Why would BA choose to do this rather than use the standard refund procedure?

Thrugelmir

Thrugelmir said:

Cosmo983 said:

phillw said:

I guess in part it depends on who the company is that gave you the refund

Hi it was British Airways 

Complete nightmare. We ended up having to stay an extra night in Berlin last July at little more than a couple of hours notice. To this day still awaiting reimbursement. All the information we've been provided with us proved false. Bank must be fed up tracing spurious refund payments. 

By way of update. Finally 49 weeks after submitting the claim yesterday the funds were finally credited. No explanation as to why previously we were provided with erroneous and totally misleading information. 

RG2015

Thrugelmir said:

Thrugelmir said:

Cosmo983 said:

phillw said:

I guess in part it depends on who the company is that gave you the refund

Hi it was British Airways 

Complete nightmare. We ended up having to stay an extra night in Berlin last July at little more than a couple of hours notice. To this day still awaiting reimbursement. All the information we've been provided with us proved false. Bank must be fed up tracing spurious refund payments. 

By way of update. Finally 49 weeks after submitting the claim yesterday the funds were finally credited. No explanation as to why previously we were provided with erroneous and totally misleading information. 

BA must be in turmoil at the moment. Covid 19 will have trashed any prior business and financial forecasts and they will have been short staffed.

I doubt that any prior risk assessment modelling would have come close to simulating the current scenario.

The OP’s problem may have been down to a transposed account number but like @Thrugelmir, it may have been them fobbing the OP off with random excuses.

The transposed account number may be a red herring.

Cosmo983

RG2015 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Thrugelmir said:

Cosmo983 said:

phillw said:

I guess in part it depends on who the company is that gave you the refund

Hi it was British Airways 

Complete nightmare. We ended up having to stay an extra night in Berlin last July at little more than a couple of hours notice. To this day still awaiting reimbursement. All the information we've been provided with us proved false. Bank must be fed up tracing spurious refund payments. 

By way of update. Finally 49 weeks after submitting the claim yesterday the funds were finally credited. No explanation as to why previously we were provided with erroneous and totally misleading information. 

BA must be in turmoil at the moment. Covid 19 will have trashed any prior business and financial forecasts and they will have been short staffed.

I doubt that any prior risk assessment modelling would have come close to simulating the current scenario.

The OP’s problem may have been down to a transposed account number but like @Thrugelmir, it may have been them fobbing the OP off with random excuses.

The transposed account number may be a red herring.

They’ve never sent me any proof of the payment being sent which I do find strange. 

MalMonroe

If you had paid by credit card you could have made a claim via Section 75 from the credit card company. As it is, I'd just keep on at BA, especially as you didn't receive any proof from them that they'd paid it.  Which IS very strange. 

MalMonroe

eskbanker said:

Highland76 said:

mgdavid said:

jonesMUFCforever said:

.............
I am intrigued as to how the original payment was made though? If the original payment was for flights - would the refund not have gone back to the original debit/credit card?

I agree; to refund other than to a debit / credit card used to buy them with is most unusual.

OP - what method did you use to pay for them originally?

The OP paid by credit card (already stated earlier).

Where is that stated?

No, OP paid by debit card, actually stated today, 1 August.

MalMonroe

Highland76 said:

mgdavid said:

jonesMUFCforever said:

.............
I am intrigued as to how the original payment was made though? If the original payment was for flights - would the refund not have gone back to the original debit/credit card?

I agree; to refund other than to a debit / credit card used to buy them with is most unusual.

OP - what method did you use to pay for them originally?

The OP paid by credit card (already stated earlier).

Nope, debit card, not credit - more's the pity.