3UK Taking Money for 4 New Accounts, That I Never Opened

hardergamer

Hello, I'm a little stuck and pis##ff and need some help on what to do next.  And sorry for my bad grammar and spelling as I'm dyslexic and have learning difficulties, and my spelling checker (Grammarly) is not working on this site so I need to go back and forth checking it on Google, this has taken me over 2.30 hours to write this.

I have had 2 accounts with 3UK one for a phone and one for internet for 2 years and my phone contract came up for renewal on 08/10/21 which I did do, but then on 10/11/21 I got 4 new DD's come out for £30.28 £30.28 £15.13 £15.13. So I called up 3UK and they told me it was not them it must have been fraud so they can not help me. they were not helpful at all, this was over 2 hours and 5 calls on the phone to them.
So I called up my bank, who then confirmed it was 3UK that had taken the money and gave me the DD transaction codes for 3 of them but couldn't on one of them as it was coming up "internal payment"?
So I called back to 3UK who then found the 3 accounts but would not reimburse me without an investigation, which will take some 2 days.

I waited thinking it will all be sorted out and the money will be back in my account soon, a big mistake.

I got a missed call on 17/11/21 (1 week later) so I rang them back the next day and was told I was not getting my money back as there identity checks passed when the 4 other contracts were taken out, I explained I had renewed my phone contract, but they said they cant help as it had been over 30 days they then hung up on me.

Later on the same day, I called 3UK back and told them I was putting this on social media and the BBC, this time the person was more helpful and after some 2 hours closed 3 of the accounts and told me I get a call back on 6/12/21, he said the only reason I am getting my money back was no one had used the sim cards and I confirmed I have not received any new sim cards etc, they asked me many questions about lending my phone out, how many family members I have etc, but I told them I live by my self and am disabled without children etc, and why would I need 5 contract phones.

Today on 6/12/21 I checked my bank and 4 new DD from 3uk have come out for 2x£30 2x£13x, (not my normal 2 DDs from 3UK) I received the expected call from 3UK and he closed 3 more accounts, he got me to check my emails from 3uk and I told him I never got any for the unexpected new contracts, only for the renewal of my phone and my broadband.
He then said he will call me back on 9/12/21 to make sure all the contracts are closed etc.

I know this does not add up as they have now closed 6 contracts in total, 3UK has made me overdrawn with my bank and a large part of my next money in 2 days will just be paying off charges, and because of 3UK I have had no money for food heating for the last 5 days now, I really do not know what to do next.

Very sorry for this being so long. Aaron

Ps got the spelling checker working, this was all red lol.

Ergates

Contact your bank and report it as fraud.

They can reverse any DDs taken that weren't authorised by you.  Make very sure they only reverse payments that a) haven't been reimbursed by 3, and b) aren't for the contracts you want to keep.

born_again

Your bank need to get a marker added to your account which means they will check any new DD's before setting them up.

Personally I would raise a complaint with 3, If they are not helpful then I would look at moving to another supplier.

hardergamer

Thank you very much, I will make the complaint with 3UK now, and then contact my bank.

hardergamer

Update on this, checked my bank again today and 3UK has taken 5 more payments out, even after closing all the other accounts. And my bank cant stop them beforehand.

powerful_Rogue

hardergamer said:

Update on this, checked my bank again today and 3UK has taken 5 more payments out, even after closing all the other accounts. And my bank cant stop them beforehand.

They can after though under the DD guarantee.

hardergamer

powerful_Rogue said:

hardergamer said:

Update on this, checked my bank again today and 3UK has taken 5 more payments out, even after closing all the other accounts. And my bank cant stop them beforehand.

They can after though under the DD guarantee.

They have told me 6 times that they have stopped all the DD's and closed the 5 accounts that I never opened, also the DD are blocked by my bank Natwest, but still, they keep coming out, that's 10 DD in 7 days and 20 DD taking out of my bank in total.

mobileron

Move your bank to First Direct best customer service and they will give u a £100.

Ergates

mobileron said:

Move your bank to First Direct best customer service and they will give u a £100.

They'll also migrate any DDs that are set up which would just complicate matters at this point.

Ergates

hardergamer said:

powerful_Rogue said:

hardergamer said:

Update on this, checked my bank again today and 3UK has taken 5 more payments out, even after closing all the other accounts. And my bank cant stop them beforehand.

They can after though under the DD guarantee.

They have told me 6 times that they have stopped all the DD's and closed the 5 accounts that I never opened, also the DD are blocked by my bank Natwest, but still, they keep coming out, that's 10 DD in 7 days and 20 DD taking out of my bank in total.

Are they refunding the money they keep taking?  Or are you asking the bank to pull it back?

hardergamer

Ergates said:

hardergamer said:

powerful_Rogue said:

hardergamer said:

Update on this, checked my bank again today and 3UK has taken 5 more payments out, even after closing all the other accounts. And my bank cant stop them beforehand.

They can after though under the DD guarantee.

They have told me 6 times that they have stopped all the DD's and closed the 5 accounts that I never opened, also the DD are blocked by my bank Natwest, but still, they keep coming out, that's 10 DD in 7 days and 20 DD taking out of my bank in total.

Are they refunding the money they keep taking?  Or are you asking the bank to pull it back?

I made a complaint on the 13/12/21 and they called me back the next day, they said I get my money back over the next 10 days, and today I got a refund payment for £56.28p, this is from the £350 they have taken out wrongly, also every time my bank blocked the DD 3uk charged me an extra £5, so £20 on top of the £350 in extra charges.

What I find very strange is how 3uk can not find the DDs they have taken from me, without me contacting my bank and getting the reference code.

Also, 3uk have said they will not reimburse me for any charges for making my bank over drown without my bank working it all out and sending them it in an email letter, etc, but my bank will not do this, Is there any other way of getting this money back like the Ombudsman?

Thanks all, Aaron