What’s this on my Bank Statement?

Teapot55

On checking our bank accounts to make sure we had enough in ready for holiday spending we found some debit items paying CPS. 

You can tap on the icon for more info about the payment on your banking app & it came up with a map of our local Combined Court Centre. Neither of us has been anywhere near a court so we wondered if our cards had been cloned. 

Turns out CPS is the initials for a plumbing supplies shop. We bought a new hose for the washing machine then a carbon monoxide monitor. 

The bank have removed the link to the wrong place now but we are so glad we always check our bank statements. 

Zanderman

Not really clear whether you're suggesting the bank made an error or whether a mapping system interpreting the initials made the error. Mapping systems  - both Apple and Google and others -  are full of errors! I wouldn't rely on those to tell me where I bought something, I'd prefer to rely on my memory!

CliveOfIndia

I'd agree with Zanderman, it's just a glitch in the mapping algorithm.  And the fact that it showed your local court is perhaps not completely surprising - the most well-known meaning of CPS is Crown Prosecution Service.  But there must be hundreds of small businesses across the UK that use the same acronym.

WillPS

These things happen. I quite often used to use Hilton Park Services on the M6, most of these algorthithms seemed to match the first word.

Teapot55

Zanderman said:

Not really clear whether you're suggesting the bank made an error or whether a mapping system interpreting the initials made the error. Mapping systems  - both Apple and Google and others -  are full of errors! I wouldn't rely on those to tell me where I bought something, I'd prefer to rely on my memory!

Well, it was on the app provided by the bank but it came up on a Google map link. Definitely agree with you about mapping systems being full of errors. 

My memory told me I hadn’t been near the courts 😊

To an extent it’s the fault of the company we bought the goods from giving themselves an ambiguous title . . . bit like the unfortunate guitar shop who call themselves PMT 🤣🤣

Teapot55

I’ve just looked on Google Maps and the shop we went to is marked as ‘City Plumbing’ which is what we call it, not CPS. 

My point though was ‘always check your bank statements’.  It was an error. Only a minor one, although it gave us a fright for a few moments there. 

CliveOfIndia

Teapot55 said:

. 

My point though was ‘always check your bank statements’.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't routinely check their statements (both bank and credit card).  How else would you spot if you'd been overcharged for something, or whether your card had been used fraudulently?

It's 10 minutes out of your day, once a month, to have a quick scan through the statement and make sure everything is in order - hardly an onerous task

born_again

CliveOfIndia said:

Teapot55 said:

. 

My point though was ‘always check your bank statements’.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't routinely check their statements (both bank and credit card).  How else would you spot if you'd been overcharged for something, or whether your card had been used fraudulently?

It's 10 minutes out of your day, once a month, to have a quick scan through the statement and make sure everything is in order - hardly an onerous task

You will be amazed how few do.
Some people never check their accounts. Know someone query a payment going out for years...

It is also surprising how many retailers do not debit in the name people expect, such as the OP found out.

jimjames

CliveOfIndia said:

Teapot55 said:

. 

My point though was ‘always check your bank statements’.

It's 10 minutes out of your day, once a month, to have a quick scan through the statement and make sure everything is in order - hardly an onerous task

Mine is 1min or less out of my day, daily. Much easier to keep track and also allows me to run with minimal balance so I can transfer in from savings when I need to. But yes, I agree it's not onerous especially with an app on phone.