Asda pay at pump

kdex

Last Monday 12th June, I used the Asda pay at pump. I had a £99 pre-authorisation fee put into my card, which usually reverts to what I spent (in this case £40) as soon as I've finished.

I'm still waiting for this to be sorted, and am £59 short. I've missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it). Asda blame my bank, bank blame Asda. No one is taking responsibility.

I can't find a way to contact Asda, the people on the phone are good at reading a script, and the social media folks are avoiding giving me the information I request at all costs.

Can anyone give me any advice on how I get my money back, and who I would complain to, as this has been over a week now and I cannot go much longer waiting.

MattMattMattUK

kdex said:

Last Monday 12th June, I used the Asda pay at pump. I had a £99 pre-authorisation fee put into my card, which usually reverts to what I spent (in this case £40) as soon as I've finished.

I'm still waiting for this to be sorted, and am £59 short. I've missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it). Asda blame my bank, bank blame Asda. No one is taking responsibility.

I can't find a way to contact Asda, the people on the phone are good at reading a script, and the social media folks are avoiding giving me the information I request at all costs.

Can anyone give me any advice on how I get my money back, and who I would complain to, as this has been over a week now and I cannot go much longer waiting.

It is slightly complicated, because they have not actually got your money, it is just on hold. I have never actually used my debit card to buy fuel on a pay-at-pump, but on my credit card there is the initial hold, then the actual amount, both sit in pending until the next working day when the actual amount goes onto the card but the pending/oh hold can sit there for up to a week, although it normally disappears within a couple of working days. 

What happens is once the actual transaction goes through the payment processor then releases the remaining pre-authorisation and that takes a day or two to work it's way though the card processors and show on your account. The chain is actually more complicated. Asda > Merchant Service > Card Network > Bank, whilst the release is supposed to be near instantaneous it can be subject to delays and you do not actually have any rights there as it is a pre-authorisation not an actual charge. I would suspect that you are going to now be stuck until it drops off automatically after 14 days though the maximum is 30 days. I would ask your bank to clarify when it will be automatically be released. 

kdex

MattMattMattUK said:

kdex said:

Last Monday 12th June, I used the Asda pay at pump. I had a £99 pre-authorisation fee put into my card, which usually reverts to what I spent (in this case £40) as soon as I've finished.

I'm still waiting for this to be sorted, and am £59 short. I've missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it). Asda blame my bank, bank blame Asda. No one is taking responsibility.

I can't find a way to contact Asda, the people on the phone are good at reading a script, and the social media folks are avoiding giving me the information I request at all costs.

Can anyone give me any advice on how I get my money back, and who I would complain to, as this has been over a week now and I cannot go much longer waiting.

It is slightly complicated, because they have not actually got your money, it is just on hold. I have never actually used my debit card to buy fuel on a pay-at-pump, but on my credit card there is the initial hold, then the actual amount, both sit in pending until the next working day when the actual amount goes onto the card but the pending/oh hold can sit there for up to a week, although it normally disappears within a couple of working days. 

What happens is once the actual transaction goes through the payment processor then releases the remaining pre-authorisation and that takes a day or two to work it's way though the card processors and show on your account. The chain is actually more complicated. Asda > Merchant Service > Card Network > Bank, whilst the release is supposed to be near instantaneous it can be subject to delays and you do not actually have any rights there as it is a pre-authorisation not an actual charge. I would suspect that you are going to now be stuck until it drops off automatically after 14 days though the maximum is 30 days. I would ask your bank to clarify when it will be automatically be released. 

The bank have said -
Immediately when you finish fuelling
5 days
7 days
14 days
31 days

They say Asda need to claim the money, asda say they've sorted it. I've provided the receipt to my bank who basically tell me to swivel. 

It's not ok that my money can just disappear, wether it's 'holding' or whatever, the fact remains that I've been forced into financial difficulty as a result of an issue that is nothing to do with me. Neither the bank or Asda websites say that it will take so long.

MattMattMattUK

kdex said:

MattMattMattUK said:

kdex said:

Last Monday 12th June, I used the Asda pay at pump. I had a £99 pre-authorisation fee put into my card, which usually reverts to what I spent (in this case £40) as soon as I've finished.

I'm still waiting for this to be sorted, and am £59 short. I've missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it). Asda blame my bank, bank blame Asda. No one is taking responsibility.

I can't find a way to contact Asda, the people on the phone are good at reading a script, and the social media folks are avoiding giving me the information I request at all costs.

Can anyone give me any advice on how I get my money back, and who I would complain to, as this has been over a week now and I cannot go much longer waiting.

It is slightly complicated, because they have not actually got your money, it is just on hold. I have never actually used my debit card to buy fuel on a pay-at-pump, but on my credit card there is the initial hold, then the actual amount, both sit in pending until the next working day when the actual amount goes onto the card but the pending/oh hold can sit there for up to a week, although it normally disappears within a couple of working days. 

What happens is once the actual transaction goes through the payment processor then releases the remaining pre-authorisation and that takes a day or two to work it's way though the card processors and show on your account. The chain is actually more complicated. Asda > Merchant Service > Card Network > Bank, whilst the release is supposed to be near instantaneous it can be subject to delays and you do not actually have any rights there as it is a pre-authorisation not an actual charge. I would suspect that you are going to now be stuck until it drops off automatically after 14 days though the maximum is 30 days. I would ask your bank to clarify when it will be automatically be released. 

The bank have said -
Immediately when you finish fuelling
5 days
7 days
14 days
31 days

They say Asda need to claim the money, asda say they've sorted it. I've provided the receipt to my bank who basically tell me to swivel. 

That would indicate that the actual fuel cost was processed as a separate transaction to the the pre-auth, essentially the payment should come out of the pre-auth and that releases the balance. If the bank are saying that Asda need to claim the money then it is likely that for some reason the pre-auth was not used to complete the transaction, so the payment went through separately and left the pre-auth floating. 

kdex said:

It's not ok that my money can just disappear, wether it's 'holding' or whatever, the fact remains that I've been forced into financial difficulty as a result of an issue that is nothing to do with me. Neither the bank or Asda websites say that it will take so long.

It is an unfortunate situation, but it is not really anyone's fault as such, just an occasional glitch that happens with the system, this is why Martin et al have been saying do not use a pay-at-pump if funds are tight as the release of the pre-auth can take some time and there is nothing that can be done about it whilst it works it's way though the systems. 

kdex

MattMattMattUK said:

kdex said:

MattMattMattUK said:

kdex said:

Last Monday 12th June, I used the Asda pay at pump. I had a £99 pre-authorisation fee put into my card, which usually reverts to what I spent (in this case £40) as soon as I've finished.

I'm still waiting for this to be sorted, and am £59 short. I've missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it). Asda blame my bank, bank blame Asda. No one is taking responsibility.

I can't find a way to contact Asda, the people on the phone are good at reading a script, and the social media folks are avoiding giving me the information I request at all costs.

Can anyone give me any advice on how I get my money back, and who I would complain to, as this has been over a week now and I cannot go much longer waiting.

It is slightly complicated, because they have not actually got your money, it is just on hold. I have never actually used my debit card to buy fuel on a pay-at-pump, but on my credit card there is the initial hold, then the actual amount, both sit in pending until the next working day when the actual amount goes onto the card but the pending/oh hold can sit there for up to a week, although it normally disappears within a couple of working days. 

What happens is once the actual transaction goes through the payment processor then releases the remaining pre-authorisation and that takes a day or two to work it's way though the card processors and show on your account. The chain is actually more complicated. Asda > Merchant Service > Card Network > Bank, whilst the release is supposed to be near instantaneous it can be subject to delays and you do not actually have any rights there as it is a pre-authorisation not an actual charge. I would suspect that you are going to now be stuck until it drops off automatically after 14 days though the maximum is 30 days. I would ask your bank to clarify when it will be automatically be released. 

The bank have said -
Immediately when you finish fuelling
5 days
7 days
14 days
31 days

They say Asda need to claim the money, asda say they've sorted it. I've provided the receipt to my bank who basically tell me to swivel. 

That would indicate that the actual fuel cost was processed as a separate transaction to the the pre-auth, essentially the payment should come out of the pre-auth and that releases the balance. If the bank are saying that Asda need to claim the money then it is likely that for some reason the pre-auth was not used to complete the transaction, so the payment went through separately and left the pre-auth floating. 

kdex said:

It's not ok that my money can just disappear, wether it's 'holding' or whatever, the fact remains that I've been forced into financial difficulty as a result of an issue that is nothing to do with me. Neither the bank or Asda websites say that it will take so long.

It is an unfortunate situation, but it is not really anyone's fault as such, just an occasional glitch that happens with the system, this is why Martin et al have been saying do not use a pay-at-pump if funds are tight as the release of the pre-auth can take some time and there is nothing that can be done about it whilst it works it's way though the systems. 

Unfortunately there's no option to not use pay at pump as there's no kiosk. 

Who, ultimately, is responsible for the issue as they're both blaming each other.

I guess I'll have to choose which bills not to pay, it go without food 🤷 

Absolutely disgusting to be honest.

kdex

It's not acceptable that it just is something that happens. No way should out be allowed to happen in the first place.

tightauldgit

I have to say I thought this the last time I did pay at pump as I had very little in my account - that could cause real problems for people who might just be putting £10 or £20 of fuel in the car and then suddenly find that their account is less £100 for 24 hours (or more in this case). In my experience it's certainly not a quick process in releasing the hold. 

I don't think there's really anything that can be done as any process to resolve it will probably take more time than it just sorting itself out but I definitely think supermarkets need to have a rethink on this process. 

Jonboy_1984

The supermarkets are only using long established systems that have been used for decades for hotel room service deposits, hire car deposits, restaurant tabs and online shopping (if the retailer is following Visa/Mastercard rules to the letter!) amongst many other transaction types.

The main difference with the fuel stations is they are being used by a much wider audience, and many of the above transaction types insist on a credit card rather than a debit card for other reasons so people don't tend to notice.

eskbanker

kdex said:
Unfortunately there's no option to not use pay at pump as there's no kiosk.

Vote with your feet and buy your fuel elsewhere in future.

kdex said:
Who, ultimately, is responsible for the issue as they're both blaming each other.

There's no single party with ultimate responsibility, as both play a part.

kdex said:
I guess I'll have to choose which bills not to pay, it go without food 🤷 

Absolutely disgusting to be honest.

If a temporary shortfall of £59 has that effect then it really would make sense to look at using a credit card rather than a debit one.  You mention that you "missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it)" so if this card is being used to support a business and you don't have separate personal and business accounts then it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the bank could freeze or close the account, so you perhaps ought to review your banking arrangements to minimise future risk?

born_again

Auth will drop off after 14 days (10 working days)
So in OP's case it will have cleared by 27 June.

Any error is with Asda, as their system has not matched the transactions up.

Bank could be more helpful, if you are short of funds, by taking the auth out of their system. Which free's up the funds. But they would have to warn you that it does not remove the auth from the system & it could still debit your account.
But you would need to get passed front line call center staff, who will (for good reason) not have the power to do this & it should fall under disputes teams remit to do this with suitable warnings.

kdex

eskbanker said:

kdex said:
Unfortunately there's no option to not use pay at pump as there's no kiosk.

Vote with your feet and buy your fuel elsewhere in future.

kdex said:
Who, ultimately, is responsible for the issue as they're both blaming each other.

There's no single party with ultimate responsibility, as both play a part.

kdex said:
I guess I'll have to choose which bills not to pay, it go without food 🤷 

Absolutely disgusting to be honest.

If a temporary shortfall of £59 has that effect then it really would make sense to look at using a credit card rather than a debit one.  You mention that you "missed out on work (needed to put fuel in van and couldn't afford it)" so if this card is being used to support a business and you don't have separate personal and business accounts then it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the bank could freeze or close the account, so you perhaps ought to review your banking arrangements to minimise future risk?

I have a separate bank account, but as I've only been self employed for 2 weeks, at the time, I hadn't had the card through for the business account, which is also a debit card, not a credit card as not everyone can get, or wants a credit card 👍