Water company took direct debit from me to pay a strangers account

ghetom

Until today, I thought I was paying the water bill since I moved in with my wife. Turns out my wife was paying our water bill and the direct debit coming out of my bank was paying for a complete stranger's account.

Someone at the water company had used my bank account details when inputting the other people's direct debit into their account. The water company have admitted it's their fault and a 'GPDR failure' (i.e. it's not fraud by the strangers). 

This has been going on since 2022 so it adds up to about £200.

They've told me they'll refund the £200, which is positive but I feel pretty gobsmacked that this kind of error can happen. Surely there should be more serious consequences to them than just an 'oops, here's your money back.' 

Any suggestions on what I should do, or what I might be entitled to legally?

Many thanks.

Penguin_

They are putting you back into the position you would have been in if this hadn't happened. You may get a goodwill gesture of a couple of quid if you ask but apart from that, nothing.

DE_612183

Although it is an error by them, you are also at fault for not checking your bill, and possibly not talking to your wife!

ghetom

I totally accept that this is something I might have spotted earlier, but I'm more concerned that this kind of thing simply shouldn't happen. 

Other than loss of interest (and 3 hours on the phone to them) I'm not really out of pocket, so I wouldn't expect much compensation personally. I'm really asking if there's some kind of regulator/regulation that could hit them with a fine.  If they'd given my account details to a third party who had stolen from me, they'd rightly be hit with a GDPR fine, but they have essentially done the stealing themselves. 

noitsnotme

If you want them fined for simple human errors then expect water bills to increase.  Forget about it and move on with your life.

Mr_Blue52

ghetom said:

I totally accept that this is something I might have spotted earlier, but I'm more concerned that this kind of thing simply shouldn't happen. 

Other than loss of interest (and 3 hours on the phone to them) I'm not really out of pocket, so I wouldn't expect much compensation personally. I'm really asking if there's some kind of regulator/regulation that could hit them with a fine.  If they'd given my account details to a third party who had stolen from me, they'd rightly be hit with a GDPR fine, but they have essentially done the stealing themselves. 

I don’t think the regulator would hit them with a fine for one human error. If it happened multiple times, then yes maybe the regulator would fine them.

As people have already pointed out, they have refunded you & put you back in a position where it didn’t happen.

MattMattMattUK

ghetom said:

Until today, I thought I was paying the water bill since I moved in with my wife. Turns out my wife was paying our water bill and the direct debit coming out of my bank was paying for a complete stranger's account.

Someone at the water company had used my bank account details when inputting the other people's direct debit into their account. The water company have admitted it's their fault and a 'GPDR failure' (i.e. it's not fraud by the strangers). 

This has been going on since 2022 so it adds up to about £200.

They've told me they'll refund the £200, which is positive but I feel pretty gobsmacked that this kind of error can happen. Surely there should be more serious consequences to them than just an 'oops, here's your money back.' 

Any suggestions on what I should do, or what I might be entitled to legally?

Many thanks.

ghetom said:

I totally accept that this is something I might have spotted earlier, but I'm more concerned that this kind of thing simply shouldn't happen. 

Other than loss of interest (and 3 hours on the phone to them) I'm not really out of pocket, so I wouldn't expect much compensation personally. I'm really asking if there's some kind of regulator/regulation that could hit them with a fine.  If they'd given my account details to a third party who had stolen from me, they'd rightly be hit with a GDPR fine, but they have essentially done the stealing themselves. 

What is not clear from the post is what the error actually is. Did someone else submit your bank account details for a Direct Debit mandate, did the water supplier link a correct Direct Debit mandate that you authorised to the account of a third party, was there a typo in the Direct Debit setup process (which would be the oddest as the bank should be verifying names on accounts), something else?

Depending on what actually occurred would decide where the blame actually lays, it may be with another customer, the water supplier, the bank etc. 

You seem to be out for some kind of irrational vengeance though with wanting compensation and fines, that is not the route to go, or the right course of action. They may well offer you a small gesture of good will if it is their fault, if it is not their fault they will not offer you anything.

DE_612183

He thought he was paying the DD - so he'd given his details willingly.

I don't see the GDPR issue as the DD details on a bill / online would normally just show the amounts being paid, so even if someone else was befitting from the credits being applied they probably weren't able to access anything more than that.

Of course the person who was receiving the payments will now be stuck with a large bill - they probably have more cause fro complaint...

brianposter

The OP appears to have led a very sheltered life. The computerised world seems to be full of simple errors.