Email claiming I'd set up a Direct Debit (Tembo)

purble

Opened a new account (Lifetime ISA) with Tembo, paid in a one-time deposit to open it but very deliberately did not set up a Direct Debit. Did not agree to a Direct Debit mandate etc. However I later receive an email claiming "You've set up a Direct Debit". (Extremely unambiguous language through email.) Emailed to query and ask them to cancel it immediately, and got told they in fact did not set up a Direct Debit.

I am necessarily being lied to by one of these emails. As far as I can tell on my bank end, the Direct Debit hasn't actually been set up, and no money has been taken. Which is good, and what I wanted. But that still means they lied to me about setting up a Direct Debit.

Is there any recourse for me here? Or anyone I can reasonably complain to? I have raised a complaint with Tembo but I don't really expect it to help anything. I feel this is a misuse of Direct Debit's name and processes, but I can't see anywhere on their website to complain about it.

flaneurs_lobster

They've sent an email in error, being "lied to" is rather over-dramatising it.

You've queried it and they've confirmed that it was sent in error.

No money has been taken . No DD has been set up.

What are you hoping to achieve by raising a complaint with Tembo (or anyone else)?

purble

I really don't like letting companies get away with deceptive practices with a "whoops, our bad" then just carrying on and changing nothing. It's not a mistake, it's a deliberate choice, and that makes it lying. What I'm hoping is to for companies to be less awful (faint hope, I know), and not letting them get away with stuff like this is part of that. Maybe I'm screaming into the void with this one, but I'm still !!!!!! off.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053049#Comment_82053049

Setting up a direct debit without authority and not telling you about it might be considered "deceptive practices".

Sending you an email in error is a mistake.

user1977

They set up a direct debit so you can make contributions from your current account via their app. It is mentioned in the key features document. Not sure why they denied it, though maybe something got lost in translation - they're not sucking money out of your account without your permission anyway.

crispy_duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053049#Comment_82053049

If it was a deliberate choice rather than a mistake, what do you believe they were trying to gain from it?

Give it up, you aren't going to get any free money here.

Aylesbury_Duck

How much are you after?

Ergates

I'm really not clear on what you think the intent of the "deception" was here.

Tricking you into thinking a direct debit had been set up (when it hadn't) would benefit them how exactly?

born_again

Perhaps OP would like to confirm if a DD has been set up. If not then a simple system error is the issue.