ASDA on-line double dipping.

Phoenixx73

We have had a similar problem with ASDA. We used the online shopping service. Ordered the goods we needed, paid via debit card and all was good. right up until we checked the online banking 2 days later. ASDA had also taken payment for our shopping twice. We called the bank, they informed us that the money that was missing from the acccount had indeed gone to ASDA. The money reappeared in the account the following day and we assumed that it had been one of those occasional mistakes that hepen from time to time.

Roll on one week, time to do the shopping again so we give ASDA the benefit of the doubt and do the weeks shopping once again on line. use the debit card to pay, and yet gain the amount is taken twice. We once again called the bank who once again informed us that ASDA had indeed taken the money again twice. (this was today so no news yet as to when the money will reappear.)

We then ring ASDA's customer support to be informed that the system works as so:

When you do you shopping, you make your list and are charged the appropriate amount for yous shopping which is taken from your card (all well and good so far, exactly what you would expect to happen). What then happens is that this money is then held by ASDA untill your shopping is delivered, THEN they take a second payment (which may or may not be different amount depending on substitute products etc.) which is then the amount they keep for the shoping.

This means that they now hold the original amount PLUS the actual amount of the delivered goods, The original amount is supposedly refunded to your account over night, although this isnt always the case. Therefore you can be left with a shopping bill for DOUBLE the amount you have actually spent with no idea as to when you will get your money that you originally laid out back.

So much for convinience. I don't find not being sure of when I will actualy be able to pay my rent for the week convinient. (and I dare say, neither will my landlord).

If this is the way this so called convinent method of shopping works, I am not sure that I really WANT to shop on line anymore as it then throws my finiances completely out of the windo for the entire week. Fortunately, the taking of the second payment on the second occasion did NOT result in my bank account going overdrawn and me incurring a fee for my unauthorized overdraft. The only reason I avoided one the first time was because I dealt with the bank directly and they waived the fee for me otherwise ASDA would have cost me another £35 on top of my food bill. This makes budgeting extremely difficult and the likely hood of bank charges because of this practice is very high for anyone on a tight budget.

BUYER BEWARE

Zazen999

http://www.asda.co.uk/corp/customer_service/terms_conds_homeshopping.htm

No mention of the double dipping here.

i don't shop with Asda or grocery shop online - but this made me seethe - what a £uc&ing liberty!

Sooler

Sounds like Asda are profiting from the interest they can earn on a huge stash of cash.

All they have to do is refund or charge extra the difference between the cost of what was ordered and what they delivered – simple sums,
or just charge on despatch, no payment – no delivery – simple again.

Blacksheep1979

they'll probably actually pay far more on processing than they will earn on interest. Considering how much companies like these pay on short term credit notes I don't think they stoop to this level for a couple of quid (yes even multiplied by however many hundred/thousand customers)

Ephemera

Apart from the obvious problem of potentially putting customers over their overdraft limit, etc, if ASDA make even a penny out of interest on these amounts it's pretty despicable. I don't suppose they refund the interest on your money as well????

Phoenixx73

I wouldnt even know what the interest on £75 over 18 hours would work out to!

C_Ronaldo

Im sure ive read about this on here before and i dont think theres much you can do apart from not shop at asda online anymore

Phoenixx73

What really gets me though is that there is NO WARNING on the site that this is what is going to happen.

iwanttosave_2

Tesco did this to me recently, and took them a week to send the payment back.

shellsuit

Thankfully, by using this forum and reading all the posts about this, I will never do my shopping online.

I budget for everything, if I know I am spending online, (or there is a DD due out) I will only leave that money in the bank.

If I shopped online and they did this to me, I would be so bloody angry, because it would take me OD (I don't have an OD), then there would be charges which means all the hassle to sort out.

Why on earth do some companies to do, and more to the point, how can they?!

If I spend £50 at Asda, Tesco, or wherever it may be, I only expect £50 to come from my account, so will only leave £50 in there.

It's a bloody joke! :mad:

Incidentally, if they did this, which took people OD, which resulted in bank charges, would they pay the bank charges??

Phoenixx73

Fortunatly we were in contact with the bank thus avoiding being charged. I would guess not everyone is so lucky.