advice on Direct debit before I storm off to the bank with all guns blazing

MarkyMarkD

It wasn't a bank error.

It was a breach of the DD rules by the originator (in reinstating the DD). And that means that the bank are obliged to refund the money under the DD guarantee, and any associated charges.

The test case is a red herring and they are fobbing you off.

Go back to them and state that you want the money (and charges) refunding under the DD guarantee as this cancelled DD was reinstated without your permission.

shelovestobuystuff

I did say that to them but it just ended up as a stand off.They said that if the charges had not been taken from my account already they may have been able to help but that as they had already taken the charges it was now classed a request for a refund of bank charges and therefore their hands were tied.
I obviously wont get anywhere with my branch so what next?Head office perhaps or directly over the heads of the bank?

MarkyMarkD

I'd write to their central complaints department, and emphasise that it's not a request for a refund of charges, it's a direct debit guarantee indemnity claim. The charges are merely collateral to the main issue of getting the DD guarantee breach sorted (i.e. the DD amount refunded).

YorkshireBoy

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

I obviously wont get anywhere with my branch so what next?Head office perhaps or directly over the heads of the bank?

Invoke the bank's official complaints procedure, citing this...

They said that if the charges had not been taken from my account already they may have been able to help but that as they had already taken the charges it was now classed a request for a refund of bank charges and therefore their hands were tied.

...and reminding them of the nature of your complaint, ie you're specifically claiming under the direct debit guarantee...not the 'case barred' reclaiming of allegedly unlawful fees.