Scottish Power Direct Debit Problem

0rsen

Scottish Power wrote to me recently increasing my monthly direct debit payment to £92. Last month they took this amount from my account. However, I have just looked at my online statement and see that today they have taken £100. Can they do this? Had I not had sufficient funds, this could have cost me dear.
Any advice appreciated.

mute_posting

I think they have to tell you in writing giving 14 days notice that they intend to change your DD ammount (for things billed monthly they usually do this on the bill, else they should send a letter) otherwise you are entitled to a refund under the DD guarantee with your bank.

MP

0rsen

Many thanks, MP. I suspected that was the case. I shall phone them tomorrow and give them a piece of my mind. By the way, who refunds the excess, the bank or SP?

Cardew

Under the DD guarantee with the Banks they have to notify you in advance of an increase in your DD.

However this is often in small print at the bottom of your last bill, and easy to miss.

If they haven't notified you, then the bank will refund you and claim it back from the company, and if you were overdrawn and incurred charges, they would also be refunded.

MarkyMarkD

We are talking about £8 here, which has been credited to your SP account not simply stolen.

I think it's far more sensible to speak to SP about this direct, and get them to explain why/change the future DD amount.

Using the DD guarantee for silly reasons isn't very productive IMHO: the OP hasn't gone overdrawn and hasn't incurred charges as a consequence.

Cardew

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

We are talking about £8 here, which has been credited to your SP account not simply stolen.

I think it's far more sensible to speak to SP about this direct, and get them to explain why/change the future DD amount.

Using the DD guarantee for silly reasons isn't very productive IMHO: the OP hasn't gone overdrawn and hasn't incurred charges as a consequence.

Well I would agree with that 100%.

However the OP asked the questions and I was providing the answers!!

It is, of course, also information for other people who read the thread.

0rsen

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

We are talking about £8 here, which has been credited to your SP account not simply stolen.

I think it's far more sensible to speak to SP about this direct, and get them to explain why/change the future DD amount.

Using the DD guarantee for silly reasons isn't very productive IMHO: the OP hasn't gone overdrawn and hasn't incurred charges as a consequence.

Sorry, but I am a stickler for standards. If I agree to pay a fixed monthly sum, then I see no reason why I should not complain when this sort of situation arises. All very well to say that the money has been credited to my fuel account. I'd much prefer to see it in my bank account. As a pensioner, I cannot afford to subsidise these greedy companies.

mute_posting

I have to agree with 0rsen.

What use is there having a DD guarantee if people are too scared to use it for what it is intended for?

This is after all a "Money Saving and Consumer Revenge" website - not very good money saving if your money that should be earning YOU interest is sat in the utility companies account earning THEM interest!

The DD rules are simple: they must give notice of any intent to change the monthly ammout.

MP

MarkyMarkD

I know. But it's more effective money-saving to talk to the utility provider (SP) and to get THEM to refund the money, and to re-set your DD to the correct amount. That should take one phone call.

Contacting the bank will NOT be as efficient as all it will do is claw back the DD amount from SP, who will then try to switch you onto a non-DD payment method at a far higher cost for defaulting on your DD agreement. They will still have to be contacted to sort out that mess (which never needed to be created) and to get the monthly DD set back to the original amount.

Do you see why I say that using the DD guarantee is not the right solution in this case? It's not a matter of "consumer revenge" or not, it's a matter of resolving things in the most efficient possible way.