G'day Fellow LCB-ers,

I'm not normally given to ranting, but a very recent banking "anomaly" has caused some enraged teeth grinding.

There has been an unauthorised direct debit on my/our bank account, and I subsequently contacted the bank by phone. The very pleasant Scottish call-centre lady confirmed that no such direct debit was on my list. However, she then reported that this DD had been "...cancelled by the originator"! After the funds had been withdrawn.

I've been in touch with the payee, to emphasise that this payment was unauthorised, and that a prompt refund is required.

I have also messaged the bank, asking how this unauthorised payment was allowed in the first place, because it seems to me that there has been some kind of security breach.

To underline all this, a payment had been expected - but not from this account!!! From another bank!

So I'm still puzzled as to why this has occurred, and moreover, I reckon that there is some kinda scam involved, somewhere along the line.

Doesn't sound quite right to me and I'd expect the bank to sort it pretty damned fast as well.

Still waiting for the bank to call me back. The payee has at least acknowledged my email - "We'll get back to you within 2 working days".

[Edited on 7/6/16 by Dick Axtell]

Name and Shane

You've told the bank there was an error, why haven't they refunded your money as per the direct debit guarantee? surely its their problem to get the money back from the person they paid it to?

https://www.directdebit.co.uk/DirectDebitExplained/pages/directdebitguarantee.aspx

Thanks all for the feedback.

Decided on further action - contacted bank again, went thru the details - again, and was told, yes the direct debit had been set up OK.

NO - IT B****Y WASN'T!! Finally got that penny to drop, so now we have to go thru a "direct debit indemnity" procedure. This means I get my money back.

Good.

But - If the payee can support its claim that the payment was correctly authorised, the bank will re-debit my account.

NOT so good.

The very simple question - how was payment authorised on a First Direct account, when the initial deal was done using a Santander account - has NOT been answered.

You may have gathered that I'm well & truly p1$$3d off by all this, and that's without having to deal with the original merchant who engineered the deal in the first place.

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But - If the payee can support its claim that the payment was correctly authorised, the bank will re-debit my account.

NOT so good.

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