Curry's Mastercare - DD taken on wrong date, I've now received a bank charge...

[Mack D]

Was on the phone to them yesterday.

Used to pay them via my credit card for three different items I have with Mastercare but I called in February and changed it to a Direct Debit from my current account.

But they never changed it and continued to try and take this from my credit card, it succeeded once but I got rid of the card (which was why I changed the payment method) and therefore I built up a bit of a deficit. I spoke to a lady with them who was seemingly really helpful....told me that on the 9th June they would take a enw DD from my bank which would include the deficit I owed them.

I checked my bank on Friday and they had tried to take the money then, two weeks early and the money wasn't there as I'd paid all my bills and DD's for the month and I keep my spending cash for other things seperate, not that that matters.....

I called them and was put on hold for half an hour, complained to a TL who told me she spoke with the agent I dealt with and she told me that a DD would be taken immediately and then another on June the 9th which is a falt out lie....

Now I've got a £39 bank charge for nothing, I've only just got my bank charges back but can't be arsed going through the whole process again when it's these idiots fault.

I'm not disputing that I owed them the money, through an error on their part, I did, but they told me that nothing would come out till the 9th of June and they lied.

I've to complain to them in writing which I dare say will take a month (s) so is there any other course I can take with this?

Any advice appreciated.

[clavileno]

Originally Posted by Mack D

Was on the phone to them yesterday.

Used to pay them via my credit card for three different items I have with Mastercare but I called in February and changed it to a Direct Debit from my current account.

But they never changed it and continued to try and take this from my credit card, it succeeded once but I got rid of the card (which was why I changed the payment method) and therefore I built up a bit of a deficit. I spoke to a lady with them who was seemingly really helpful....told me that on the 9th June they would take a enw DD from my bank which would include the deficit I owed them.

I checked my bank on Friday and they had tried to take the money then, two weeks early and the money wasn't there as I'd paid all my bills and DD's for the month and I keep my spending cash for other things seperate, not that that matters.....

I called them and was put on hold for half an hour, complained to a TL who told me she spoke with the agent I dealt with and she told me that a DD would be taken immediately and then another on June the 9th which is a falt out lie....

Now I've got a £39 bank charge for nothing, I've only just got my bank charges back but can't be arsed going through the whole process again when it's these idiots fault.

I'm not disputing that I owed them the money, through an error on their part, I did, but they told me that nothing would come out till the 9th of June and they lied.

I've to complain to them in writing which I dare say will take a month (s) so is there any other course I can take with this?

Any advice appreciated.

Unfortunately the problem with DD mandates is that they allow the other party to take whatever money they claim they're owed whenever they want to take it.

More scarily, any large company can essentially debit any bank account just by saying "it is so" - there are no checks by your bank to ensure that you really did agree to a DD.

Anyhow my general position is this: don't allow any DDs out of your account. Insist on paying by standing order, which you control, rather than DDs which they control.

That said, my understanding (I may be wrong) is that they must give you notice of any debit they're going to take. So if their helpline says "calls may be recorded" you could start by making a Data Protection request for the recording in your letter requesting the refund of your bank charge.

[sweetnsexyenglish]

When you set up a direct debit, it is suppose to offer you protection against such things, therefore as they have taken the money on the wrong date you can apply through you bank for a refund of the money they have taken and the bank charge.

I was told this when my car insurance was taken out a month early considering I had paid them in cash up to the 1st payment date.

I would advise you to check with your bank as your dd should offer you that protection.