Continuous/Recurring Payments

[ziggyblue]

I live in Spain and set up what I thought was a direct debit for Sky tv with a third party as you are not supposed to receive Sky in Spain although most ex-pats do. The contract is normally with a fictitious name and address in the UK but using your bank details. Since August I have been trying to cancel and have found out that it was a continuous payment on my current account. When In the UK I went into my branch of Lloyds and explained the situation. I was advised to cancel the account it was coming out of and as the card also expired that month that would solve the problem. The next thing I know I receive a letter from my bank stating that they couldn´t take the money out of this account as it had been cancelled so they had taken it out of another of my accounts obviously without my say so. Since August I have been battling with Lloyds to stop these payments. I cannot cancel Sky myself as I have no idea who is the person the original Sky card was with and Sky won´t speak to me unless I can give these details. Lloyds keep sending me letters saying they won´t take any more money and then bingo next month out it comes again. Their dispute dept is of no use. I have had to wait 50 mins before even speaking to someone and then they treat me as if I was a criminal.

 

Has anyone recently had a similar problem and how did they resolve it?

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome,

 

Thread moved to more appropriate Forum.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[IdaInFife]

The only way to cancel is it to lose you current card. The card was replaced due to expiry and backs generally aloow continuous payments to go through.

 

If you were to lose your card and ask for replacement then this should stop ALL transactions.

[ziggyblue]

The only way to cancel is it to lose you current card. The card was replaced due to expiry and backs generally aloow continuous payments to go through.

 

If you were to lose your card and ask for replacement then this should stop ALL transactions.

 

This card expired and was stopped and the account closed. The bank just moved the payment to a different account!

[IdaInFife]

ah right sorry.

 

normally they ask you if you wanted any direct debits or continous payments carried over to the other account.

 

To stop any future payments then you would need to lose the card that the payments are currently being deducted off then you would need to make a formal complaint to the bank stating that you did not consent to any dds or continous payments being carried over to the new account.

[ziggyblue]

ah right sorry.

 

normally they ask you if you wanted any direct debits or continous payments carried over to the other account.

 

To stop any future payments then you would need to lose the card that the payments are currently being deducted off then you would need to make a formal complaint to the bank stating that you did not consent to any dds or continous payments being carried over to the new account.

 

I have done that but the bank will not stop it until Sky tells them to! My money but despite numerous phone calls and letters it still keeps happening. I just want Sky to cut me off. I can then start from scratch again. At the moment it is impossible to view a programme properly as I just have that insane message "insert your new viewing card" every few minutes.

[IdaInFife]

this is the problem with using fraudulant sky cards/accounts

[Lula]

I would say that the only way to stop this in the short term is to change banks completely, I would still fight for the return of the money, if you havnt authorised the payments from your new account I dont see how the bank can authorise it for you. and I also think that Ida's comments are not helpful in the slightest, Sky have not lost out, nothing is being "stolen" and the service is being paid for.

[freakyleaky]

"The contract is normally with a fictitious name and address in the UK but using your bank details."

 

Isn't that classed as fraud??

[IdaInFife]

Sky do not lose out but Sky customers do.

 

I am sure most, if not all, SKy customer would rather not have pay for Sky to 'police' fraudulent accounts and would rather have the money knocked off their subscriptions.

[ziggyblue]

Sky do not lose out but Sky customers do.

 

I am sure most, if not all, SKy customer would rather not have pay for Sky to 'police' fraudulent accounts and would rather have the money knocked off their subscriptions.

 

If Sky stopped all of the ex-pats that pay for their system they would lose a fortune and most likely the cost to their UK customers would rise. For example we have been paying 48 GBP a month for five years so how are Sky losing out?

[IdaInFife]

I never said Sky would lose out but that's the not the issue here anyway.

 

As advised above you need to make a complain to the bank.

[ziggyblue]

I never said Sky would lose out but that's the not the issue here anyway.

 

As advised above you need to make a complain to the bank.

 

That is the whole point of my thread. I have been complaining to my bank for the last three months with no joy.

[IdaInFife]

have you done this in wiriting to the complaints/customer care department?

[ziggyblue]

have you done this in wiriting to the complaints/customer care department?

 

I have been writing to the disputes department but not hte complaints. My Branch Manager said yesterday that she would speak to the disputes dept on my behalf and get someone to phone me back - still waiting! If I was a customer who was overdrawn, had no savings etc I would understand their lack of care but I am not, so why am I treated in such a bad way.

[ziggyblue]

I now have my new card installed in a new "loan" box but cannot get the playback record facility. Doomed, doomed, doomed!

[IdaInFife]

the box has to be paired to the card

[ziggyblue]

the box has to be paired to the card

 

I have phoned Sky back and they said that they would pair it to the card but nothing happened so she said it could take up to 24 hours. 8 hours still to go! Not hopeful.

[ziggyblue]

Now the disputes department won´t talk to me saying it is up to the branch and the branch won´t talk to me saying it is down to the disputes department even though I have in writing that I will get a refund.