Plusnet Mobile drew DD for a second number I was unaware of

[pencil]

I switched mobile provider in December

 

today received a bill from my previous provider PlusNet.

After inquiries it turns out a second account was opened with my details two months after I opened the PlusNet account in 2016, and I have been charged at least £6 a month by direct debit for it ever since.

 

There was only ever one direct debit set up for Plusnet, but both payments were taken from it!

 

After going through my emails it does appear I have been receiving two almost identical emails every month, only the number is different

- I thought the other email was a reminder,

why would I check the bills were for two different numbers?

 

There was never any mention of this second number when I log into my Plusnet account on the website, so I have been completely unaware of it for four years.

Plusnet have so far suggested it's my fault, I must have opened two accounts, and offered me an arbitrary £31.

 

their first response was to blame me and offer a paltry compensation to get rid of me.

I have not opened two accounts, why would I?,

 

I have not used it, I was never aware of this second account.

[AndyOrch]

I would be starting by sending Plusnet a SAR and gather all your data......one DD for two accounts...alarm bells ringing.

 

Andy

[pencil]

The two accounts were set up under the same direct debit in 2016 while I was a customer with Life mobile, plusnet subsequently bought the company and the direct debits went to them. Are Plusnet liable?

Edited January 30, 2020 by pencil

[AndyOrch]

The second account...this is a different account/ mobile number ?

 

A direct debit mandate only allows for one account number/mobile number. I would be looking to reclaim all the payments back through the DIrect Debit Guarantee Scheme.

 

Andy

[pencil]

Thanks Andy I will make inquiries.

[pencil]

This is my bank statement for a typical month over the past four years,

 

two Plusnet mobile accounts using the same direct debit with the same mandate number. It looks like one account number may have been a typo. Plusnet have offered me £100 (The total taken is more like £400) and responded as below. Can I reclaim through the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme?

 

DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO PLUSNET PLC PAY AC REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013

DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO PLUSNET PLC PAY AC REF KIN7310071, MANDATE NO 0013

 

 

After looking at your account I have concluded the following;

 

You have had an account with Plusnet Mobile since 2016. This account had little contact but seemed to run smoothly until December 2019 when you requested a PAC code.

You used this PAC code with a different network and the account with Plusnet Mobile was terminated. However, in January of this year you made contact as you had received an email stating we will be taking a payment of £12.60 via direct debit.

 

It was during this conversation that it was determined there were in fact two accounts in your name, which you had been receiving email communication but had assumed it was duplicated from your other account.

 

During 27/01/2020 you spoke to a member of our escalation team who advised there would be a fraud investigation on the second account.

 

The second account was updated by our credit and risk team who stated that due to the age of the account and the fact that it was previously life mobile, there was insufficient evidence to prove the account was fraudulent.

In addition, all details on both accounts matched and, as mentioned earlier, you had been receiving emails regarding both accounts.

 

The credit and risk department agreed to note the account as settled from 09/12/2019 due to no activity but would not be removing the marks from your credit file.

 

Since then you have made contact seeking to make a complaint regarding this information was offered a gesture of good will totaling £100 by Olivia, (a customer services manager).

 

You declined this offer as you believed that you were owed a significant amount more than this. You also believed that Plusnet had breached the direct debit guarantee but have since been advised, by Olivia, that as they were in fact two separate direct debits, this is not the case. You then advised you wanted to make this a complaint, hence me receiving your details.

 

To conclude, I am more than happy to receive your response regarding this matter and discuss this further.

 

Please correct any misunderstandings that may have occurred and please respond with the resolution you are seeking.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

[dx100uk]

Pers id do a dd guarantee clawback of all the duplicate use of the same dd mandate.

 

Its annoying they've trashed your credit file mind

[pencil]

Plusnet complaints have offered about half the money, £150 up from £100, and their excuse is that two accounts were created. The story is I signed up for life mobile on 26/02/2016 and cancelled almost immdiately after. The initial payment to Lifemobile of £6.00 was refunded a week later, but a DD was setup for the account and the account was not cancelled. A month later on 31/03/2016 I signed up for a lifemobile account again at £5.95, made an initial payment and a DD was setup.  They have suggested I now go through the ombudsman, or should I go through the direct debit guarantee scheme as Plusnet are contesting it is a contractual issue, when I think it is an admin error on their part.

 

2016  * is the ghost account

26/02/2016                 CARD PAYMENT TO LIFEMOBILE.CO.UK,6.00 GBP, RATE 1.00/GBP ON 24-02-2016                                       £6.00*   Inital contract setup payment

02/03/2016                 CREDIT FROM LIFEMOBILE.CO.UK ON 2016-02-29                                                                                               £6.00*    Inital contract setup payment  refunded
 

31/03/2016                 CARD PAYMENT TO LIFEMOBILE.CO.UK,5.95 GBP, RATE 1.00/GBP ON 29-03-2016                                       £5.95 - New contract initial payment 

08/04/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £6.00 * - DirectDebit setup for cancelled contract
 

11/05/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £6.00 *

16/05/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £5.95

 

15/07/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £10.22

11/07/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £6.00 *

 

16/06/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £6.25

10/06/2016                 DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO LIFE MOBILE REF KIN731007, MANDATE NO 0013                                           £6.00 *

 

 

 

Response from Plusnet/Life Mobile:
 

Thank you for your time on the phone earlier on today, apologies for catching you at an inconvenient time. I will now keep the method of contact to email as requested.

 

Having investigate further into the above accounts I can confirm that:

 

Kin731007 was set upon the 26/02/2016 via Life Mobile and a welcome email and pack was emailed to the given email address of @hotmail.co.uk.

On the welcome email it explained that the SIM only package was £6.00 per month and it was advised that we would be taking this payment on or after the 8^th of every month. The bank details given were from a Santander UK account. There has been no usage on this account.

 

Kin7310071 was set up on the 05/04/2016 via Life Mobile and a welcome email and pack was sent to the given email address of @hotmail.co.uk. On the welcome email it explained that the SIM only package was £5.95 per month and it was advised that we would be taking this payment on or after the 14^th of every month. The bank details given were from the same Santander UK account that was given when kin731007 was set up.

 

When you terminated the account kin7310071 via the PAC switching service in December 2019 you then on the 27/01/2020  received an email request for a payment of £12.60. Upon calling the mobile contact centre it transpired that this bill was a request for payment for account kin731007. You advised that this was not an account you were familiar with as it has a different telephone number to the one you had been using. It was at this point it was established that you had been receiving two separate bills each month but it was your belief that these bills were just a duplicate even though the amounts were different each month. It was requested that our fraud team investigate in to this further and at this point you asked for the full refund of the monies paid for the account kin731007.

 

Our credit and risk team reviewed the account and concluded that as it was opened prior to the account you were using (kin7310071), and given that all the payment details and email correspondence address matched they were satisfied that the account had not been opened fraudulently from our side.

 

As there now was a late payment marker for this account (kin731007), it has been agreed that we will now note the account as settled from the 09/12/2019 (last payment date) due to no activity, however we are unable to remove the account from your credit file in relation to fraud.

 

You have been offered a goodwill gesture of £100 by a Customer Services Manager at the mobile contact centre however this was declined. You have asked for a settlement of £271.80 which is the total amount you have paid for the monthly billing of account kin731007. We would be unable to refund that amount due to the account being maintained each month, the fact that a separate direct debit was on the account and that you have received monthly notifications for this account since it was established. I do appreciate however that you have spent some considerable time sorting this issue and understand the inconvenience caused. I would at this stage be happy to offer our final position as a monetary goodwill gesture of £150.00. Should you not wish to accept this we would potentially be in a position of deadlock. This means that both us and you cannot come to an amicable resolution to your complaint and this would provide you with the means to escalate your case to our recommended independent adjudicator, Ombudsman Service, as outlined in our Complaints Code of Practice.

 

Please let us know how you would like to progress with your case and we can look to take the appropriate action. Feel free to reply via email or if you would prefer to speak with me I can be reached on 0800 587 2677 .  I am in the office until 7pm this evening and back in on Monday.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nicola

Nicola Wallis

Customer Advocates Advisor

Edited March 30, 2020 by pencil

[dx100uk]

as I said before

you know it was a dupe.

go do the dd guarantee clawback.

 

dx