T-Mobile debited money without permission

[pacific202x]

Hi, I have a problem with a phantom transaction (2 to be correct), which has occured on my bank account with LloydsTSB. This may sound strange so ill try best to explain....A few months ago i took a mobile phone out on contract for my sister...As i wanted no risk of becomming overdrawn (since the phone wasnt mine), the salesman in CarPhoneWarehouse advised me that after the first months bill had been debited i should cancel the direct debit and allow my sister to pay with her own card, and i have for some months now. The problem being that yesterday i check my account balance just out of interest and notice £80 has gone missing, without hesitation i call LlodysTSB and ask what's been taken. The person on the phone tells me 2 transactions have been made in the past 24 hours by T-Mobile, one £50.00 and another £30.00, and these are NOT direct debits. Naturally i call T-Mobile and they have absolutly no clue what im talking about....Although the bank is adament its T-Mobile that has taken it...What can i do? LloydsTSB say they taken it...T-Mobile say they havnt?? So what i just lose my £80?? Any help greatly appreciated.

[gizmo111]

Ask lloyds to refund it as you never gave your permission for it to be debited.

[buzby]

I'm not clear whether this is a DD or a Card Mandate, but to get the contract you would have to agreed to one or the other. Your only recourse is to tell the bank you have not been advised of any pending debit by T-Mobile, but be prepared for them not to take your side without a fight.

[pacific202x]

I'm not clear whether this is a DD or a Card Mandate, but to get the contract you would have to agreed to one or the other. Your only recourse is to tell the bank you have not been advised of any pending debit by T-Mobile, but be prepared for them not to take your side without a fight.

definatly not a DD as i cancelled it months ago, lloyds say it was a card transaction either using the card & pin or handing over the account number and sort code, im sure i didnt use the card & pin and i know t-mobile have my info from when i signed up...strange thing is t-mobile know nothing about the payment they have taken even through payment searches on my account number and card number - they have no record of it but lloyds say its definatly them.

[davethorp]

If you check on internet banking (or just ask Lloyds) you should be able to see if it was a card transaction. This seems likely as just your account number and sort code is not enough to debit your account.

 

Did you use your debit card as ID when signing up as this is the only way I can think of that t-mobile could have the details needed if the DD was cancelled as you say. Bit sneaky and you should be able to argue the toss with Lloyds and say you never authorised the transaction.

 

If it is a card transaction and Lloyds don't play ball the easiest way to stop T-mobile doing it again is to report your card as lost and get a replacement with a new card number

[OrangePrimate]

If you call in to T mobile and give them the details of the payments, the dates, amount and (normally) the last 4 digits of your card number, their payment processing department will be able to tell you exactly what account(s) these debits from your card were allocated against. It does happen that if someone gets hold of your card details they can pay off phone bills or put credit onto payg phones using your card. you will then be armed with the neccesary details for Lloyds to claim those funds back if is proven to be a fraudulent charge (and a good reason to immediately cancel your existing cards!)

[goodwill]

I don't know if this will be of interest

T-Mobile hit by top up [problem]

Check your statements now

Monday 10 September 2007

 

AN IRATE INQ reader has discovered a fraudulent £40 payment to the UK's T-Mobile mobile network for topping up a pre-paid handset. The clue was that he's not even a T-Mobile customer. Our hapless reader noticed the dubious entry on his credit card bill and spotted it immediately as a fraud. So he quickly rang T-Mobile to complain.

Reputedly the agent in T-Mobile's help centre sounded very familiar with the situation and suggested that the company was currently experiencing problems with fraudulent top ups.

His advice was to cut up the credit card immediately and order a replacement. Presumably the hacker had been able to [problem] the three digit verification code on the back of the card.

One of the problems with pre-paid is that the networks don't actually know who the real owner of the handset is. It seems that T-Mobile's online sign up system for topping up doesn't even require a postal address.

So the INQ speculates that the system isn't checking credit card numbers against a postal address when adding top ups.

The INQ is waiting for T-Mobile to get back to us about this. Meanwhile, check your credit card bill.