Can you chargeback a direct debit?

Don
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
41,731
Location
Notts
I think you need to contact your bank stating which part of the DD guarantee has been breached and they sort it for you

If you want to charge back because you changed your mind then no I don't think you can
 
Man of Honour
Joined
11 Dec 2002
Posts
10,806
Location
Darkest Norfolk
The direct debit guarantee applies to all banks and building societies taking part in the direct debit scheme. It says that:

- if there is a change in the amount to be paid or the payment date, the person receiving the payment (the originator) must notify the customer in advance.
- if the originator or the bank/building society makes an error, the customer is guaranteed a full and immediate refund of the amount paid.
- customers can cancel a direct debit at any time by writing to their bank or building society.

If the Direct Debit was fraudulently set-up then you have a case with your bank who should immediately refund it.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
12 Jul 2011
Posts
2,510
Location
Funkotron
Thanks Siliconslave, that I can use to my advantage!


I'll explain whats happened though.

27th Oct - Called Repaircare (homeserve) to arrange a fix of a fridge/freezer, arranged for quarterly payments starting 1st November
2nd Nov - Engineer out, confirmed it didnt work, did a temporary fix on it to tie us over while he ordered the parts. No payment made yet.
14th Nov - No contact, so I rang in as I know parts can take a while and the temp fix had only just died the day before.. told that, on the 2nd of Nov the engineer couldnt get hold of the parts and that I'd be refunded the difference between the callout charge and the initial first payment (£53.50 for first payment vs £45 for a callout, meaning I'm owed £8.50) which I thought was odd as I hadnt actually paid anything yet. Said they'd get back to me
18th Nov - Full amount of £214 goes out, I immediately call and ask wtf. It took me EIGHT different people to get to someone who could help, thank god its an 0800. Said he'd raise it with his line manager and get back to me.
24th Nov - Rang again today as no-ones called me to tell me whats going on, took me five different people to get through to someone who could help. To be told that an "investigation" needs to be done which can take up to EIGHT weeks but USUALLY resolved in four.

I wouldn't be so bothered but if at the time I could have afforded to spend £214 I'd have just bought a new fridge as I already have a spare freezer from when I used to rent rooms out but as it was.. our budget with xmas + babys first birthday being xmas eve, car tax for both cars and still paying off our excursion to my mates Navy passing out parade (over 700 with accomodation/petrol.. drove over 700miles for it, dropping the baby and dog at my mums.. could have gone abroad :rolleyes: but thats what you do for a mate of 19years!) we're a little in the red as it is so we were super managing the money and this was an ideal solution as paying it over 12 months wasn't going to cost us anymore than paying it in one go. I deliberately made sure it was the quarterly on the phone to avoid this situation.

So we're quite literally short by how much Homeserve/Repaircare owe us. I'm hoping if I get the chargeback done by the 1st that it'll all be ok, luckily if the mortgage bounces then its re-applied for after 7days but I just don't like it when that happens. I'm not sure if that even affects the credit rating as a missed payment, I imagine it does.

So I'm after £169 back but tbh I'd rather just take the lot back and they can come find me when they want the callout charge back after all of this. I doubt the bank would do a partial chargeback anyway. I'm more than happy to pay for it as its actually cheaper than calling out a local repairman from what I found, its why I went for this option to begin with.

Some of the peoples attitudes I spoke to was appalling and instantly put me in a bad mood right from the start. I also hate being passed through to a department for them to answer "Hello?" as if I've just rung someones landline for them to then get snotty with me again.
 
Last edited:
Man of Honour
Joined
11 Dec 2002
Posts
10,806
Location
Darkest Norfolk
in that case talk to your bank and tell them that repaircare have taken more than the agreed amount out - if you only agreed to the £53.50 that's all that should have been taken (possibly plus the £45 for the callout) NOT £214 - so they should refund it under the direct debit guarantee. If you have paperwork to that effect you'll probably have to send it in and it will take some time but your on pretty stable ground (as long as its not in your contract that they can take the full amount in one go).
 
Associate
Joined
24 Jul 2007
Posts
1,892
Location
Swansea, Wales
i believe (might be wrong *shock horror* :) ) they will only do the full amount, what it might be worth doing is get the full amount back and call them and pay what you believe you owe over the phone, that way you can also explain it to them so they can not turn around and say they were not aware of what was going on
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
12 Jul 2011
Posts
2,510
Location
Funkotron
Aye thats what I was going to do, I just meant I don't need it all back and have every intention of paying what I owe (as not paying it out of spite is retarded :))

Some of them seemed like good candidates for being boxed up and shipped to a zoo.

Homeserve: "Can I take your name please?"
Me: "Simon"
Homeserve: "and your address and postcode"
Me: "Address and postcode"
Homeserve: "Thats Mr XXXX yes?"
Me: "Yes"
Homeserve: "Can I take your initial?"
Me: "My initial what?"
Homeserve: "Your first initial"
Me: "Honestly? S"
Homeserve: "Is that S for sugar?"
Me: "No, thats S for Simon."

I was pretty annoyed by this point already so I didn't feel like being helpful at all and was sick of the same opening spiel. Having spoken to over ten different people just for a mistake they made and seem to lack the correct department to deal with it. When I rang up on the 14th Nov, I was passed at one point directly to Repair Care who answered "Yes?" - So I said "I'm after a refund due to a mistake you've made" - "We dont do that here, we just repair ****(poo)", I informed him what I thought of him, told him I'd see him next tuesday and hung up.

If I rang up and I was crappy with them from the start, I'd expect it back.. grinds my gears!
 
Back
Top Bottom