Looks like I was scammed

Rainmaker

Rainmaker

Rainmaker

Soldato
Joined
18 Aug 2007
Posts
10,026
Location
Liverpool
I'm fuming atm. Basically a mate is in hospital at the moment, and asked me to get him a top up for his PAYG mobile. I'm stuck at home myself presently, and don't live in walking distance of any shops, so I decided to buy him a top up voucher online via PayPoint (same company who do the vouchers in shops).

The company/website using PayPoint to do this was digicallingcards.com - with a UK address on the site. OK, so I paid £10.99 (£10.00 plus "Processing fee") and was redirected to a "Payment successful- log in to your account to proceed" page on the PayPoint payment gateway. So far so good.

I attempted to log into my DigiCallingCards account; "Username or password incorrect". I tried twice more, same thing. I double checked the login details they emailed to me, and I'm definitely using the right ones. Weird.

I decide to try to reset the password in case their system has had a brain fart (it's happened on other sites before now!). "Email address not recognised - contact customer services". :\

So I hit live chat, get connected to "Mary" and explain my problem. She leaves the chat immediately. I re-connect, explain we were disconnected - can she please help? She leaves the chat.

I try to connect AGAIN... "Agent too busy to take your call". This happens four or five times, until I change the name I'm connecting with from my real name, to "David". Accepted immediately! I said I needed help, she asks what with. I say who I really am and bang - she disappears. :mad:

I call my bank, and apparently the fraud team only work 9-5. My bank (Co-Operative Bank) say they won't cancel my card as it's not fraud, it's my own fault for making the payment. WTF?! The company has a UK address and used an independent, legitimate and well known third party (PayPoint) to take the payment. How is this my fault?

I've been told it's tough, and if DigiCallingCards.com are indeed fraudsters, they are free to re-bill my card over and over (even £500 a day until my account is empty) and there's nothing Co-Op can or will do because "You handed over your card details, it's your own fault".

Fuming is an understatement!! :eek::mad::mad::mad:

She said I could write in to their "dispute department" but it has to be by snail mail, and if the company/scammers DO take multiple payments to dry out my account, I have to write a separate letter for each transaction and they will "consider whether a refund is appropriate given the circumstances of your handing over your details willingly". W...T...F?!

Guess who's closing his Co-Op account for good tomorrow? I told them so, and was given a "This is standard industry practice, all banks would do the same."

I asked how I'm meant to know a company with a perfectly legitimate front (and PayPoint processing) is a fraud in advance or not, for future reference? She wouldn't answer. Thanks, Co-Op. Thanks for nothing.

/end rant, cool story bro, thanks for the info, etc. :(
 
cm1179 said:
ring co-op back up and tell them you have lost your card and want to cancel it
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She said that won't work, as once a company has processed a payment off a card, they get given a 'voucher code' which allows them to re-bill even if you change to a new card/new number. She also said they aren't willing to block the card as I paid willingly. I asked how they can say it's NOT fraud when I have been charged money for goods the "company" clearly aren't willing to provide, and she just said it was my own fault. Nothing they'll do about it, and they've made notes on the account. :(

The only way out is to accept I've lost £10 (could be a lot worse!!) and close my account entirely. Takes the ****.
 
I have had recurring payments fail because I have lost cards and had a new one with different details.

Just phone back and say you have lost it, they can't refuse to cancel it.
 
how are they free to re-bill your card over and over for 500 quid per day? did they tell you that?
I bank with smile which is a branch of the co-operative bank, Ive suffered card fraud before, any item on your statement that wasnt a payment made by you is refunded to your account and a new card sent out, as you made a payment yourself, they will not cancel the card unless fraud takes place, this isnt fraud, you made a payment willingly, you cant make a payment by debit card then call the bank up to cancel the payment, its against the law as you have entered a digital agreement to make a payment, if you dont receive goods for this payment you have to take it up with the company, not the bank
 
Sorry but i dont belive that for a min, yeah maybe the first £10 is gone, but how can the bank say they can just empty your account and they can't stop it. :confused: I'd call back and ask for a manager, but given the time you will probably have more luck in the morning.
 
finga said:
how are they free to re-bill your card over and over for 500 quid per day? did they tell you that?
I bank with smile which is a branch of the co-operative bank, Ive suffered card fraud before, any item on your statement that wasnt a payment made by you is refunded to your account and a new card sent out, as you made a payment yourself, they will not cancel the card unless fraud takes place, this isnt fraud, you made a payment willingly, you cant make a payment by debit card then call the bank up to cancel the payment, its against the law as you have entered a digital agreement to make a payment, if you dont receive goods for this payment you have to take it up with the company, not the bank
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Yes she told me they're free to rebill me any amount, indefinitely, even if I change my card and the card number. Fair enough I agreed to pay, but only on the premise they were legit and were providing the goods I paid for! Charging people money for something that doesn't exist IS fraud.

They are not registered with companies house (on further examination), and their "UK address" seems to resolve to a Post Office in London. :\
 
modo77 said:
Sorry but i dont belive that for a min, yeah maybe the first £10 is gone, but how can the bank say they can just empty your account and they can't stop it. :confused: I'd call back and ask for a manager, but given the time you will probably have more luck in the morning.
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As above she said the "merchant" is given a voucher code upon confirmation of the payment, and that code allows them to re-bill at will indefinitely, even with new cards being issued. She said it's standard industry practice.
 
Rainmaker said:
Yes she told me they're free to rebill me any amount, indefinitely, even if I change my card and the card number. Fair enough I agreed to pay, but only on the premise they were legit and were providing the goods I paid for! Charging people money for something that doesn't exist IS fraud.

They are not registered with companies house (on further examination), and their "UK address" seems to resolve to a Post Office in London. :\
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well she is wrong, they cannot re-bill your account, and certainly not if the card number changes, as this is what you paid with, not account number and sort code, which dont change, no company can re-bill your account unless you agreed to a recurring contract

edit, what i mean by they cannot re-bill your account is that you can claim that back by notifying the bank of card fraud and signing the letter they send you to confirm it was a payment not made by you
 
Biohazard said:
hmmm i dont think this sounds entirely accurate tbh.

if it is i am genuinely suprised, and not at the same time. :p
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100% accurate mate. I'm willing to give the invoice numbers, chat log and the name of the rep at the Skelmersdale call centre who took my call. I'm 100% serious. I know it's "only" £10 but it's £10 I can't afford to lose. I was only trying to do a mate a favour and this is my reward lol

OldCoals said:
How can you bill a card that has a different card number, expiry date and CVS code?
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With the 'voucher code' as told above.
 
It was probably Mary on the phone at the bank and she wasn't making much sense because some idiot kept joining live chat and trying to get information on a scam she'd just pulled and distracting her.
 
Call back and politely ask to speak to a manager. You're being given duff info here and, if you're not, you should ask them to email you their stance in writing/email.
 
The bank is correct. Read up on "continuous payment authority". Stopped/blocking/deactivating/losing a card won't stop it in all instances.

Very nasty things which I deal with on a very regular basis.
 
[FnG]magnolia;17058787 said:
Call back and politely ask to speak to a manager. You're being given duff info here and, if you're not, you should ask them to email you their stance in writing/email.
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I'll wait until morning when I've cooled down, and ask for a manager in the Fraud Department. The bank c/s rep did give me the fraud team direct line, but she said "they can only tell you the same thing I have".
 
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