Looks like I was scammed
- Thread starter Rainmaker
- Start date
As others have said try get yourself a small credit card as just cash is going to be a rather large pain for you.
This reminds me of when some kind soul decided to take 4k off my credit card.. Can't trust anyone.
I'm disabled and almost house bound. I'll get by just fine with a post office account that has no debit card facility, and cash only. I'll just use disposable pre-pay/PAYG credit cards for anything I REALLY need to use a card for. Cash only isn't a problem for me really.
I love how you think that cash is a better alternative, If you pay cash and then the phone credit didn't turn up you have no way of proving that you actually handed over the cash, at least here there is proof and you can get it back eventually
Caporegime
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- 21 Jun 2006
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- 38,367
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.
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!!
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.
most of this sounds like bull, say i paid for a hard drive from overclockers, are they free to charge me £500 everyday just because i purchased an initial hard drive. no they are not. you simply tell them you do not recognise these transactions, you sign a fraudulent claims form and you get your money back if transactions are made after the initial transaction.
you on the other hand, either have no clue as to what the operator is saying or they are feeding you lies. either way there is no way they can charge you £500 every day and you cannot do a thing about it. as for the phone credit problem i have no idea how the system works, but even if you made a transaction with a fraudulent company it would be extremely easy to get your money back.
i suggest you clue yourself up.
What? Where on earth do you envisage paying cash where it's not possible to prove the cash was paid, and where the topup would be delivered at a later time/date? Any shop I've ever paid cash in (a) provides the goods there and then and (b) provides a receipt. I really have no idea what you're referring to.
I suggest you read the whole thread. One forum member who is also a bank worker has already confirmed this is the case, and has provided links to external websites that back this up. It is also the case that it'd be quite hard to get the money back as it's (a) a debit not a credit card and (b) the details were "willingly" handed over, making it fraud, but not bank fraud.
As it turns out, regardless of their shady activities this evening, I did just receive this via email. Note that it's from PayPoint not the company I was "dealing" with; they didn't want to talk to me at all. Mentioning the fraud investigation seems to have pushed a button though...
Code:
Date Name Amount Curr Type Status
------------------- -------------------- ---------- ---- ------------ ------
31.07.2010 03:04:39 XXX XXXXX 10.99 GBP Rfnd Okay
Order : 8a745398426bf41b116cf3dcb2b1eff3_refund_1280541877Caporegime
- Joined
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What? Where on earth do you envisage paying cash where it's not possible to prove the cash was paid, and where the topup would be delivered at a later time/date? Any shop I've ever paid cash in (a) provides the goods there and then and (b) provides a receipt. I really have no idea what you're referring to.
I suggest you read the whole thread. One forum member who is also a bank worker has already confirmed this is the case, and has provided links to external websites that back this up. It is also the case that it'd be quite hard to get the money back as it's (a) a debit not a credit card and (b) the details were "willingly" handed over, making it fraud, but not bank fraud.
As it turns out, regardless of their shady activities this evening, I did just receive this via email. Note that it's from PayPoint not the company I was "dealing" with; they didn't want to talk to me at all. Mentioning the fraud investigation seems to have pushed a button though...
Win, kinda. I'll be closing my Co-Op account once the refund arrives, and I suggest nobody touches the phone top up website/company in question with a very long bargepole.Code:Date Name Amount Curr Type Status ------------------- -------------------- ---------- ---- ------------ ------ 31.07.2010 03:04:39 XXX XXXXX 10.99 GBP Rfnd Okay Order : 8a745398426bf41b116cf3dcb2b1eff3_refund_1280541877
i tend to use my credit card a lot when ordering stuff off the internet because i know its full proof, so i suggest you do the same in future. but even so, if you sign a fraud claim form they should give you your money back, debit card or not.
just phone up and tell them you dont recognise the transaction, whether you have phoned up before or not.
Associate
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- Hythe, Hants
I had a problem with Europcar last weekend, apparently I'm on their watchlist or something, even though I have had no problems with them in the past, I placed my order on the 21st, travelled over town to pick up the car on the 24th and then got told they can't hire to me!! (me not impressed) still awaiting a reply from their CEO.
So on monday I checked my online banking, saw they had taken money out of my account, tried speaking to them, they just wanted to pass me from pilar to pilar. I got bored of this. Phoned up Lloyds TSB asked if they would initiate a charge back on my debit card, got asked a few question and they said its now in the process. I now have my money back in my account. So there you go, it can be done over the phone, co-op are just being awkward.
I'm sorry I don't understand this.
you made a one off payment of 10.99 and your bank is telling you they can recharge as much as they want as often as they want.
Sorry but unless banking in the UK has changed drasticly in the 5 years since I left the UK that is just wrong in order for them to recuringly charge your account they would have to have a standing payment or direct debit authorization from you.
And this is required in writing which is why most companies that set up recuring payments with you send a form for you to sign and send back.
This may have changed a bit with the cardless merchants rules now in play but you would have still had to have agreed to it.
Without that they can only make the charge once and that's it.
If your bank is issuing authorization codes that allow them to take more money then it is the bank that is at fault and I would change banks immediataly.
you made a one off payment of 10.99 and your bank is telling you they can recharge as much as they want as often as they want.
Sorry but unless banking in the UK has changed drasticly in the 5 years since I left the UK that is just wrong in order for them to recuringly charge your account they would have to have a standing payment or direct debit authorization from you.
And this is required in writing which is why most companies that set up recuring payments with you send a form for you to sign and send back.
This may have changed a bit with the cardless merchants rules now in play but you would have still had to have agreed to it.
Without that they can only make the charge once and that's it.
If your bank is issuing authorization codes that allow them to take more money then it is the bank that is at fault and I would change banks immediataly.
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Not sure about other types of card but I think you can issue quality chargebacks on VISA Debit. Credit card is your best protection and I'd rather use that than any pre-paid card because I'd know I'd get it back rather than just limit my exposure.
Google quality chargeback - but yes you will have to work with the company to obtain the goods before you are able to chargeback for not receiving them.
Writing them a letter may help, recorded, keep a copy for your bank.
Google quality chargeback - but yes you will have to work with the company to obtain the goods before you are able to chargeback for not receiving them.
Writing them a letter may help, recorded, keep a copy for your bank.
You can agree to it by clicking the tick box saying you have read the terms and conditions on the website. I think last night I was vague in explaining to the op about cpa and because of the banks initial response it suggest to me it wasn't just a one-off payment but reaccurring.
The best example I give for such a thing would be the Experian 30 day free trial. It's free but why do you have to give your bank details? It's becuse after the 30 days you've signed an agreement to let them take 7.99 a month
Soldato
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Just shutdown the bank account, thats what I had to do with Setanta Sports (may all their former staff die of cancer)
in future, i suggest you get your friend to register at their mobile phone providers website for topping up direct from the mobile itself, its a case of sending a simple text detailing how much credit you want to add and its instantly applied, i thought everybody on pay as you go did this nowadays!
I've read the thread but something isn't entirely clear here for me... if you made the payment through paypoint, then at no point do digicallingcards or whatever have access to your details, nor can they request payment again. That is all handled via paypoint who are entirely legit - so financially you have no worries here. All that happens is paypoint are an agent taking the payment and passing it on (ie. digicallingcards get their £10, paypoint get their 99p processing fee).
Co-Op bank are being rubbish here. I had an issue where my VISA Debit card started issuing payments of about £12 on two occasions (must've been a monthly thing) which I knew nothing about, nor had I signed up for it. Contacted A&L and explained, they said no problem, sent me a letter that I had to sign and confirm I hadn't authorised the payments, sent it back via Special Delivery and got the money back into my account a few days later.
Soldato
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Why did your mate not top up over the phone with his own CC - instead of getting you to go through this Paypoint m/ registering hassle ?
Am I missing something - as it's a million times more easier.
Am I missing something - as it's a million times more easier.
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