Direct Debit issues and £550 phone bill!!

LACKERKNACKER

LACKERKNACKER

LACKERKNACKER

Associate
Joined
24 Oct 2002
Posts
318
Location
Derby / Rotherham
Views please, advice also welcomed, story is this:

Get a txt message on contract phone, saying DD has failed. Get a second txt to say my account is now in arrears.

Call service provider, who inform me that 'my bank' had recalled all the payments made by the DD back to my bank account and cancelled my DD, leaving my phone account some £550 in arrears.

Contacted my bank, who informs me they did not do this, in fact they tell me i've got no DD set up with the service provider............

I've had my contract for 13 months with them, and get bills via txt each month stating money will be collected on a set date. It would appear that an error was made when setting up the direct debit, and my phone bill has been paid for by a third party each month for the last 13 months.

My bank has advised me they will invesitgate to see where the fault originated from, but they need the details of the original DD set up from the service provider, I've spoken to them, but they say as soon as the DD is cancelled all there records are lost.

I do feel a bit daft, but i rarely check my statements, I am as far as i'm concerned certain that i gave the service provider my correct bank details but i'm at a loss of what to do.

I'm settled with the fact that i've not paid for my contract, but i don't fancy having to pay out £500+ to bring my account in order, your advice would be welcomed (apart from the obvious, check your statements)

Cheers
 
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had a call from O2, about the £550 they had taken out of my account for an old phone i used to have on contract, they are refunding me the money.

but i am furious with the scumbag who just used up calls for 13 months without paying or saying a word, who also couldnt be arsed to look at his statements, how convenient :(


two sides to every coin my friend :) pay up and take it on the chin, you nearly got away with it....nearly
 
I'm content with paying the bill, what I'd rather not do is pay it in one go, understand the two sides to every coin, but I'm certain that the DD was set up right, it shows my bank details correct on my contract along with the DD mandate.
 
OK you can pay it back at 25 quid a month instead. How does that sound?

I'm just making it up as I'm not sure what randomers on a forum can say, so surely just call O2 as they will be the ones who can tell you if you can pay it off slowly? We won't know!
 
Keep complaining, reject whatever they say as unfair, and keep saying that you don't feel you should have to pay, you can't afford, it's their mistake etc etc etc.

Don't flat refuse and stop speaking to them though.
 
Totality said:
OK you can pay it back at 25 quid a month instead. How does that sound?

I'm just making it up as I'm not sure what randomers on a forum can say, so surely just call O2 as they will be the ones who can tell you if you can pay it off slowly? We won't know!
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Well, just because you don't know doesn't mean everyone else on this forum couldn't possibly know.
 
Why didn't you ring them when you got the first message about the direct debit being wrong ?

You will definetly be able to not pay it all in one go , just speak to them

This has probably messed your credit rating up too
 
You didnt realise that for 13 months nothing had come out of your bank for your phone contract? Having said that neither did the person who was actually paying by the sounds of it yet they have now woken up to the fact and claimed it all back at once. I would suggest you pay what you owe.
 
Immsy said:
You didnt realise that for 13 months nothing had come out of your bank for your phone contract? Having said that neither did the person who was actually paying by the sounds of it yet they have now woken up to the fact and claimed it all back at once. I would suggest you pay what you owe.
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Really what is it with people tonight.

I'm content with paying the bill, what I'd rather not do is pay it in one go
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If it all shows your bank details were correct then it was obviously a problem on their end and therefore tell them you'll pay it back under whichever terms you fancy, they can't really get too upset as long as you're paying it back. It appears to be their mistake.
 
if it is there mistake I would tell them you would agree to pay 1/2 of it since it was there mistake and not yours and see how it goes they might agree to let you pay 1/2 at a rate added to your current bill.
 
tom_e said:
If it all shows your bank details were correct then it was obviously a problem on their end and therefore tell them you'll pay it back under whichever terms you fancy, they can't really get too upset as long as you're paying it back. It appears to be their mistake.
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I don't think that will work, the money is still owed. I think he's best following their complaints procedure, but not accepting what they offer until it goes up the chain.

He's been treated poorly by a mistake of theirs, but just announcing arbitrary terms isn't going to work, they'll just sell the debt on.
 
LACKERKNACKER said:
I'm content with paying the bill, what I'd rather not do is pay it in one go, understand the two sides to every coin, but I'm certain that the DD was set up right, it shows my bank details correct on my contract along with the DD mandate.
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You'd obviously know if the money was going out of your account or not.
There's only one simple answer, look at your statements.

Colour me confused.
 
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Ballsup has occured. They 'should' let you pay instalments without penalty (i.e. make sure they don't mark you as 'defaulted'). If they refuse, then tell them that it's either that, or they get nothing. Yes, I've done it when I was a pauper student with £330 bill for one month. As long as you can pay something, I 'think' they are legally obliged to take the money (feel free to back me up, or shoot me down on this one).

Hopefully they will take a little of the blame themselves, and knock a bit of the price off or something as a goodwill gesture.

Good luck.
 
Scougar said:
Ballsup has occured. They 'should' let you pay instalments without penalty (i.e. make sure they don't mark you as 'defaulted'). If they refuse, then tell them that it's either that, or they get nothing. Yes, I've done it when I was a pauper student with £330 bill for one month. As long as you can pay something, I 'think' they are legally obliged to take the money (feel free to back me up, or shoot me down on this one).

Hopefully they will take a little of the blame themselves, and knock a bit of the price off or something as a goodwill gesture.

Good luck.
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AFAIK the key thing is a willingness to pay so it shouldn't be a problem to pay it off in small or at least smaller instalments especially as it was their **** up.
 
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