Frauduelent transaction from wholesaler

[NewTime]

Last week £69.99 went from my bank account from a (probably) well known wholesaler and it was a yearly subscription charge.

As it is, I looked at what had gone out and couldn't understand it as I was sure that I cancelled the subscripton, but as the money has gone out there was a small part of me thinking that I must not have cancelled. I log into the site and see that I clearly have cancelled the sub.

They have rfunded the amount and previous years as an apology, but I just can't understand how they have been able to just take the money willy-nilly. I have never had something like this happen before and it has consumed be with fear that at some point a company is just going to take money again? I just can't understand how they just take the money.

They was unwilling to apolgise for the issue at first and a few emails in it seemed like they didn't think it was their issue. Eventually they admit that the card processing company has taken a few payments from customers account. Again, how has this been able to happen?

It really has terrified me and I have considered contacting the police - because it may have affected quite a few people.

What would you do?

 

[AlanJ1]

Most likley a system glitch and something hasn't gone right there end. They won't tell you that.

Don't waste the Polices time, thye aren't interested in "petty" fraud (and is it even fraud if you got your mony back?)

 

[NewTime]

Most likley a system glitch and something hasn't gone right there end. They won't tell you that.

Don't waste the Polices time, thye aren't interested in "petty" fraud (and is it even fraud if you got your mony back?)

They have taken money without my consent and it seems it has happened to others as they eventually admitted that.

A worry in my head is that by refunding this and adding a gesture of goodwill that it may have been a on a larger scale and therefore people may not choose to take action.

I don't think I am going to contact police - it is a thought though as like I said I don't know what scale it was on.

Just a huge worry that a company can take my money at any given point

 

[DontAsk]

They have taken money without my consent and it seems it has happened to others as they eventually admitted that.

That's what the direct debit guarantee is for. It worked, you got your money back. You even got a bonus.

Next time cancel the DD on your bank account as well as simply cancelling the subscription.

Now stop overthinking it and move on.

 

[NewTime]

That's what the direct debit guarantee is for. It worked, you got your money back. You even got a bonus.

Next time cancel the DD on your bank account as well as simply cancelling the subscription.

Now stop overthinking it and move on.

It wasn't a direct debit.

 

[Newchodge]

It wasn't a direct debit.

Was it a card payment?

A few years ago I had an annual subscription that I wanted to cancel. It was paid by continuing authorisation from my debit card. I then lost my debit card and had a new one issued with a new number, a couple of weeks before the subscription was due. It was an effort to find out how to cancel the subscription (deliberately?) so I didn't bother as the supplier would not know the new card number. They took their annual subscription from the new card. I complained to the bank and the call handler agreed with me that this was a serious breach, would speak to their supervisor and get back to me. They got back to me, shamefaced, and said that the bank did this to avoid inconveniencing me as, otherwise, I would have had to change my card details with every supplier.

They did refund the payment.

I think the banks are far too blase about honouring recurring payments without formal confirmation, while also making it hard to cancel a recurring card payment.

 

[DontAsk]

It wasn't a direct debit.

How else did they take the money?

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Trust no one!

https://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/screwed.426033/

 

[AlanJ1]

Just a huge worry that a company can take my money at any given point

In theory anyone you give your card details too can take money at any time. (Banks 2 step is stopping this in a lot of cases now though). Yours was for a subscription that was just never cancelled there end. You got your outcome I wouldn't worry about it and move on.

 

[Socio South West]

I have experienced a recurring subscription being taken on a card with a lapsed date.

How it got past the bank I don't know..... but I hadn't updated the card with the supplier.

There are certainly some anomalies out there and the over riding message is to make sure you check your card statement thoroughly every month.

 

[AlanJ1]

How it got past the bank I don't know..... but I hadn't updated the card with the supplier.

Most of the time if it's on your bank they will have pushed the new card details to the supplier.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Fraud is a term that gets bandied around freely - and usually incorrectly.

In reality it is a technical offence which requires a high degree of forensic evidence. The police will only get involved if they are presented either with a lot of evidence or a huge number of similar complaints.

How much time and effort are you prepared to commit to creating your case?

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

As asked, how did you pay? If by something like Paypal, did YOU cancel the auto payment?