Estate Agent Standing order

thehotstepper

I moved into an apartment 2 months ago and set up a standing order. Isnt it up to me to say yes or no to my standing order every month as opposed to direct debit where it automatically goes out?
Last month I left it a day after the rent payment date to pay the standing order and when I checked the account the agency had already taken the money out! Can they legally do this? The payment reference says 'agency clients so' I presume the so means standing order. Can you get someones bank details and set up a standing order from their account?

astrofool

To modify a standing order you need to put it in writing to the bank, this goes for changing dates/amounts, adding/changing/removing expiration dates. The agency are not involved in the taking of the money at all (other than having their account available for money to go into).

bugler

Yep, you do not activate or trigger the SO month by month. You set it up for whatever date of each month, and it automatically moves out on that date.

By the sounds of what you want to do the only way to pay is by one off electronic transfer, or else lodging money to the agency account the old fashioned way. So you'd ditch the SO entirely.