Debenhams Credit Card / Satander harrasement

Flaccus

So a friend of mine asked me for some advice. She paid her Debenhams credit card last month on time as usual (around the 23rd) in her local store and has receipt to prove it. Satander UK (who took over the cards from GEMoney ) keep ringing her over the last 2/3 days, sometimes 4 or 5 times a day, and keep harrassing her saying they have not received payment, despite my friend insisting she has a receipt and suggesting they contact the Debenhams store.

Finally she rang Debenhams to get it sorted out, after the Satander customer service rep insisted and said there was nothing they could do as the payment isn't on their system and they can't deal with Debenhams directly because my friends information is confidential. Store manager in Debenhams said nothing they could do as once a payment is gone through, then that's that. Satander rep still insists no payment was made and is now becoming abusive and threatening. I might ad, this same situation happened a good few months back as well. Apparently it took something like 8 weeks before 2 instore payments showed up on her statement, all the while putting up with abuse and threatening letters. Satander has no record of this of course.

So what to do ?

Stuff which springs to mind :

1. Send a letter to both Debenhams and Satandar by registered post and include copy of payment receipt.

2. Demand credit card be credited with payment amount and no interest and penalties to be applied.

3. Demand apology in writing over the way she was treated, and an explanation for why their payment system does not work.

4. Explain will be forwarding all details of what happened to the Financial Regulator and closing account asap.


Thanks

MunsterCycling

Record the conversations and tell them you are doing so, and that should put an end to the abuse, if they continue then forward the recorded calls to Debenhams and this card crowd and tell them you will take it further if it continues.

MC

Gillo

Write registered to both Debenhams and Satander, enclose a copy of the reciept also. Give them about a week and then complain to the financial regulator, so she can say yes I gave them a chance to sort it out but they didn't. In the meantime she should keep a record of the dates, times and names of the callers.

On a seperate note store cards have a stupidly high rate of interest, she should get rid of it anyway, obviously now she can blame it on the terrible experience dealing with both Debenhams and Santander.

Flaccus

Thanks. Yes, she is working on paying it off and it will be sorted within the next few months. She is just stressed about the fact that she pays on time, and these idiots for the 2nd time have no record of it, and actually shout at her on the phone insisting that she has not made a payment..basically calling her a liar to her face. And they won't even budge 1 inch to check it with the store. She has to do all the work. Very unprofessional and intimidating.

Flaccus

Just an update - she informed Satander and Debenhams yesterday over the phone of her intentions to send them a letter with a copy of the receipt, and if they don't contact her within 10 days of receipt of the letter and confirm her credit card has been credited and all charges and interest removed, then she will be passing the case onto the financial regulator. The response from Debenhams was that it was Satanders fault and the payment was processed with receipt to prove it. Satanders response was the opposite - Debenhams fault, and unless they receive payment, she "would be charged for late payment and her credit rating would be affected". She is not too worried about this credit rating as she owns her own house outright, has no loans whatsoever to speak of, except the money owed on this card.

Anyway, she is going to proceed and send this letter and the follow up with the regulator if no response. Question : Can the regulator deal with companies in the UK ?

Also, surely the reponsibility for processing a payment lies with Debenhams and Satandar, once she makes her payment in Debenhams instore and has a receipt to prove it, her obligation ends there. She is not there to do these peoples jobs for them. Each party claim the other is at fault and neither party can talk to the other over privacy laws. This sounds crazy to me. They can take her money, give her a receipt and then claim they never got it ? I'm sure if this goes to court the judge will take a dim view. She'll send the letter anyway and ignore their bully boy tactics. Scumbags.

seamus

Flaccus wrote: »

Anyway, she is going to proceed and send this letter and the follow up with the regulator if no response. Question : Can the regulator deal with companies in the UK ?

Depends on where the credit facility is offered I guess. If you can sign up to the debenhams card from a Debenhams store in Ireland, then it would fall under the remit of the regulator here. If the card was issued by a Debenham's store in the UK, it would fall under the remit of the UK regulator.

Also, surely the reponsibility for processing a payment lies with Debenhams and Satandar, once she makes her payment in Debenhams instore and has a receipt to prove it, her obligation ends there.

Depends on the contract. There may be a clause in there in relation to this and it being the customer's responsibility to ensure that all payments go through, but I can't see that being enforceable in court seeing as she has no control over the communication between Santander and Debenhams.

I'd say stick with Gillo's line. Have her send the letter and just don't answer the phone to them for ten days. If she hasn't received a written response in those ten days, then inform the financial regulator. If she receives any further calls after those ten days, then she only answers once and informs them that the matter is now with the financial regulator and if she receives any further phone calls from Santander will be filing charges of harrassment against them.

the_syco

Record their calls. It's surprising how quite they'll get when they know they're being recorded, as they know it can be used in court, once they've been told the call is being recorded.

Sleipnir

Flaccus wrote: »

Anyway, she is going to proceed and send this letter and the follow up with the regulator if no response. Question : Can the regulator deal with companies in the UK ?

Santander trade as GE Money here and are registered with the Financial Regulator and so are bound by their rules and regs.
http://registers.financialregulator.ie/FirmDataPage.aspx?firmReferenceNumber=C42428

Your friend wouldn't normally complain to the regulator but to the financial ombudsman. http://www.financialombudsman.ie/

However your friend needs to follow the complaints procedure within Santander before she can do that.
No harm ringing them for advice though, especially as she is now being harassed to the point of bullying.

Flaccus

Cheers,

Thanks for all the advice lads and thanks for the link Sleipner

darc

When writing to Santander, enclose the card cut in two. Their interest rate is close on 30% though they seem to be able to get away not publishing it and in addition debenhams is one of the most expensive stores inthe country.

Flaccus

Sorted. She rang Satandar. Manager said they had no record on their system but the amount was credited on her card. Go figure. Anyway, full of apologies, won't happen again. She's still closing her account as soon as possible.

stoblerone

We had a similiar experience with the in-store card. Someone claiming to be from the card company telephoned us and demanded personal details of the card holder. We told him to bog-off because he could have been anyone.

There was a small sum outstanding on the card at the time. The card was paid off and then nearly a week later we received two letters from the card company saying that the amount remained outstanding, even though we had cleared the account. I loathe this type pushy pushy carry-on but beware the vultures are circling these days so don't forget that old phase Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) when offered the use of these cards.

dudara

Moved to Banking & Insurance & Pensions

dudara

annemoloney

Horrible experience with this crowd.

- Asked them to set up a direct debit and their staff made a mistake and noted down the wrong bank details, and ofcourse they could not find the recording.

- Support staff rude , ignorant and unwilling to listen.
- After going through usual **** and hassle over the phone for days I just paid the outstanding and cleared off the card.


My question, is How do I cancel this card ?

rosehip

And their customer service is dreadful.

A few years ago, my friend had a wedding list online with Deb's - she was in manchester and we were all in ireland. I ordered her a gift, on secure site, just newly launched wedding list service, and on using my card in Dunnes was told i was over my limit.I had just gotten my first card and this was my first transaction.

Long story short, I rang the cc comp and discovered someone had stolen my details and was buying stuff on my card in manchester. It was reported and sorted by the credit card company and the police after a huge amount of hassle.

BUT Debenhams never answered one letter or email or took any responsibility. I had not used the credit card anywhere else and so knew the problem was in Debenham's, Manchester. Also, a hacker would have stolen everyone's number.

My friend complained at the store and was told that a girl working in the office on a temp contract was responsible and she'd been dealt with. I heard nothing more and have NEVER bought a thing in there since.

wmpdd3

annemoloney wrote: »

Horrible experience with this crowd.

- Asked them to set up a direct debit and their staff made a mistake and noted down the wrong bank details, and ofcourse they could not find the recording.

- Support staff rude , ignorant and unwilling to listen.
- After going through usual **** and hassle over the phone for days I just paid the outstanding and cleared off the card.


My question, is How do I cancel this card ?

Send a registered letter to the address on the back of the card, or the one on the bills, give all your details, the top of the bill is the handist thing to staple to your letter. You'll be charged the 40 gov tax, so bring the bill for this to the store and pay it and then keep the registered letter receipt and the receipt from the store.......just in case.