Payment voided but still debited on account?

**Timbuk2**

This is a bit of an odd one.

I paid for a hostel in London last Monday (August 1st). It turns out whoever was checking me in did it wrong and put through the payment as void, as I got a letter to my room later saying to come down and do it again. It went through successfully the second time (and sure enough, my first receipt said Visa Debit - Void, whereas the second said Visa Debit - Sale). I asked the hostel staff would this mean that I could possibly be double charged and they said no, that won't happen.

When I'm checking my account online, only one payment has been processed, but my 'Balance' is one figure, and my 'Available' is a figure that is significantly less than the Balance, and it's less by roughly the amount the hostel cost.

I'm just wondering does this indicate a possible double charging? Only one actually came through and appears on the statement (as the correct amount), but judging by the 'available' balance (which in my experience can take a few days for the balance to catch up with it, although never this long) it seems I have been charged twice.

Is it possible that the voided amount is just being "held" and will eventually dissappear? Should I ring anyone - Ulster Bank, the hostel?

Thanks.

WXF

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

When I'm checking my account online, only one payment has been processed, but my 'Balance' is one figure, and my 'Available' is a figure that is significantly less than the Balance, and it's less by roughly the amount the hostel cost.

I'm just wondering does this indicate a possible double charging?

At present the only thing which it indicates is that the funds have been reserved by merchant (authorised). When you'll be able to see the transaction in your statement - then it's done, processed

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Is it possible that the voided amount is just being "held" and will eventually dissappear? Should I ring anyone - Ulster Bank, the hostel?

Thanks.

It is indeed possible, but to be assured you can always call to UB cards support line, they can see transactions in a real time mode, so they definitely know if 1 or 2 payments were processed.

Cheers.

BuffyBot

Most likely the authorisation for the first payment is hanging around on the account.

**Timbuk2**

Thanks for the answers! I rang phone banking who said that there appears to be a processing payment of approx €314, and when I explained to her about the first transaction voiding and the second one going through, she said that the hostel should have 'released' the funds after the first one voided, and it appears to not have happened - and she advised me to ring the hostel and ask them to release the funds.

I have rang the hostel, and she is getting management to look at it and they will ring me back! I'm not sure I did a great job of explaining it to them though - I told them how it seems to have kept a hold on the funds from the voided transaction, but maybe they think that I am saying I have been charged twice, which isn't exactly the problem (as only one appears on the mini-statement).

unclebill98

This type of transaction can take up to a week to fall off.

Make sure you branch are aware of this as it will effect your cleared balance if you have any payments urging over the next week.

**Timbuk2**

Thanks!

The actual transaction that went through as void happened at around noon on Monday 1st August. The transaction that went through wasn't made until 7.30pm that evening, but on my online statement, the date beside it was 3rd August (nothing unusual there - often they take about 2 days to come through).

However, it's now nearly a week and 2 days since the first 'voided' transaction, so it's a bit longer than normal - but possibly it's a week from August 3rd.

I was probably a bit hasty ringing the hostel - I should have waited a bit longer to see if it doesn't disappear. They said they'd investigate it and ring me back (which they still haven't yet). I have receipts for both transactions (void and actual) so hopefully there won't be too much issue sorting this out if it doesn't resolve itself!

**Timbuk2**

Ok, the hostel didn't get back to me (I do have a missed call from a private number yesterday at 4.10pm, but they didn't ring back or leave a message so I haven't a clue who it was, possibly the hostel!) so I'm going to ring them again.

But before I do - who is it I should actually be chasing for the money? Is it the hostel's error or should the bank be able to lift the hold? It's still being held (as in my Balance is €314 higher than my Available Balance) and isn't going through as a transaction that is written on my mini-statement.

I know the bank said it's the hostel that didn't release the funds, but I'm not sure how the hostel would actually 'release' funds - the first transaction didn't go through, the second did - I can understand money being held initially but surely it should automatically go away eventually - it's been a week and 3 days.

unclebill98

It's a visa debit thing.

The bank will blame the retailer, the retailer will blame the bank.

Believe me your just going to drive yourself nuts calling. You'll be passed from dept to dept.

Call your branch SQA(service quality advisor), they look after service in the the branch. Run it past them and make sure they understand that the issue is effecting your cleared balance. Ask them to call the Visa Debit team, not the charge back section. They should be able to see the pending voided transaction.

I've dealt with this before and it took 3 weeks to drop off.

**Timbuk2**

I went into the branch, and talked to one of the girls there (not the SQA, just one of the people that works there) and she said she's seen this a good few times before, and it can take up to 10 working days to clear, and she'll ring me on Tuesday (the 10th working day) and see if I'm sorted!

unclebill98

Cool, make sure they call.

For future reference any issue with your branch the sqa is the best person to talk too.

**Timbuk2**

Oh checked my internet banking today even if it isn't a working day, but the situation has resolved itself! There is no longer a hold on the account and Balance = Available Balance.

Thanks for the answers!

unclebill98

Cool.