Direct Debit refund shambles - Virgin Media.

jorry

Looking for advice here...
I had a Virgin Media "Freedom 250" package. (broadband only, 30 day rolling contract) Very pleased with their product, needed it short term for a rental property. Served VM my 30 day notice period to cancel, during which I recieved a phone call from their cancelations team to reconsider cancelation and explained I only needed the product short term and now had no requirment for it. The cancelations Rep. said he would close my account there and then to save me paying the remainder of the 30 day notice period. Result...
I subsequently recieved an email from VM to notify me that I would be hit up for €350 due to early cancelation of contract. I ignored this email based on the amicable telephone call the week previous with the cancelations team. Assuming it was some mistake in their automations process.
I coped that VM subsequently took a DD of €350 from my bank last week. I contacted VM and once they realised their error said they would send me a cheque to refund me. I declined the cheque and insisted they just make a bank transfer, again they insisted on sending a cheque. My reason for refusing a cheque was I will have to waste more time queuing in my bank to lodge it and in this C-19 era. I spent over 2 hours on the phone and speaking to them on Whats-app, in the end VM said I should contact them next Friday by Whats-App as the DD payment would not show up with their accounts till then. I contacted my own bank and I have to Post (cant email) a form to claim the DD if I wish to go that route.
What do I do here, sit it out, I made a complaint online to VM but do I contact any regulator, I feel I have been mugged I remain out of pocket plus have to follow up the case up next week also. Its insane.

seagull

Go to your bank and ask them to reverse the DD.

NewbridgeIR

https://www.bpfi.ie/customer-assist/personal-customers/directdebit/

Look at the seventh bullet point under SEPA Consumer (Debtor) Rights

You can ask your bank to reverse a direct debit up to eight weeks after presentation.

This is the ideal situation for exercising that privilege.

Ten Pin

I contacted my own bank and I have to Post (cant email) a form to claim the DD if I wish to go that route.

Maybe this isn't the correct interpretation but it seems like OP tried to reverse the DD in accordance with SEPA rules but the bank are stipulating posting a paper form before they will implement the instruction. It would be reasonable to expect an online option be available given that DD mandates are mostly done online anyway.

jorry

BOI directed me to download a PDF that has to be posted to them. (another reason to leave them!)

jorry

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

https://www.bpfi.ie/customer-assist/personal-customers/directdebit/

Look at the seventh bullet point under SEPA Consumer (Debtor) Rights

You can ask your bank to reverse a direct debit up to eight weeks after presentation.

This is the ideal situation for exercising that privilege.

Thanks for link this in particular (user) right reads to me like the requirement by my bank to post the document as un-necessary.

"Request a refund for any SEPA Direct Debit within eight weeks from the date on which the SEPA Direct Debit was debited from their account. Within the eight week period their bank must refund on a ‘no-questions asked’ basis."

I will go back to my bank with that point -Thank you.

jorry

Ten Pin wrote: »

Maybe this isn't the correct interpretation but it seems like OP tried to reverse the DD in accordance with SEPA rules but the bank are stipulating posting a paper form before they will implement the instruction. It would be reasonable to expect an online option be available given that DD mandates are mostly done online anyway.

Yes correct, I had contacted bank whom in turn requested me doing some form filling and posting back in writing, no online facility.

jorry

Subsequently VM contacted me twice since to re-affirm their stance on sending me a cheque. I again refused this means of refund, cited their owned C-19 signature attached to all correspondence and they now they have agreed to return my money via back transfer within 2 weeks. Appreciate the pointers I got above thank you.

whippet

Sounds like a pain .. but if you had taken the cheque you could have lodged it at an ATM and the money would be in you account by now

JTMan

whippet wrote: »

Sounds like a pain .. but if you had taken the cheque you could have lodged it at an ATM and the money would be in you account by now

Assuming you are with the bank but it still accepts legacy cheques. KBC, N26, Monese and Revolut customers can't lodge cheques. Virgin should be doing electronic transfers rather than trying to delay the refund process with cheques.

whippet

JTMan wrote: »

Assuming you are with the bank but it still accepts legacy cheques. KBC, N26, Monese and Revolut customers can't lodge cheques. Virgin should be doing electronic transfers rather than trying to delay the refund process with cheques.

The OP is with BoI so a cheque would have been no problem to lodge at most ATMs.

jorry

JTMan wrote: »

Assuming you are with the bank but it still accepts legacy cheques. KBC, N26, Monese and Revolut customers can't lodge cheques. Virgin should be doing electronic transfers rather than trying to delay the refund process with cheques.

Re: ATM lodgements I only became aware of this facility since and irrespective of that, I would still be out of pocket, VM would not send cheque till they qualified internally that the payment was resting in their account. Their "cheque refund run" is ran after my next payment would of been due (late October)

VM incentivise customers to go paperless and use DM's, so likewise I expect similar. Instead they inflamed the situation and made it as difficult as possible to reimburse me.

jorry

To conclude, 4 weeks later, the funds were returned to my bank a/c. I had to raise yet another complaint as VM had advised 2 weeks for refund originally. What a shower!