From: lofthouse@my-deja.com (lofthouse)
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: direct debit woes
Date: 17 Nov 2003 04:01:10 -0800

I have a problem which just won't go away! A company is repeatedly
incorrectly applying a DD to an old account of mine. The attempted DD
is refused because of insufficient funds and the bank (actually a
building soc) slaps on a 27 quid 'failed DD fee'.

I have been speaking to the company making the DD on a monthly basis
since september, and every time they assure me the problem is fixed.
They agree they shouldn't be doing this, but it keeps going on. This
DD is in their computer system and nobody seems able to sort it out.

Now the worrying bit. After this first happened I wrote to the BS to
request all DD mandates against the accounts be cancelled. This didn't
sort the problem. Again I got a statement showing failed DD and a 27
quid charge (ironically the charge is far greater than the DD amount).

I just spoke to the branch manager and was told that once you sign a
DD mandate it cannot be cancelled, or at least even if the bank/BS
remove the mandate from their end, it will not stop a payment being
made (or in my case refused through lack of funds with associated fees
charged). She said it has to be done through the company making the DD
(which I am trying to do but with no luck).

The DD guarantee on directdebit.co.uk states that a DD *can* be
cancelled by writing to the bank or BS, and adds 'please send a copy
to the organisation [making the DD]'.

So is the BS spouting BS on this matter?

Also, given that I have informed the company making the DD several
times and had their agreement that I owe them no money (as they are
taking it from another account), at what point does incompetence spill
over into fraud?

thanks in advance, 
-LH