From: John Boyle 
Newsgroups: uk.finance uk.legal
Subject: Re: The Direct Debit Guarantee (DDG)
Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 21:42:12 +0100

In message <5c8o2kF2vlb5cU1@mid.individual.net>, Gaz  
writes
>A couple of years ago i had an issue with an unresponsive company that was
>taking out debits, despite me asking them not to. The attitude of my bank
>was FOAD, 'nothing to do with us' was their line.

Yes. Front line bank staff are trained in a culture of 'go away its not 
us' because they dont know how to handle such claims. There was always a 
simple 'DD Indemnity Claim' form that a bank branch would use to credit 
the clients account and automatically reclaim the dosh fomr the 
originator. The trouble was that it needs a trained bank clerk to 
discern the legitimate claim from the illegitimate claim - after all it 
needs more than a bank customer merely saying 'that amount is wrong'. In 
a large number  of the real banks these days, and in almost all of the 
pretend banks, it is almost impossible to find somebody who knows what 
should be done.

You must be persistent and always ask for the most superior person. It 
helps to have a copy of the DD guarantee in your hand. This is easily 
available by tearing off the bottom of much of the unsolicited mail that 
comes through your door. Drain repair schemes from United Utilities are 
a good source.
-- 
John Boyle