From: Stuart B 
Newsgroups: uk.legal uk.finance
Subject: Re: Direct Debit
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2007 20:09:44 +0000

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 19:35:09 GMT, Palindrome  wrote:

>mister smith wrote:
>> I changed electricity supplier on 12 Feb from EDF to ScottishPower (ie
>> that was supplier change over day) . On 10 March I received a bank
>> statement which showed that EDF  had taken its usual monthly 55 quid
>> on 5 March (SP  took their 45 quid on the same day).  I phoned EDF and
>> told them I thought that they were in contravention of the DD
>> guarantee and they were not authorised to take any more money once my
>> contract with them had ceased.  I had expected a final bill and either
>> a cheque if in credit or a bill for anything outstanding.
>> I was told that they would have continued taking the DDs until the
>> account was closed.  When asked when this would have been I was told
>> when they got round to it - there was a backlog of people leaving. Now
>> I had told them,  they would produce the final bill in a matter of
>> days  but they would not refund the DD and then settle either way.
>> 
>> Would my bank have refunded the DD as my contract with EDF was closed
>> (as far as I was concerned at least)?
>> 
>> 
>> (The sting is in the tail - for EDF - in that they have sent me the
>> final bill and a settlement for 5 pence which they are going to take
>> by DD; this will be difficult as I have now cancelled it.  I suspect
>> this matter may take some time to resolve ;-)  
>
>The very best of luck with Scottish Power. Here is the address of the 
>person you will probably need:
>
>http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/6-0-faqs.php
>
>I worked out that the compensation I got from them for their mistakes 
>saved me 25% of what the electricity bill would have been if they had 
>got everything right. Keep a record of everything. Double check 
>everything. Expect to be put on the wrong tariff, and then put on a 
>different wrong tariff. And expect them to use estimated readings, even 
>when actual readings have been taken and provided. I do hope that you 
>went via one of the websites that gives you dosh for transferring.
>
>You authorised your previous supplier to make direct debits in respect 
>of payments for services. Such direct debit authorisation stays in force 
>until you cancel it.

But if they make a mistake or if you dispute that taking the DD was
correct then you go to your bank and invoke the terms of the DD
guarantee and get the money credited back in your bank account and let
the bank and the originator sort it out between them . ...Thats how it
works and if it didn't then no-one would use DD's as they could not
trust the guarantee.