Refund

[gargu17]

Hi guys I hope someone will  help me because I so angry.. On 26th of December Vodafone taken 109,60 pound from my account which was big surprise because 2 day before I been payed full my bill. I spoken with customer service already at 26 of December and they said yes we refund your money should be on your account on next 5-7 working days. After these days I not receive any money so I contact with customer service again. And someone check everything and promise me the money will on your account next 2 days.. Well after 3 days I not recevied any money so I contact with customer service against so they advice to me contact with my bank. So I did it. My bank said we not received any money back from Vodafone. So I been contact again today and I so tired because someone joking of me. I have 3 contracts with Vodafone from 4 years and feel like shi*** not like customer. And now I lost my 109 pound and I don't know what can I do!! Help!! 

[AnnS]

Hi @gargu17 

I am surprised the bank did not offer to invoke their own direct debit guarantee, that way you would have had the money back in your account within 24 hours.

If you have a direct debit arrangement, I don't quite understand the reason for you paying the bill manually two days before the direct debit is due, just leave things alone and let the direct debit make the payment.  Banks need at least 14 working days (excluding weekends) preferably longer, to cancel a direct debit and when you paid the bill, the direct debit would have been active at the bank and there would have been nothing Vodafone would be able to do to stop the payment leaving your bank.

If you check your online or phone application you will probably find the extra payment for last month as a credit, that will mean Vodafone won't collect a payment for next month from your account, this may be the easier option rather than invoking the direct debit guarantee.

If you have any questions, live chat will be able to access your account and confirm the extra payment as an account credit.

[hrym]

Direct debits are normally prepared several days (possibly about a week) in advance of being activated and the two systems are separate.   Therefore, the collection system won't know about a manual payment two days before the bill is due and will therefore go ahead.   It's generally best to leave things alone.

This isn't, afaik, an idiosyncrasy of Vodafone, but normal procedure for automated bill payments due to the way company and bank systems interface.

Payments sometimes take a few days to show up on your bank account, so check with them again and invoke the dd guarantee as soon as you can.

[gargu17]

I never set up any direct debit on Vodafone so I don't know why Vodafone taken my money... I don't want to contact with chat live service because I did this 4 times and they don't help me.. 

[AnnS]

Hi @gargu17 

In that case, you contact your bank and tell them there has been an error and an unauthorised duplicate payment has been taken you need the money and want it back in your account.

It would also be worth checking your Vodafone account, the extra payment should be there as a credit.

[hrym]

If you haven't set up a direct debit, you may be the victim of fraud and are paying for someone else's account.   You need to report this to your bank immediately.

[gargu17]

Maybe but when I contact with customer service of Vodafone every time they say money was reverse in the same day... But my bank didn't recevied anything 

[hrym]

This is getting confusing.   If money has been taken, then there is a direct debit in place.   I'm not convinced that an overpayment would be refunded - it's much more likely that your account would be in credit and you'd therefore pay less next month.  Even if a refund has been inititated, it would take several days (possibly a couple of weeks), to appear in your bank account.

I suspect that the problem you're having with your bank is that the direct debit (Vodafone can only have got your bank details if you gave them to them) was taken correctly and the whole thing confused by the manual payment you made after the normal payment process had been initiated (even if you didn't realise that was what was happening).

Have a look at your Vodafone account online and see if it shows both payments and is in credit.

[gargu17]

I been check my account and I see only my new bill which I don't see any credit. I can go to my bank only on Saturday because I working all day. But I was in my bank week ago and we checked my account if my bank received any refund with number which I get from Vodafone customer. And that was advise from Vodafone take thus transaction number and check with your bank. So I don't understand one think. If Vodafone say money was reverse already on 26th of December and my bank say we not received any refund with this transaction number or any refund from Vodafone someone lie to me... I don't think is bank because this situation is so crazy Vodafone stolen my money and now I have to fight to get this money back... If is possible I want to contact with refund team or whatever Vodafone called for this section because standard customer service doesn't help me. They just say money was successful reversed and they promise to me money will on my account next day.. 

[gargu17]

And Vodafone have my bank details because I set up one late payment on last year when I had little financial problem.