Direct Debit Fiasco

[mr_pete]

Well today is fun.

This morning (4th April) O2 have SMS and emailed me to say "There has been a problem with your direct debit".

29th March I got an email saying:

Your Direct Debit has changed – you don't need to do anything. This is for information only.

We’re making a small change to the way we collect Direct Debit payments. As a result, we’ve cancelled your old Direct Debit and we've set up a new one to replace it. If you previously had two Direct Debits (one for your Airtime and one for your Device Plan), you will now have just one Direct Debit combining both your Airtime and your Device Plan. This change doesn’t alter the total amount you pay us.

I do have an airtime AND device plan, paid separately with two DDs.  Checking with my bank, two payments totalling the 'outstanding' amount have left my account. POSTED. Not pending.  It's gone. 
AND after that, and only on the same day, O2 have cancelled those DDs.

Is there a new one? No.

Called O2, who claim they haven't got the money.  I've suggested this is an allocation error on their side (they may be looking for one amount, not two) but no, they've "not got it".  I also suspect it's gone to what is now an "older" account and not whatever one they are using for the new system

My bank advises me they can invoke DD indemnity so I get the money back, but quite frankly, I want O2 to sort this crap out - i.e. find the money, allocate it properly AND sort out the new DD. It's not my ****** up - and it's costing me time to phone up, and be on hold for over 15 minutes at a time (and the last time I tried, it hung up after 11 minutes)

[Bambino]

@mr_pete 

This is not O2. This is a customer community. O2 appear to have messed up many people's accounts with the switch to the new billing system.

You need to speak to the Payment Management Team on 0800 902 0217.

The opening times are:

Monday to Friday – 8am to 8pm

Saturday – 8am to 6pm
Sunday – 9am to 6pm

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/payment-support

[mr_pete]

I'm logging it here as I suspect others will be similarly impacted.

I have called O2 C/S and not got very far.  All numbers I've tried (including yours) wind up in the same queuing system.  

[MI5]

@mr_pete 

Same thing happened to me back in November so they are aware of issues and nothing has changed yet.

I had to call payment management to pay manually and reclaim the DD that went god knows where!

[mr_pete]

It's a farce.

I got C/S to put me through to payments team, who now want to put me though to C/S again.

I have put something on Twitter/X. 

I will invoke the DD indemnity if needs be, but it's on THEM to sort out the DD with me, they cancelled the existing ones.  If this also in any way affects my credit rating/payment history I shall be seeking a notice of correction.

[mr_pete]

To update, I've been various things - such as "We cannot cancel direct debits" (which does not stack to the email or this page : https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/direct-debit-changes

AND that "only one direct debit on my bank account exists, and we attempted a single payment for that amount" - but I show two payments totalling that amount.  

They are apparently going to trace the payment (within 7 days) and offered to setup a new direct debit.  I have said "no" and want to wait a month to see what happens - as "if the O2 system is correct" they've screwed up the DD process with the bank.

[Rickyp75]

I have exactly the same problem 6 direct Debits left my account confirmed by my bank and o2 say they haven’t received them ? 3 calls to c/s over 30 mins each time waiting and I’m getting nowhere any help !

pulling my hair out banging my head against a wall with o2 I’ve had the same direct debit set up for the past 10 years 😡

[Oxonian]

@Rickyp75 

@mr_pete 

I suggest that you do not cancel your direct debits or get your bank to reclaim your funds from O2. This action would likely leave you owing O2 money, and as they are quite ruthless with unpaid debts, you do not want that. Even though it is not your fault, O2 are likely to sell your "debt" to a debt collection agency and to trash your credit record in the process.  

Before contacting O2, I suggest that you contact your bank to obtain the unique transaction identification numbers of your payments. These are likely to be sixteen digit numbers. O2 will need you to provide them so that they can search for your remittances in their accounting records.

[mr_pete]

So, after being told I won't face any account restrictions while the search is underway :

"Your bill of £xx.xx is still overdue, so we've had to put restrictions on your service. You won't be able to spend outside of your bundle until you pay your bill."

Social media support is useless and points back to the same numbers.

I suspect we will need to get vocal on this.

[jonsie]

Sad to say that no matter what they tell you to the contrary, no one is able to override the automated system

All customer service can do is remove the restriction once the system applies it

The text too is automated