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)

[Rickyp75]

Just found out o2 have cancelled all 6x direct debits for some reason still waiting for the payment team to contact me ? 
bank says direct debits have been paid o2 c/s says account is in arrears HELP 

[jonsie]

This looks like something you’d need to call O2’s customer service team about – give them a call on 202  or 0344 809 0202

Use the specific Payment management number  0800 902 0217

The opening times are:
Monday to Friday – 8am to 8pm
Saturday – 8am to 6pm
Sunday – 9am to 6pm

[mr_pete]

I have today received a message that I have received a credit note, and lo, am not in debt - because (shockingly) they DID take my money and (as I predicted) couldn't allocate it - probably as it was (a) in the "old" collections account or (b) because their cash allocation software is crap and either (c) didn't know about the old DD references or (d) can't cope with more then one transaction totalling the right amount.

I still don't have a new DD for the new "single" transaction, so I expect to get amused in a week or two when they try to take the money again, fail and then claim it's my fault.

[Oxonian]

At least that has partly resolved your situation @mr_pete ; we look forward to the next instalment of the story in a week or two ! 😀