O2 stole money from my bank account

[Anonymous]

I received a text from my bank today to say they were putting me on an informal overdraft as I am overdrawn in my account. Looked at my bank account and O2 have taken £157.81 from it, which now means I can't draw any money out of my account until either a) O2 returns my money to me or b) my salary goes into my account on 26th Feb. After a live chat with customer services, then a call to customer services and speaking with a supervisor I am still no further forward with getting my money back and to make things worse, the person on live chat told me I was £200 in credit!! try telling that to my bank. They have advised me that it will be returned in 5 to 10 working days, shame on you O2!!!!!! How can you get away with taking money unlawfully from peoples accounts and then leave them with an empty bank account until you decide to return it. I will be charged a lot of money by my bank to be overdrawn and this bill will fall on O2's doorstep. Your company should be fined for this sort of practice, I used to rave about the good service from O2 and had been a customer for many years but I will NEVER use your company again after this. 

[Anonymous]

If a direct debit has been taken from your bank account incorrectly, you are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee @jakflash29.

All you need to do is contact your bank and ask them to action a Direct Debit Indemnity. Assuming the payment was in error by o2 then your bank MUST put you back into the position you were in before the payment was taken including bank charges. This must happen SAME DAY that you ask your bank to do this.

If however the payment was taken by a Visa debit card, your bank can put the transaction into dispute for up to 60 days freeing up that amount in your account.

However if o2 were due the payment then you cannot action the above.

Please let us know how you get on.

[Anonymous]

thanks for the reply, I cancelled my account within 14 cooling off period and customer service told me today that they should have advised me to cancel any direct debit at the time, but didn't. I'll contact my bank and let you know how I get on.

[MI5]

It seems that O2 are constantly failing at some of the simplest of tasks these days 😞

[Anonymous]

They will refund you tomorrow if you ask them to. The money will go back into your account within minutes so you have money to live on.

Be aware that o2 may still refund you as the Direct Debit Indemnity process may take longer in which case you would then have to repay o2 but not until after they put the monies in your account.

Just saying be aware. Either way you will have access to your money as soon as you tell the bank @Anonymous

[Anonymous]

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@MI5 wrote:
It seems that O2 are constantly failing at some of the simplest of tasks these days 😞

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O2 are just failing. Enuf said.

[Anonymous]

thanks, bank has reversed direct debit and no charges. Just have to sort the rest out with O2.

[Anonymous]

Excellent news @Anonymous

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

If you are happy your question has been resolved would you please mark one of the replies as "solved".

[Beenherebefore]

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@MI5 wrote:
It seems that O2 are constantly failing at some of the simplest of tasks these days 😞

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Perhaps not O2 but their outsourced contractors ?.......poor contract management by O2 Procurement Dept may be ?.....I'm guessing Capita have an involvement with customer accounts.