Direct Debit Cancellation Issue

A question about : Direct Debit Cancellation Issue

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice on how to proceed with a problem with my recent switch from Halifax to Co-op Banks.

In January I opened a Halfiax current account and switched two direct debits over to it from Lloyds (one of which was a payment to my TSB credit card), and also opened a Co-op bank account.

At the end of January both of the direct debits worked from the Halifax account, so I called Co-op to start the switch, and we agreed on starting it on 9th February to be completed on 17th February.

I noticed that the direct debits were still showing in my Lloyds account, so I cancelled them, as they were now active with Halifax.

The switch proceeded and I received a letter from Co-op saying only one of the direct debits was transferred.

Co-op have told me that there was only one active direct debit on the account when it was transferred, and that they haven't cancelled any.

Halifax have told me that their system audit shows that they received notification from TSB credit cards on 5th February telling them the direct debit had been cancelled. They have told me that there were no amendments made by them to my direct debit before the 5th since it was set up in mid-January.

TSB tell me that they received an instruction from a bank on 2nd February at 10:40 cancelling the direct debit. They are unable to tell me which bank cancelled the direct debit.

I initially raised a complaint with Halifax about cancelling the direct debit as TSB told me it was their fault, but they have come back to me saying it wasn't them and it was a TSB issue.

I then raised a complaint with TSB about my direct debit being cancelled, but they have indicated it's not possible for them to tell where the instruction to cancel it came from, and have told me they will write to me with their final answer (basically saying that a bank told them to cancel it, so they did).

As a result of this, I lose my incentive to join the Co-op bank using the switching scheme, and Co-op have failed to contact me back on the two occasions they were going to discuss this with me.

My feeling is that somehow by cancelling the direct debit with Lloyds after the payment was taken from Halifax the direct debit from the Halifax was cancelled instead of (or as well as) the direct debit from Lloyds.

It's been a bit of a mess, and I know I only have myself to blame by not rechecking the direct debits just before the switch took place (or by only having the minimum direct debits needed for the incentive), but I just thought that as they had already paid successfully I'd be ok.

Would raising a complaint with the banking ombudsman be the way to go now, or should I just chalk it up to experience and switch my account away from Co-op when another incentive comes along?

After spending hours on hold with the four banks involved (TSB, Halifax, Co-op and Lloyds) I still have no concrete answer about what has happened and why the direct debit was cancelled, and it would be good to get this information, though that now seems very unlikely.

Andy

Best answers:

• Just set it up again! Problem solved.
• That partially solves the problem, but doesn't get me the Ј100 switching bonus, or the Ј25 for charity.