Ulster Bank set up a SEPA direct debit from ac/c without permission.

M

Magpie

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I pay an amount towards my mortgage manually every month over the phone via Visa Debit. Every month they ask me to set up a direct debit and every month I say no.
I've just checked my online banking and my usual amount has been debited under a SEPA direct debit...which I have not set up, agreed to, or know anything about. Am I right to think that Ulster Bank have no right at all to do this without my agreement? I consider it fraudulent, and theft.
What should I do about this (other than call in the morning and ask them what the feck they are playing at?)
 
Who is your current account with?

Under SEPA rules you can have that DD recalled and repaid immediately. Also you can blacklist the DD so they can never set up another one.
 
current a/c is with Bank of Ireland.

This is just the latest in a long line of crap from Ulster Bank. One of the reasons I refuse to have a DD is them messing it up repeatedly when we did have one; things like debiting it twice, cancelling it for no reason and then writing us threatening letters for not paying......
 
So phone BOI, cancel DD and recall the paid one.

Then tear UB a new hole.
 
On phone to Ulster Bank now. They are telling me that Bank of Ireland must have sent them a mandate, randomly, without my permission. Sounds like utter horse**** to me.
 
Magpie said:
On phone to Ulster Bank now. They are telling me that Bank of Ireland must have sent them a mandate, randomly, without my permission. Sounds like utter horse**** to me.
Click to expand...

I assume you had a DD at one stage?

I have heard of plenty of stories about supposedly cancelled DD's being activated since SEPA. Apparenty originators don't read cancellation letters and just keep submitting the DD every month where it was refused by the bank as they see it is cancelled. However, because of SEPA, this isn't happening with some banks and the DD's are 'reactivated'. I would advise everyone to check their statements. SEPA has been a complete mess but has received no media attention.
 
yes, we had a dd at one point, but for a totally different amount. Someone must
have inputted the new amount for the dd?
 
Magpie;
I am open to correction but am fairly sure of this.

Under Sepa rules you have 8 weeks to recall any DD paid via Sepa.
You do NOT have to give a reason and your Bank Must refund your money.

Put in writing to Boi ,you are requesting your funds returned.
Keep a copy of this request , preferably stamped by Bank.
 
Magpie said:
On phone to Ulster Bank now. They are telling me that Bank of Ireland must have sent them a mandate, randomly, without my permission. Sounds like utter horse**** to me.
Click to expand...

Horse poo indeed.

It is the other way round. UB sent them a mandate. There is no doubt about that.

Why on earth would BOI be sending UB a mandate?
 
I had the exact same experience, copy of my post from the other thread:

The person I spoke to in UB (senior complaints manager) told me that they had in fact been presenting the DD every month since I cancelled it and that AIB had prevented them from "pulling" the money from my account. I told her that I had sent them a copy of the letter to AIB cancelling it and was advised to send them another letter cancelling it again, basically because they didn't bother reading it last time.

AIB confirmed that they would have rejected the DD attempts each month but that because the sepa system uses a different "door" to access the accounts UB bypassed their refusal. AIB are in the process of refunding the amount.

Bronte asked on the other thread how you blacklist a DD originator - the person in AIB gave me a form to fill out which has various levels of restriction for all DD originators or certain ones or indeed amounts above a certain level. Ask BoI for one.

I still haven't had a response (other than "thank you for your patience while I investigate") to my letter of complaint last November about their wrong DDs but AIB person said I can go to the ombudsman without a final response if they take more than 40 days. The ombudsman is so slow I've decided to give the new Complaints Manager 2 more weeks before going that route - she might be better than the last one!

I think they need to either clean up their act or hire a few hundred more Complaints managers.
 
It seems SEPA can now bypass all previous DD cancellations. This is a worrying development.
 
Magpie said:
On phone to Ulster Bank now. They are telling me that Bank of Ireland must have sent them a mandate, randomly, without my permission. Sounds like utter horse**** to me.
Click to expand...

Submit Data Protection requests to both UB and BOI for a copy of relevant information, paper or electronic, including mandates. It could cost you €6 each, but you'll get to the bottom of the problem.
 
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