This is my first post, and unfortunatley it is with a problem, rather than a solution.

Last month, i arranged a standing order with my bank, for the sum of £400. I gave the advisor the account number, name and sort code to which i wished the money to go to, signed the form and that was that. The £400 was for the first months rent on our house. Two weeks later, i had a phone call from our landlord to say the money had not appeared! Confused, i immiediatly went to my bank to confirm the transfer, and, you guessed it, wrong account number!! My £400 pounds has ended up in somebody elses bank account! My bank has now informed me, that because i signed for the transfer, i am liable and therefore have to contact the branch that recieved the money, which i have done. Now, apparantly, they have sent a letter to their customer, but suprise suprise, they have had no contact!

Is there anything i can do? apart from small claims court? and for that i would imagine i would need to know the account holder...which is not going to happen. Any help would be appreciated as i am now a month in arrears OR if you have unexpectedly found £400 in your account....Please can i have it back?

Squig

squiggles:

Can't advise until you clarify whether you (think) you gave the adviser the correct account number.

Oh, make sure you have sorted the details for the next payment.

Hi jalexa,

Many thanks for answering, i'm 99% certain i gave the correct number, however my bank said they're unable to help, because I requested the transfer and signed the form. i requested a copy of the transfer form with my signiture, and they have gleefully produced it (after giving me the run-around for approx 9 days) pointing out that i had signed it, the account number on the form differs by one digit.

And i have checked, in triplicate, the ammended order, and it has been recieved by my landlord, thanks though Jalexa.

Squig

squiggles:

i requested a copy of the transfer form with my signiture, and they have gleefully produced it (after giving me the run-around for approx 9 days) pointing out that i had signed it, the account number on the form differs by one digit.

If the bank adviser wrote down the number (wrongly) then IMHO the bank shares some responsibility. It is not for customer facing staff to decide that the bank is 0% responsible and you are 100% responsible.

I would strongly advise you to obtain the bank's complaints procedure and submit a written complaint strictly in accordance with the procedure (use Signed For delivery) alleging that you are confident that you provided the correct number to the adviser but the bank adviser wrote down the wrong number (or whatever process was followed).

If you remain dissatisfied after "deadlock" or 8 weeks after first raising the complaint, whichever occurs first, you are entitled to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This will cost you nothing but the bank will have to pay a hefty case fee regardless of the outcome. I cannot promise the FOS will find in your favour but you will have lost nothing by trying.

There is no absolute proof that you did not pass the correct account number, only absolute proof that the adviser wrote down an account number which later proved to be incorrect which you signed. I don't think it's as cut and dried as the bank's customer facing staff think.

Thank you again,

That is also my take on the situation, however, the initial comment from said customer facing staff, after a phone call to the bank that recieved my money, that i would have the funds returned within 4days, it was only after this time had lapsed and i returned to my bank to find that this was not the case, it was the branch manager that took up the baton, assured me, that it was being investigated and would be resolved shortly, i left it ten days (initial transaction 14//09 ) Returned to my branch (still polite, but obviousley annoyed) and it was this point i was told ther was nothing more they could do, at this point, it was also added, that IF it was 100% my banks fault, they would of returned the funds straight away!! which says to me, we can do something, but have chosen not to.

Now, i have to enter customers bank details for proposals on a regular basis, if i put an account number,sort code and customer name into the system and if the name of the account holder differs even slightly it will be flagged up as invalid,

When the manager was faced with this question...."our systems are not that intelligent" came the reply!!

Now i am being carefull not to mention the banks in question, and i wonder if anyone can clarify this to be true? as i find it impossible to believe, that the money that these insitutes make (and lose) they do not have a system to prevent this happening.

I will be taking up your advice Jalexa, and putting in a complaint. Any comments will be gratefully recieved.

Squig

squiggles:

When the manager was faced with this question...."our systems are not that intelligent" came the reply!!

Well I would say that was a meaningless throwaway remark.

It's reasonable to give the branch staff one attempt to solve a problem but if they fail to fulfill a promise go immediately to a complaint, because a complaint is timebound. You wasted 10 days by being too reasonable but a complaint clock ticks from the day you submit it.

If you choose to make a complaint I predict you will be phoned. Their objective will be to close the complaint on a phone call leaving you with no record. Unless you are confident about not being sidetracked I recommend you decline to discuss the issue on the phone and ask for a written disposal. That way you have a record.

As an aside, for the benefit of others reading this, perhaps because I am slightly dyslexic whenever I create a payment arrangement or a standing order online, I enter only a small payment until I have seen the arrangement work, then I adjust the payment.

Good luck.