I’m posting in AIBU for traffic as I feel this is urgent.
Two days ago my friend went to a small independent convenience shop which is close to her house and put credit on her electricity card as she does every month.
Today she went back into the shop and the shop keeper (owner) told her that he made a mistake with her electricity credit and she owes him money, she hadn’t noticed but he had the proof ready to show her that he had accidentally credited her electricity card three times more than she asked for and paid for.
In the shop if you are paying by card the shop policy is paying before the credit, so he puts the sale through his till, charges you and then does the paypoint transaction.
He obviously input the wrong amount into the paypoint when doing the credit.
The shop keeper was understandably quiet upset about his mistake and was very insistent that my friend pay him the money immediately.
The problem is she doesn’t have it, she budgets very carefully and credits her electricity card a specific amount every month.
She knows she has the credit so owes the shop keeper the money but the best she could offer is to pay it off over the two months (when she would normally credit the card).
The shop keeper was very unhappy with this offer and told her she had until the end of the day to repay the money or he will call the police.
I don’t believe the police will be interested as it was the shop keepers mistake, but my friend is terrified because technically she does have electricity credit that she did not pay for so she thinks she may be in trouble if she can’t pay it back today.
Has anyone been in this situation before?
Does anyone know what her rights are or legally what she should do?