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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I should have been refunded

30 replies

PumpkinP · 05/10/2019 15:46

I went into Tesco’s on the Tuesday, I was having a bit of a hard week and money was tight so I just had enough money to get me and my DCs some bits until I got paid on the Thursday. I went to the self check out and tried to pay but it kept saying that my payment hadn’t gone through, I tried multiple times but kept declining the payment. I had money in my account before I went in so I knew I had the money but my card just wasn’t going through.

I told the lady at the checkout that I would go and check my card at the cash machine, meanwhile my toddler is having a massive tantrum about me leaving the shopping and it was pretty embarrassing. I checked my account and it said I had no money on my card. I was confused as like I said I know I had money before I went in. At the point my battery was dead on my phone so I couldn’t check my online banking so I went straight home. when I got home I logged into my online banking to see I had indeed paid for my shopping as the money was in my pending transactions. I contacted Tesco’s thinking they wouldn’t believe a word I was saying but they seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and said it happens sometimes and it’s a banking error and usually my money is just returned within 24 hours. (Obviously I had no money for food at this point so I called my dad who transferred me some.) anyway 24 hours later still they hadn’t refunded me so I contacted my bank and asked them to do a charge back but they said it had nothing to do with them. So back to Tesco’s who said they would cancel the pending transaction and I would have my money back again within 24 hours. That was on Wednesday still no refund. Aibu in thinking I should have been refunded by now? I’ve contacted the bank again but they just both keep telling me the fault is with the other side.

OP posts:

1984isnow · 05/10/2019 15:54

Yes I get this with Argos almost everytime I order something online. Argos tells me the 'bank haven't released the money' but the bank tell me the order wasn't completed by Argos properly. Sometimes it takes a week for the money to drop back in, other times it can be the same day, there's no consistency. But it's a right pain

TheQueef · 05/10/2019 15:57

I hate this.
It isn't beyond the wit of big companies to fix it either.
It's plain disregard and ignorance for poorer people.

BunnyTeapot · 05/10/2019 15:59

If the transaction didnt go through (didnt get an authorisation code) then its pending as in being held by the bank.
Tesco cant refund or have that money and the transaction didnt go through.
The bank cant return the money as the system is waiting for the authorisation code.
The money will go back into your account within 3 - 5 working days as it then realises there is no authorisation code.

Belledan1 · 05/10/2019 16:01

I get this with iceland. Call your bank direct they will put it back in from pending.

Original poster

PumpkinP · 05/10/2019 16:04

It’s never happened to me before and it was awful and humiliating as I had to leave my shopping and walk out. The checkout lady also asked me if I had no money. Plus the toddler screaming just made the whole thing really embarrassing. I was lucky my dad was able to give me some money but I hate asking and not everyone has someone to ask, looks like I will just have to wait longer for the money to come back then, I’m surprised they can’t do it abit sooner as it’s still in my pending transactions from Tuesday yet other pending transactions (including ones after this date) have already left pending so can’t see why it’s still there.

OP posts:

Original poster

PumpkinP · 05/10/2019 16:05

Halifax who I’m with have been useless they say it’s tescos fault Tesco’s tell me it’s the banks fault.

OP posts:

Siddalee · 05/10/2019 16:15

This happened to me with a purchase of £1500 of travel money!!
I bought £800 of Mexican money from Debenhams and got a transaction code. I then tried to put through another order of £1500 of dollars. This time got a transaction failed message. But when I checked my bank details, the money had left my account.

Rang the bank in the morning, they said I must have used a fraudulent website and I'd been conned out of the money. That was very helpful! I explained that I knew I hadn't, so their advice was to phone Debenhams

I phoned Debenhams who explained that it could see the transaction - it had been declined because you're not allowed to buy more than £1500 in foreign currency per 24 hours. They said they hadn't taken the money, contact my bank.

My banks said they had sent the money; contact Debenhams.

Debenhams said yes, the bank had sent the money, but they hadn't clamed it; contact your bank

The bank said they had sent the money, ask Debenhams to cancel the transactions.

Debenhams said, we haven't claimed the money; contact your bank!!!

I went round and round in circles for 10 phone calls until I was told by both ot them, there was nothing they could do. I had to wait up to 5 working days for the money to drop back into my account!!

Apparently, the bank couldn't refund me because they only had my word that I'd not had the goods the money had been debited for. Debenhams couldn't refund me as they had declined the transaction and so had already sent the money back to the bank I just had to wait for the refund to go back to the bank and then back into my account.

So, with 7 days to go until my holiday, my holiday spending money was caught up in cyberspace for 6 days!

And yes, I know it's not ideal to take so much currency but there were reasons for it

Original poster

PumpkinP · 05/10/2019 16:21

Oh god thats awful Siddalee I’m just lucky mine isn’t for anywhere near that amount! (But it’s still a lot when you don’t have it) that must have been extremely stressful. It’s so annoying that they both blame the other one. In this day and age there really should be a quicker way to get the money back.

OP posts:

JemSynergy · 05/10/2019 16:25

I am currently going through similar with iTunes. I've had fraudulent transactions come out of my account for unauthorised apps to the tune of over £500 and iTunes are telling me it takes 30 days to refund! Why 30 days?!

mnthrowaway2099 · 05/10/2019 16:25

I think you’re overreacting. Refunds are never instant, they always take a few working days to process, sometimes longer, so it was very hopeful to expect a 48 hour refund.

The charge is a pending authorisation hold which hasn’t dropped off your account yet. Tesco hasn’t charged you, they immediately released the funds as the transaction didn’t complete successfully. Your bank hasn’t released the funds back to your balance yet, they can’t speed up this process but they can step in later on if the hold is still there weeks later (which is unlikely)

Having said that, I can imagine it was stressful if you literally had no money after the failed transaction, and you had no food to show for it etc. It might be worth having a contingency fund, whether that’s savings or a responsibly used credit card or overdraft. Might be worth complaining to the store about the inconsiderate shop assistant and to enquire why the transaction was declined etc

Original poster

PumpkinP · 05/10/2019 16:35

I Literally have no money to save I’m barely scraping by at the moment it might be hard for you to understand that some people can’t afford to save but that is the case, I also can’t get a credit card. I don’t think expecting my money back is over reacting.

OP posts:

Original poster

PumpkinP · 05/10/2019 16:38

Oh and Tesco’s said that it would be back within 24 hours on Tuesday!

OP posts:

mnthrowaway2099 · 05/10/2019 16:46

You will get your money back though, it just won’t be instant as refunds never are. It’s permanently gone. Tesco has misled you as the funds can’t be guaranteed to be released within 24 hours. If anything, complain and they may offer you a goodwill gesture for the inconvenience.

mnthrowaway2099 · 05/10/2019 16:46

It’s not* permanently gone

DodgeRainClouds · 05/10/2019 17:07

This happened to me in Tesco last week. I did contactless. The lady at the till asked me to try again as it hadn’t gone through. I checked my balance at home and it had gone through twice. Took nearly a week to disappear off of my ‘pending’ list.

AJ1425 · 05/10/2019 17:19

If the Tesco have confirmed they are definitely not taking the money then ring the bank again and tell them Tesco are not taking the money, they have confirmed this and they need to release it from pending. It will be back to you within 24 hours.

AJ1425 · 05/10/2019 17:22

Tesco may have cancelled it on their side but the bank will just keep hold of it for a week and then it will drop off when they dont collect the payment. I would definitely complain to Tesco about it. Not worth complaining to the bank as although they could have advised you better, what they did tell you was correct. It's wrong and not everyone can just wait a week for money to come back to them.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 05/10/2019 17:27

The money is in some sort of cyber holding account. I work for a major supermarket (not Tesco) and the same thing happens sometimes to our customers. Tesco do not have your money and will not take your money, but how long it takes to show up again in your account is very much dependent on your bank. I have known it be as quick as 2 working days but in some cases it has taken 3 weeks.

Ariela · 05/10/2019 17:58

You could try writing (in writing, not phone) Tescos and the bank and complaining about the length of time it has taken to sort out.
You never know one or both might feel generous and offer you vouchers/credit to make up for the inconvenience.

BunnyTeapot · 05/10/2019 20:35

Theres no point in complaining to anyone. It's pointless writing a letter. Noone can do anything. It will be with you in 3 - 5 days.

lavalampy · 05/10/2019 20:39

This happened to me with about 8 £45 payments. Had to wait a few days for them to be recredited, and had to pay for what j wanted by cheque as it was declining over the phone and online. The pending transaction will reverse, but you'll have to wait I'm afraid.

sqirrelfriends · 05/10/2019 20:51

This happened to me with a car seat in mothercare. Ended up paying twice and had to have endless phone calls and visits to store to sort out. Eventually was refunded but it took ages and a lot of hastle.

Original poster

PumpkinP · 06/10/2019 00:19

Theres no point in complaining to anyone. It's pointless writing a letter. Noone can do anything. It will be with you in 3 - 5 days.

Oh really that’s funny because after pp suggested I make a complaint I decided to call the bank and complain and now funnily enough my money is back in my account a few hours later! Which goes to show they could have done it quicker even the bank admitted that they messed up and that it should have went back in within 24 hours and that they absolutely do have the ability to make that happen. They said it should have been done when I first called. They even gave me £40 for the inconvenience. So yes it was worth complaining.

OP posts:

TriciaH87 · 06/10/2019 00:52

It's happened to me before. Basically something went wrong stopping tesco receiving the payment but the bank had already took it. They can't just bounce it back until they know tesco will not take it. Its kind of held in limbo. Can take up to a week at times. Tesco won't refund you because they never took your money it's your bank that's holding it but to them it belongs to tesco until after so long when they do not claim it they put it back in your account.

Nonameslob · 06/10/2019 08:09

@mnthrowaway2099 I think you’re overreacting. It might be worth having a contingency fund, whether that’s savings or a responsibly used credit card or overdraft.
Not everyone can have a contingency fund. If you have just enough money to pay the rent/bills and a bit for food where's the extra money for a contingency fund coming from? Suggesting someone in this position get a credit card or overdraft is irresponsible and encourages debt. It's hardly overreacting when you have a child and the tiny amount of money you have for food isn't available.
OP I'm so pleased your money has been paid back into your account along with the goodwill gesture.

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