..to expect my bank to tell me if they can't set up a standing order in the way I requested...

[RustyBear]

...instead of telling me they can & then paying the wrong amount?

DS is at University & living in a shared house & we are paying his rent- the estate agent sent us a form which set up a standing order for one month's rent in August for the deposit & then 3 months rent on Oct 1st, Jan 1st & April 1st. The agents then sent this to our bank (Halifax)

Hallifax sent us a letter saying the standing order "has been set up as requested. Your first payment of £nnn will be paid on 15th August and continue as instructed"

But on 1st October, they only paid one month's rent. When I went in this morning to find out why, they told me they couldn't set up a standing order for different amounts - surely if that was so, they should have told me, not just paid the wrong amount?

I might mention that out of the 7 students in the house, 3 are with the Halifax & have had the same problem - the other four are with different banks, all of which seem to have managed to get it right.

It's you that controls a standing order, not the bank. Get online and set it to send a certain amount on a certain day/date and it wlil happen.

Well, that's what I thought I done - and what they told me they had done.

It's sorted now - I went in there because I wanted to ask why they hadn't let me know, but he couldn't/didn't answer & I was starting to feel like Jeremy Paxman, so I decided to come home & write a letter instead.

If they've sent you a confirmation about what should be paid and then not paid it then of course!

If you ended up being penalised by the landlords for this then since you have written proof of what should have been done and what was done then they are also liable. Hopefully landlords will understand as you were not the only one who had this trouble.

We've had a problem with RBS saying they'd get SO arranged & then just not bothering. I handed the details in mid-August & we didn't discover it till a week ago when recipient advised they hadn't had 2 months payments.

No real explanation, a half-hearted apology & could I go back in with the details again & they'll do it properly this time.

Arghghghghghg! Sympathise.