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Original poster

Money taken out of my account without my consent

69 replies

Yalta · 27/04/2024 08:14

2 weeks ago a relative was moving house and had hired a van for the 2 day house move. During the 2nd day she realised she wasn’t going to be able to do everything in time and to help her out I gave her my debit card to pay for the extra day of van hire.
She telephoned the company and used my card to make the payment.

Going to pay my credit card bill today and found all my money gone. The van hire company have charged me for what looks like a further 2 days of van hire.

Am I right in thinking that they must have held onto my debit card details without my consent. (My name was never on any paperwork regarding this van hire so I was never asked permission to keep my details on file)

Completely pissed off as this has taken me into an unauthorised over draft which knowing my bank it will still cost me a fine for going into overdraft whether the payment was something I authorised or not. Plus if I can’t get my bank to refund straight away I could end up with a non payment notice on my credit file for the payment I couldn’t make to my credit card. Am about to apply for a mortgage and have worked hard to maintain a completely spotless credit file.

Is this a breach of GDPR or is it fraud. I know for a fact that relative paid the first 2 days hire (otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to get the van) and I paid the 3rd day and the van was left to be picked up and the keys left in a safe place.

Friend moved out of the area so I know she didn’t go back to use the van for whatever reason.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 27/04/2024 08:59

You could try raising a disputed debit card transaction with your bank as you agreed to 1 payment and not the other.

Anameisaname · 27/04/2024 09:00

OK so sounds like an issue here given it was all paid up and deposit returned.

Get in touch with The van company ASAP to determine what the transaction is relating to. Call your bank and dispute the transaction.

Original poster
Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:00

Anameisaname · 27/04/2024 08:51

Not sure what you mean "supposed to happen". GDPR just means you can't use the details for a different purpose etc.
The card details are encrypted so the company themselves don't "see" your actual card numbers. It was provided by the hirer (your relative) over the phone and so was a legitimate transaction. It is not clear as it was a phone conversation whether it was then used to replace the card details that were originally held on file (your relative's card). So the company may have been perfectly lawful but we don't know because it was on the phone and you didn't do the call

Show quote history

What I am saying is that whilst the card details are supposed to be unreadable they. obviously aren’t if a company can continue to use them weeks later to take money from your bank account for what was essentially a one off payment

OP posts:
hedgehoglurker · 27/04/2024 09:01

My guess is that your relative was refunded or her transaction reversed and the full amount charged to you.

She is the one who can get to the bottom of it. I hope she is being helpful and truthful with you.

determinedtomakethiswork · 27/04/2024 09:02

Why don't you just call the car hire place and clear things up? I can see it's upsetting but they have the answers.

fridgegrazer · 27/04/2024 09:05

We hired a car and later got charged an amount (a couple of weeks later) because we hadn't paid the Dart charge. The charge itself wasn't expensive, it was the hire company's administration charges which cost a lot - could it be something like this?

Original poster
Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:08

To be honest I gave my card to my relative to use as at the time as I had a dreadful sore throat and my voice was fading out between squeaks and I had tried talking to someone earlier that day and they couldn’t understand me

The phone was on loud speaker so i heard everything and given everything was how it should be with deposit returned and all paid up. We didn’t expect to suddenly find a problem weeks later

OP posts:
FawnFrenchieMum · 27/04/2024 09:09

Anameisaname · 27/04/2024 09:00

OK so sounds like an issue here given it was all paid up and deposit returned.

Get in touch with The van company ASAP to determine what the transaction is relating to. Call your bank and dispute the transaction.

This ^^

No one else can answer what’s happened.

prh47bridge · 27/04/2024 09:10

This is not a GDPR breach. Your relative gave your card details to the rental company and they have held them as her payment details. You may not have meant this, but you consented to your relative giving your payment details to the hire company and they are entitled to hold onto them because they have a contract with your relative, so don't need her consent to hold her payment details.

It is unlikely to be fraud. It is more likely to either be a mistake (they've charged the wrong person) or something else (your relative has been charged for something you don't know about). You don't have any standing with the hire company as you didn't hire the van, so you may not get any answers from them. You need to contact your relative. She may know what this charge is about. It may be that she didn't realise they would take it from your debit card. If she doesn't know, she should contact the hire company to find out.

Anameisaname · 27/04/2024 09:11

Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:00

What I am saying is that whilst the card details are supposed to be unreadable they. obviously aren’t if a company can continue to use them weeks later to take money from your bank account for what was essentially a one off payment

Show quote history

Terms and conditions of hire car are very wide ranging unfortunately and they can retain the card details for things like fines as PP said.
It is also possible that a transaction error occurred and your relative did not in fact get charged so they took the full amount from you. It's also possible that they did unlawfully retain details.

The main thing is to call them and find out what is going on and call your bank ASAP and tell them so the transaction can be put into dispute.

Original poster
Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:11

fridgegrazer · 27/04/2024 09:05

We hired a car and later got charged an amount (a couple of weeks later) because we hadn't paid the Dart charge. The charge itself wasn't expensive, it was the hire company's administration charges which cost a lot - could it be something like this?

Definitely paid the Dart Charge and Ulez etc

I can’t just call the hire company as they are closed and won’t open until Monday

OP posts:
Original poster
Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:14

prh47bridge · 27/04/2024 09:10

This is not a GDPR breach. Your relative gave your card details to the rental company and they have held them as her payment details. You may not have meant this, but you consented to your relative giving your payment details to the hire company and they are entitled to hold onto them because they have a contract with your relative, so don't need her consent to hold her payment details.

It is unlikely to be fraud. It is more likely to either be a mistake (they've charged the wrong person) or something else (your relative has been charged for something you don't know about). You don't have any standing with the hire company as you didn't hire the van, so you may not get any answers from them. You need to contact your relative. She may know what this charge is about. It may be that she didn't realise they would take it from your debit card. If she doesn't know, she should contact the hire company to find out.

Already contacted relative and as everything has been paid her end and she has nothing to say what the charges are for she has no idea

OP posts:
Misthios · 27/04/2024 09:15

The main thing is to call them and find out what is going on

You'd think that would be the first thing you do rather than immediately presuming fraud, wouldn't you?

prh47bridge · 27/04/2024 09:15

Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:14

Already contacted relative and as everything has been paid her end and she has nothing to say what the charges are for she has no idea

Show quote history

So she needs to contact the hire company to find out why they have taken this additional payment.

Pleasealexa · 27/04/2024 09:16

My guess is that your relative was refunded or her transaction reversed and the full amount charged to you

Yes to this. You know that your card is attached to this transaction. However you don't know why additional charges have been added. Could be for multiple reasons but no one knows until you speak to the van hire.

The likelihood this is fraud or your bank details were inadvertently recorded against a completely different transaction is lower.

Occams razor applies here.

ineedtostopbeingdramaticfirst · 27/04/2024 09:18

Ring the car company and ask why you have been charged it's likely an error.

Ring bank and tell them you didn't make this payment. Explain you paid for a day hire two weeks ago but not this one.

Isyesterdaytomorrowtoday · 27/04/2024 09:19

Have you contacted your bank to query the transaction? That should at least stop any charges until it’s investigated

Original poster
Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:25

Just pissed off that it is another issue to deal with. Already lost access to my credit card this week as someone decided to use it abroad. Fortunately credit card company put a stop to their on line spending spree before anything went through as it was flagged as possible fraud but it has now left me with no credit card whilst I wait for a new one to arrive so was using my bank account funds.

Also lost access to an account that has money in it that I would normally use as my phone decided to not recharge one day and my new phone doesn’t have the password saved so I am waiting for a new password which they send in the post which takes at least another couple of weeks to get here.

OP posts:
Anameisaname · 27/04/2024 09:30

If you call your bank and dispute the transaction they may then remove it. Especially if your relative can confirm the error with rhe hire.company

Amx · 27/04/2024 09:31

Van hire companies are the pits. We had similar. They took £500 out a few weeks after we hired a van as they'd noticed damage.

Luckily I had taken a video of the van in perfect condition so after a massive row they refunded it.

DSis was charged for 2 extra days as they denied the van was returned when it was (Friday night) again she had proof it was returned so got a refund but I think most of these companies are dodgy as fuck.

kiwiane · 27/04/2024 09:35

I would dispute the transaction with your bank and also inform your relative that they need to sort this out as you’ve been left out of pocket.
i noticed you’ve let someone take your credit card abroad; I think you need to really dial back on helping others using your bank cards.
If you let others take or use your cards then you are liable; keep them securely and away from others.

ASighMadeOfStone · 27/04/2024 09:37

Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:25

Just pissed off that it is another issue to deal with. Already lost access to my credit card this week as someone decided to use it abroad. Fortunately credit card company put a stop to their on line spending spree before anything went through as it was flagged as possible fraud but it has now left me with no credit card whilst I wait for a new one to arrive so was using my bank account funds.

Also lost access to an account that has money in it that I would normally use as my phone decided to not recharge one day and my new phone doesn’t have the password saved so I am waiting for a new password which they send in the post which takes at least another couple of weeks to get here.

Two payment issues on the same card?
I'd be side -eyeing the relative tbf.

prh47bridge · 27/04/2024 10:01

ASighMadeOfStone · 27/04/2024 09:37

Two payment issues on the same card?
I'd be side -eyeing the relative tbf.

Show quote history

No, one is on OP's credit card, the other is on her debit card. OP gave her debit card details to her relative but not, as far as we know, her credit card.

shoppingshamed · 27/04/2024 10:15

prh47bridge · 27/04/2024 10:01

No, one is on OP's credit card, the other is on her debit card. OP gave her debit card details to her relative but not, as far as we know, her credit card.

Show quote history

Sorry, I musunderstood

HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/04/2024 10:43

Yalta · 27/04/2024 09:14

Already contacted relative and as everything has been paid her end and she has nothing to say what the charges are for she has no idea

Show quote history

Is she 100% that she hasn't had a refund? Often hire companies will charge a holding fee which gets released when the vehicle is returned and the actual payment taken. If they've charged you three days then it's possible the charge she has is still pending so she thinks she's paid it (as it's not available to her), but it's actually just pending and it will fall off rather than being charged. Using your card could have superseded the original payment.