A moan about scottish hydro

[Rie]

I am just wondering how often this happens, i set up a direct debit with scottish hydro to pay my gas bill the debit doesnt start till may and yet they seemed to think it is ok to go into my bank account and take £187 with out any notification , also this is not the ammount agreed on the DD.
Doesnt this constitute theft??
Worst still when i complained about it they could not explain why it had happened and i had to insist on a refund which was like bleeding a stone.
Due to their "mistake" i have incured charges from my bank having to return other DDs that were due to go out , surly scottish hydro should also be responsible for paying the charges,
What do you think and has it ever happened to you??

[balto]

I am just wondering how often this happens, i set up a direct debit with scottish hydro to pay my gas bill the debit doesnt start till may and yet they seemed to think it is ok to go into my bank account and take £187 with out any notification , also this is not the ammount agreed on the DD.
Doesnt this constitute theft??
Worst still when i complained about it they could not explain why it had happened and i had to insist on a refund which was like bleeding a stone.
Due to their "mistake" i have incured charges from my bank having to return other DDs that were due to go out , surly scottish hydro should also be responsible for paying the charges,
What do you think and has it ever happened to you??
the hydro will refund your bank charges back to you, but you have to send them your bank statement as proof, it happened to us when we moved they took payment for our old house also one the same time for here, my oh phoned them, got his money refunded also bank charges refunded.

[Rie]

That is great to know thanks will give it a tryand see what they say.

[poppett]

BT did similar last year when they missed taking a payment, took two the following month, then went into the bank account three days early for the following payment. It has taken until the bill generated for lst May for them to get it right. Every month I phoned until they got sick of me and suggested a credit to my account, which I refused on principle....my money stolen from my bank account, put it back.

Hydro wanted to double direct debit last year but we had it re-assessed and we don`t owe them anything yet and the winter should be past now. Just phone them up and tell them how it is. If you don`t get a helpful person try again, and if they can`t help ask for a supervisor or line manager. That will get results.

[tonkatojo]

Do any of the utility companies allow people to pay using the standing order scheme,at least this way the customer is in charge of the payments.