I know any banking types here will say it is out of there hands ETC ETC but how is it I have to wait so long for a refund? Quick background, I bought a washing machine online with an advertised delivery time of 2-3 days though this would be confirmed within 2 hours. Except the prospective delivery time turned out to be 15+ days which I found unacceptable and canceled the order. That was simple enough except i then received an email saying that "there won’t be any physical transaction of money in your bank account, but the funds will be at your disposal as soon as the bank process the cancellation of the transaction." I went ahead and bought the washing machine elsewhere delivery Monday. When I went into my bank account I find that although the two payments have not actually left my account I have only access to what would be left had they been taken. So why does it take the banks so long to process a simple cancellation transaction? I could have been forced into an unauthorised overdraft if I had not noticed that I only had access to a few quid now.
Banks have always been notoriously slow to cancel outstanding transactions (I work for banks) It's never high up on the 'to do, list'. Eventually it will cancel out, but you need to pester your bank to do this. The cancel request has hopefully been received from the seller, so the earmark needs to be cleared off.
What Scroome said, its probably sat in a branch suspense account awaiting a clear down into your one. Not a huge priority for the bankunfortunatly as they still hold the funds.
Now here is a thing. I also requested a refund from Groupon yesterday and received it today, so I am puzzled as to why the bank can process a small sum of 25 quid but cannot process 10 times that much. I would not have thought it would have mattered.
I've worked for Barclays for five years. I'd like to give you an answer that doesn't sound like ******** but I can't. Apparently, it's something to do with Visa services but I can't confirm that... Always sounded like an excuse to me... Ian
I've had similar issues cancelling orders for things that then wouldn't arrive, and when just eat tried to charge my account nine times for an order but failed to take the money. The transaction isn't canceled and I don't think it actively can be, it's just left to time out without the funds being taken. Depending on the company, if you can get through to a suitable complaints/returns department you might be able to get them to put the transaction through (actually take the money), and then actively transfer you the money back. It is entirely down to whether they can do that and how long it will take them. You have more chance with smaller companies where the person you speak to knows who can authorise a payment back, I've never gotten any medium or large size company to do it though. Most aren't set up to do such a thing so they just say it's not possible, but I've had two smaller companies do it without any hassle. Ymmv :/ in the case of your groupon, it sounds like they'd taken the actual funds and they obviously have an agreed method for then approving a transfer back as part of their returns/complaints/order cancellations process.
My apologies to bankers everywhere, This situation is not down to my bank but down to the company as they have bothered to send the necessary details so that the funds can be released. Though they are still saying that it is the banks fault I have been given a fax number to hand to the company and also the details that the bank needs to release the funds. I await a call back from the company after the rep has spoken to her manager. Not holding my breath.
It kinda is and isn't fault with the bank. I'll try and break this down in a way which is still BS, but not as smelly Banks receive millions of debit requests every day. The system is automated in the way that they receive the debit request from said retailer and place an earmark against your account for those funds. Visa services will then confirm completion of transaction and release funds to the seller. The funds are then shown on your statement as a debit. In your situation, the transaction was run through and the earmark placed against your account. The retailer then cancelled the transaction, but by then it was already in the process or being processed through. The earmark is sitting on your account, waiting for the services to either match up a successful transaction or a cancellation as per what happened with you. Unfortunately, there are no time limits on transaction cancellations. As Legoman correctly put it, the funds are currently sitting on a suspense account, waiting for someone to clear the debit off. HOUND your bank.
As I said another cancellation sailed though yesterday. I really believe it is this companies fault as they seem to be having trouble finding my order but knew my name and phone number. This is what the bank needs to know seemingly. The information they require on company headed paper is: My name. My account details. Transaction details. Authorisation code. And reason for release which will be I cancelled my order.
Turns out it is nobodies fault as both the bank and the company are saying the other is at fault and it looks like I will need to wait the full five days to receive my money. The company says it sends all the necessary information electronically the bank seems to think that they get this info via a fax. I wonder what they will say if it still not released. Oh yes and the company concerned uses a payment gateway run by two companies data Cash and World pay. Why so complicated a system in the 21st century is a mystery.
I've often thought in this kind of situation it would be fun to dupe customer reps from both companies into a conference call with each other
Had this in an email. "The funds usually take 24-36 hours to be ‘returned’ for your use but we are told by the banks to advise customers that this can take up to 5 banking days." Is a 'banking' day the same as a working day, By that I mean do i have to wait 5 working days or are banks a 24/7 operation these days? Just want to know whether the 5 days are up tomorrow or Tuesday?
Once had to wait the full timeout for a refund, which in my country is full 10 days. The way they explained it was that the timeout was an automatic refund if funds had not been released by the card company within said time.
