Heating oil payment leaves customer's funds frozen

Your questions answered by CONOR POPE

“I did not give them authorisation to do this and now have insufficient funds in my Laser debit card account to either draw out money or make any payments,” she writes.

She contacted her bank who contacted Capital on her behalf, and she found out the problem rested with Capital Oils’ bank.

We contacted the oil company and a spokesman explained what had happened. As is normal, when the payment was taken, a hold was placed on the sum which should have been lifted as soon the transaction was approved. However, that did not happen. The hold was left in place and the actual amount was also deducted, which is what left our reader short.

“We have been in touch with AIB merchant services repeatedly to try and have this resolved. We do not have this person’s money and the hold has not been placed on it by us but we can completely understand her frustration and why she is annoyed with us,” a spokesman said.

“It is our relationship with a customer that is being damaged and we are doing our best to resolve the issue with our bank,” he said.

We contacted the bank. A spokeswoman said the error was an isolated case. AIB said it had “been working with the payment gateway partner to agree the procedures required to facilitate such a flagging process in future”.

Our reader has her money back now but is still understandably upset. As indeed is the oil company.

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