Tesco Overcharged - Advice

Boxoffrogs

Bit of background: Popped to Tescos last Monday 17th. On me I had 5 Euros in Tesco clubcard vouchers and my bank card. There was only just over 10 Euros in my bank, so I was careful not to overspend.

I got to the till to pay and the bill came to 12.35, with vouchers taken off, that left 7.35 to be taken from my card. In goes my card only for the lady at the checkout to tell me it hadn't been accepted. Two more tries and the same thing.

Utterly embarrassed, I had to return most of the things I had tried to buy, leaving my son and I a little hungry that day.

As soon as I arrived home, I checked my bank account only to find it had just been debited 7.35 by Tescos.

I printed off an internet statement today and took it into Tesco to show them what had happened. The girl in there was really nice but she honestly had no idea what to do, took my number and asked me give her until tomorrow to get to the bottom of it. I'm really annoyed by this but don't want to start going overboard.

Has anyone else had a similar experience and would you expect Tesco to give you some kind of compensation?

drunkmonkey

It seem like an error by the check out clerk, the transaction must have went through.
Not sure what compensation you would be due if any, seems like a mistake and they should refund your money.

If you got a 10 or 20 euro gift voucher out of it you wouldn't be doing so bad.

Boxoffrogs

But it's strange and a little worrying that Tesco can take money from your account without leaving a paper trail, my receipt shows me some of the items and paying for the remainder with my vouchers. No mention of my bank card on the receipt at all.

Tesco have been in possession of my money for over a week now, preventing me from spending it. I've had to go in to try and get it rectified and I will have to make at least one more trip there.

I know it's small money but its really got me miffed. Maybe I just need to get over it.

krpc

diddledum wrote: »

Bit of background: Popped to Tescos last Monday 17th. On me I had 5 Euros in Tesco clubcard vouchers and my bank card. There was only just over 10 Euros in my bank, so I was careful not to overspend.

I got to the till to pay and the bill came to 12.35, with vouchers taken off, that left 7.35 to be taken from my card. In goes my card only for the lady at the checkout to tell me it hadn't been accepted. Two more tries and the same thing.

Utterly embarrassed, I had to return most of the things I had tried to buy, leaving my son and I a little hungry that day.

As soon as I arrived home, I checked my bank account only to find it had just been debited 7.35 by Tescos.

I printed off an internet statement today and took it into Tesco to show them what had happened. The girl in there was really nice but she honestly had no idea what to do, took my number and asked me give her until tomorrow to get to the bottom of it. I'm really annoyed by this but don't want to start going overboard.

Has anyone else had a similar experience and would you expect Tesco to give you some kind of compensation?

I'm quite certain that most consumers have experienced being overcharged at one point or another; although perhaps not all by Tesco.

I am assuming that you still bought a number of goods within your budget? If so, surely you received a receipt for those items?

I would suggest that you produce that receipt to a Manager and allow them to compare it with your printed bank statement. It should, hopefully, show a discrepancy once the situation was explained. I must admit that I find it difficult to understand how someone could be confused by this and not be able to assist you there and then?

The Big Red Button

Just to clarify, were you given customer copies of the laser receipts at the time showing that the transaction didn't go through?

Boxoffrogs

rc_irl wrote: »

I'm quite certain that most consumers have experienced being overcharged at one point or another; although perhaps not all by Tesco.

I am assuming that you still bought a number of goods within your budget? If so, surely you received a receipt for those items?

I would suggest that you produce that receipt to a Manager and allow them to compare it with your printed bank statement. It should, hopefully, show a discrepancy once the situation was explained. I must admit that I find it difficult to understand how someone could be confused by this and not be able to assist you there and then?

Yep, have the receipt, produced both to the Manager, but she seemed fairly new and said that when it comes to overcharging, they have to get in touch with head office.

I think it's just all the to-ing and fro-ing that's bothering me. I'll take a chill pill now!

The Big Red Button

diddledum wrote: »

I know it's small money but its really got me miffed. Maybe I just need to get over it.

If you did not receive goods in exchange for your money, there is no way in hell you should just "get over it!" It's irrelevant whether it's big or small money. This is something that really needs to be followed up on. And it's bad form that they couldn't sort it out there and then when you came back to them.

Boxoffrogs

chatterpillar wrote: »

Just to clarify, were you given customer copies of the laser receipts at the time showing that the transaction didn't go through?

Chatterpillar that's just it, I have my receipt but there is zero mention of my card on it, beyond strange!

jor el

diddledum wrote: »

But it's strange and a little worrying that Tesco can take money from your account without leaving a paper trail, my receipt shows me some of the items and paying for the remainder with my vouchers. No mention of my bank card on the receipt at all.

They can't and didn't take anything from the account. This is how debit cards work; the charge is applied to your account, even though it failed, but the money is not with Tesco. It is lost in banking limbo, and will reappear in the account within about 5 days. Nothing you can do about it except wait, or never use your Laser card again. There will be no record of the transaction, and it will look like the money was never taken in the first place.

Tesco can do nothing for you here, as they don't have the money. The bank has it, but they won't do anything but make you wait.

antocann

you should tell them you want sumthing for the public humiliation and embarasement they caused to you

P. Breathnach

jor el wrote: »

They can't and didn't take anything from the account. This is how debit cards work; the charge is applied to your account, even though it failed, but the money is not with Tesco. It is lost in banking limbo...

If that is what happened, we are into interesting territory.

In the good old days before ETF, banks were very careful not to dishonour a properly-drawn cheque when the drawer had sufficient funds to meet it. That is because dishonouring it was treated as defamation, as conveying the message that the drawer was at best irresponsible.

If the bank did indeed get it wrong, they should be made answer to diddledum for the embarrassment caused and for her(?) and her son going hungry.

jor el

antocann wrote: »

you should tell them you want sumthing for the public humiliation and embarasement they caused to you

It's not like the flogged him or anything. If you're humiliated by a card not working in a chip and pin reader, then you should just stay at home, for ever.

Boxoffrogs

jor el wrote: »

They can't and didn't take anything from the account. This is how debit cards work; the charge is applied to your account, even though it failed, but the money is not with Tesco. It is lost in banking limbo, and will reappear in the account within about 5 days. Nothing you can do about it except wait, or never use your Laser card again. There will be no record of the transaction, and it will look like the money was never taken in the first place.

Tesco can do nothing for you here, as they don't have the money. The bank has it, but they won't do anything but make you wait.

Thanks for advice, I'll give my bank a call in the morning. Although, the girl I spoke to in Tesco did say that if the payment had been rejected, I should have had a rejection slip, but there wasn't one generated in this instance.

Tesco are going to call back tomorrow, so I'll post back here tomorrow to either retract my rant about them, or not, as the case may be....

Jev/N

Yeah I was just going to say that; you should generally get a void/rejection slip for each time the card was used but not charged in the end, for one reason or another.

Boxoffrogs

jor el wrote: »

It's not like the flogged him or anything. If you're humiliated by a card not working in a chip and pin reader, then you should just stay at home, for ever.

Erm, him is a her ha ha. I wasn't humiliated, embarrassed at having to return items, yes, humiliated, no.

What's frustrating is that I had the available funds, something has gone wrong whether at the bank or shop end, annoying certainly!

dudara

Sometimes those chip& pin readers can't read the chip properly due to dirt etc, it's no reflection on your financial standing.

Get in touch with your bank and find out what is the status of those funds.

Jip

jor el wrote: »

They can't and didn't take anything from the account. This is how debit cards work; the charge is applied to your account, even though it failed, but the money is not with Tesco. It is lost in banking limbo, and will reappear in the account within about 5 days. Nothing you can do about it except wait, or never use your Laser card again. There will be no record of the transaction, and it will look like the money was never taken in the first place.

Tesco can do nothing for you here, as they don't have the money. The bank has it, but they won't do anything but make you wait.

That's exactly what happens, it's a problem with the banking system, not Tesco.

Boxoffrogs

Thanks again for the advice, my bank are now running a trace on the payment and will be back to me within the next 24 hours.

Cabaal

antocann wrote: »

you should tell them you want sumthing for the public humiliation and embarasement they caused to you

and they say its only american's that looks for money for pointless reasons, nice to see compensation culture is alive and well
:rolleyes:

wmpdd3

I work in Tesco and this happened to me. It only seems to happen woith laser cards. I think this is handled by Ulster bank for Tesco. My receipt didn't mention the insufficent funds, just

total: €108
total: again after the card was refused
Then cash €110 ( as this is how I had to pay)

It didn't print out a failed payment slip like most non-integrated cc machines, it just prints out 1 receipt.

The check-out manager called head office and got a reference no. for the issue, but it took atleast 5 days for the bank to tell Tesco they took the money. In the mean time I just got my bank AIB, to do a sort of charge back. I had the money in 3 days.

Still though it's crap especially as it is laser, ie real cash less so if it was a cc card as you know you will get it back and won't have to pay interest.

BROWNE51

drunkmonkey wrote: »

It seem like an error by the check out clerk, the transaction must have went through.
Not sure what compensation you would be due if any, seems like a mistake and they should refund your money.

If you got a 10 or 20 euro gift voucher out of it you wouldn't be doing so bad.

Couldnt agree more,normally any manager worth their salt would look after this with a freebee or something,mind you I have only seen that happen in an Express shop,not a large Tesco store,however I would say something like this could be sorted at a local level,depends on the manager though!.

Jip

Why would you expect a freebie because of how the banking system works ?

Mr. Presentable

BROWNE51 wrote: »

Couldnt agree more,normally any manager worth their salt would look after this with a freebee or something,mind you I have only seen that happen in an Express shop,not a large Tesco store,however I would say something like this could be sorted at a local level,depends on the manager though!.

But the problem is with the OP's bank. Not Tesco. Not Tesco.

Boxoffrogs

Thanks for the advice, I've certainly learned a lesson here. My bank contacted me today to let me know the monies had been re-credited to my account.

I just want to add that I am in no way a Tesco basher, I find them great to shop with, I have no issues with their pricing and they really have lovely helpful staff in my local store.

The reason I did mention compensation in my opening post is that a simple trip to the shop for a few items has left me out of pocket with all the phone calls etc.

Thanks again

krpc

diddledum wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I've certainly learned a lesson here. My bank contacted me today to let me know the monies had been re-credited to my account.

I just want to add that I am in no way a Tesco basher, I find them great to shop with, I have no issues with their pricing and they really have lovely helpful staff in my local store.

The reason I did mention compensation in my opening post is that a simple trip to the shop for a few items has left me out of pocket with all the phone calls etc.

Thanks again

I'm glad everything worked out for you. I think some, myself included, also learned a valuable banking lesson with this situation.

wmpdd3

It's worth remembering if your laser card has been charged for anything you dispute, you can call you bank and ask for proof form the retailer that you made the purchase, this usually get the 'chargeback' process going and speeds up a re-credit.

antocann

Cabaal wrote: »

and they say its only american's that looks for money for pointless reasons, nice to see compensation culture is alive and well
:rolleyes:

where did i state money ??

jesus people need to read:P:P

Newaglish

antocann wrote: »

you should tell them you want sumthing for the public humiliation and embarasement they caused to you

antocann wrote: »

where did i state money ??

jesus people need to read:P:P

Are you suggesting that Tesco organise some sort of hug for the OP?

Cabaal

antocann wrote: »

where did i state money ??

jesus people need to read:P:P

So they should just smile at the OP or give them hugs?
:rolleyes:

You either meant money specifically or something of financial value, either way your suggestion is part of some twisted compensation culture

dudara

Let's take it easy here on this topic.

dudara