Wedding Forum - So Annoyed! WW Never Cancelled...

That is bad. I can't believe that your bank can allow them to keep taking it out after you have told them to stop. I thought that they had to honour your direct debits and if you ask them to stop they have to stop them. Its then down to the company to chase you for the money. Go to CAB and check out your right hun.

You should get onto your bank about claiming indemnities for wrongful direct debit payments taken by weight watchers - you cancelled through the bank which terminates your direct debit with weight watchers. Without a new mandate (signed form from you) with a date after when you cancelled, they are not allowed to debit your account according to the direct debit guarantee.

You can claim indemnity for all direct debit payments taken wrongfully from your account from the time you cancelled up till when they last took a payment

I have put a copy of the DD guarantee below for you so your bank cannot ignore this:

The Direct Debit Guarantee

* If the amounts to be paid or the payment dates change, the organisation collecting the payment will notify you normally 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed
* If an error is made by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch of the amount paid
* You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by contacting your bank or building society. We also recommend you notify the organisation concerned.

Below is quoted from a website referring to Direct Debits and the processes. I used to work in finance and process direct debits - banks are crafty or don't always know the rules and will try pass it off as your mistake. DONT LET THEM!!!!

Caroline Goldfinch from Direct Debit, the organisation funded by the banks to promote and manage this payment method, says: 'If money is wrongly taken from you, it is up to the bank or building society to refund it immediately. They then must seek their recompense from the company that has taken the money, the so-called originator. 'They must also refund interest charges arising specifically from the error. And the company taking the debit must give customers notice, normally ten working days, before
altering the amount or the date that the payment is due.'
Customers can cancel on the same day the debit leaves their account, although it is sensible to cancel in writing well ahead.
You need to tell your bank or society only if you want to cancel, but for added safety also tell the company which is due to receive the cash.

I got it all sorted out eventually... I had a reply back from WW requesting me to ring them, so I rang them and I had to go through everything with them again. They checked there system to see if my email address was on there, which means that I would of emailed them in the past, which it was on there so they could clearly see I had emailed them to cancel and it had times date etc.. The woman was very helpful and said there must have been some sort of mistake from there side and they will deal with it and get back to me. Well I had planned to go swimming so on the way I popped into the bank, bank explained that there was no direct debit set up and it was monthly card payments, which I didnt realise, when I set it up I just thought of it as direct debit.. anyway they said they had every right to keep taking the money unless I had cancelled it with them, I explained I had bla bla bla.. So, went swimming and had a call from them and again I had to ring them back, on an 0845 number... they said it was there mistake and they will refund me all the money they had taken and give me 6 months free at WW. I happily accepted the refund but turned down there 6 months free membership down, theres no way I will be dealing with them again! And the refund is gonna take 28 days to come through BUT its 160 quid that can go towards the wedding fund!

well done on getting it sorted quickly and a nice amount of money you can put towards something!!

just look on the bright side if it hadnt of happened you would prob have spent that £20 each month so might have helped you out little bit? xx

Yeah I'd agree with mrsbarker - just be glad it's now sorted and think of it in the positive way of having that bit of money already "saved" :)

hun did it say DEB on ur bank statement iv never seen a direct debit to WW they always seem to take payment as a card payment which come up on ur statement as DEB iv known a few ppl have problems with this banks cant cancel debit card payments but whoever you spoke to at the bank should of told you this they could av just looked on ur bank statement to see but the way to cancel is by requesting WW to cancel it another one to look out for is WHICH they do the same there all a nightmare to cancel!

well thats one way to save some money lol.