CTC direct debit

[Folderrider]

My first time posting and wasn't sure where to post this. My cycling UK membership direct debit has been taken three times this month every few days now. Is this happening to anyone else and if so what can I do to stop it please? I don't want to cancel the direct debit as I'm worried I won't get the money back? I had an email from them the second time it happened which said they are fixing the issue but it's obviously not fixed.

[Jdsk]

Welcome.

I haven't seen this problem reported here before.

Talk to your bank immediately, and if you need further help I recommend Citizens Advice:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt- ... edit-card/

And, as always: keep a contemporaneous written record of all communications.

Jonathan

[PH]

Mine has also been taken more than once and I've had the email which says they're working to sort it out.
I'd rather they got it right, but it's a few quid and I know either CUK or the bank will be obliged to correct it

[KM2]

I received an email stating problems. Taken twice, as last month but the previous month to that, not taken at all.

[thirdcrank]

I think it's right that the customer is covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee although I've been unable to find an online copy of its terms. BUT AIUI, that protection is against overpayment. ie If your account it debited x2 etc, then you will get the extra refunded. If an expected payment is not taken, that's the customer's lookout. Not necessarily a problem because if the payee is unpaid through their own poor admin, they can humbly come round with the begging bowl. A problem might arise if the payment included something like insurance cover.

A useful point for service providers to understand is that some people are meticulous about making payments on time.

[Folderrider]

It's only a few quid yes but it's being taken practically every day now so I've cancelled the direct debit and hoping they won't reinstate it and take the payment again tomorrow.

[PH]

It's only a few quid yes but it's being taken practically every day now so I've cancelled the direct debit and hoping they won't reinstate it and take the payment again tomorrow.

I've just checked my statement and mine has been taken again today, that's the third time. I'm not sure how many I'll tolerate, I'll probably give it till the end of the week.

[AdyJapp]

This occurred to me last week, and is till ongoing. I did report to Cycling UK, and they said that they were aware of the issue. The same day I received an email which read:



"I am writing to inform you of an error which has been brought to our attention with regards to Direct Debit payments for your Cycling UK membership.

We are currently working with our payment provider and we will be in contact once it has been resolved.

I would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may be causing.

Kind regards,
Zoe Martin
Membership operations manager
membership@cyclinguk.org
01483 238300"

Looks like the issue is not yet resolved. I had my this payment taken today for the third time this month(!), and there is another one in the queue waiting to be taken by the looks of it.

[Toffee]

I have had this happen to me as well and have just responded to their latest email/ excuse.

Its just incompetence. We will all get our money back but they really should have been upfront about the balls up they have made.

I had already complained about the first incorrect payment but only knew about the subsequent ones when I complained again today.

Its just amateurish, not away to run a modern organisation

[thirdcrank]

... We are currently working with our payment provider and we will be in contact once it has been resolved. ... (my bold)

I think the underlying problem is caused by the need to outsource this type of procedure, rather than any sloppiness by CUK staff. It's beyond my experience but I doubt whether an outfit the size of the CTC has the clout to make much difference with the contractors.

[PH]

I think the underlying problem is caused by the need to outsource this type of procedure, rather than any sloppiness by CUK staff. It's beyond my experience but I doubt whether an outfit the size of the CTC has the clout to make much difference with the contractors.

I'm not sure there is a need, though there might be a cost advantage. It's only recently been outsourced, after several years in-house, since the last time the third party providers messed it up...
I have no issue with it being outsourced, I pay several other subscriptions that are handled that way, including AUK (I think). The issues arise in a situation like this where it goes wrong, the provider is probably the only party that can make the corrections, CUK are going to get the blame.

[AndyK]

I think the underlying problem is caused by the need to outsource this type of procedure, rather than any sloppiness by CUK staff. It's beyond my experience but I doubt whether an outfit the size of the CTC has the clout to make much difference with the contractors.

I'm not sure there is a need, though there might be a cost advantage. It's only recently been outsourced, after several years in-house, since the last time the third party providers messed it up...
I have no issue with it being outsourced, I pay several other subscriptions that are handled that way, including AUK (I think). The issues arise in a situation like this where it goes wrong, the provider is probably the only party that can make the corrections, CUK are going to get the blame.

I think the membership management is still in-house. TC is talking about the processing of the payments.

[thirdcrank]

Speaking generally, I think the financial services industry as a whole agreed quite some time ago that direct debit was ideal (for them.) It involves allowing payees helping themselves and was inevitably subject to the guarantee I mentioned above. It's then only a short step to errors being acceptable subject to a guarantee of rectification and a further short step to the customer who doesn't like it being seen as the problem.

To the extent that anybody at CUK pays attention to this forum, feedback like that given by the OP folderrider and others is like gold dust and worth so much more than endless surveys.

And yes, I'm talking about the processing of payments.

[PH]

TC is talking about the processing of the payments.

So was I. The payment process has recently been managed by Stripe a "leading financial management system"

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/faqs- ... ms-upgrade

[thirdcrank]

TC is talking about the processing of the payments.

So was I. The payment process has recently been managed by Stripe a "leading financial management system"

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/faqs- ... ms-upgrade

I see the author of that article kept their fingerprints off it- or their name at least. There's nothing like "ownership" to keep up standards.