Retrieve false direct debits and transfers – Here’s how

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Incorrect direct debits can easily be returned – but they cost money

At a SEPAdirect debit, the payee debits the requested money from the account himself by means of a given authorization. Even if the account holder does not have to worry about the payment here, he should still check the debits, because errors can still creep in. For example, the amount can be collected twice, in the wrong amount or after the direct debit authorization has expired, thereby unjustly debiting the account. If a bank customer does not agree with a direct debit, he can fundamentally object to it and demand a reversal from the bank. However, this should be done within eight weeks of the completion of the transaction in question. During this period, the account holder can request the money back without giving any reason. If the debit was made without a direct debit mandate, the injured party even has 13 months to initiate a reversal.

The objection and the request for a reversal do not have to be submitted to the bank in a specific formal form. Complaints can be started by calling, emailing, writing or visiting the branch. Of course, written applications have the advantage that you have immediate proof of the refund. You can also arrange for the refund yourself in the system via online banking access. Once the bank has received the objection, it will take care of solving the problem. However, the reversal involves a certain amount of processing work. That’s why the process costs money. As a rule, however, the bank customer does not have to pay these fees. Since the error presumably came from the payee, the bank also debits the processing costs from the payee’s account with the amount recovered. According to the FAZ, the fees can be quite lavish. For example, Commerzbank would charge a third of the direct debit amount, but at least EUR 5.11, for the reversal. Of course, this can cause dissatisfaction on the part of the payee, who may not readily accept the fees and in turn demands compensation from the bank customer.

Incorrect transfers are more difficult to recover

If you did something wrong with a specially made transfer, it is still possible to get the money back, but the reversal is not as easy as with an incorrect debit. For example, if the money is on its way to the wrong recipient, the bank customer should act extremely quickly. In principle, the bank can only keep the amount from flowing out if it has not yet been credited to the recipient’s account. Since nowadays transfers between two banks are processed within one bank working day, the customer should not waste any time in making complaints. Once the money has arrived in the wrong recipient’s account, your own house bank no longer has access to the amount. After receiving the objection, she can only contact the other bank or the corresponding bank customer and request a transfer back. The recipient is also usually obliged to do this in the event of an incorrect transfer. Nevertheless, one is dependent on the willingness of the respective person to a certain extent. If the payee refuses to return the money received, the only option left for the sender is to file a complaint. Similar to the reversal of an incorrect direct debit, costs can also be incurred when making amends for an incorrect transfer.

Complaints can be made about incorrect credit card transactions

If incorrect credit card payments lead to unwanted debits from the account, complaints about these errors or possible fraud are made to the card-issuing bank. The companies MasterCard or Visa are not responsible for processing these transactions. According to the Finanztip website, the respective banks and card providers usually provide complaint forms for download on their websites. It is not always clear whether these are free of charge, but banks would generally not charge any fees for a complaint.

Nicolas Flohr / Editor finanzen.net

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