Be careful with transfers
A loophole in the banking system could leave customers who make a mistake when transferring
money over the internet permanently out of pocket.
According to the site MyMoneyDiva.com if you are not careful when you
transfer money you could
end up permanently out of pocket. The consumer site highlights the case
of Clare Logie who transferred £2000 to the wrong
person's account by clicking the wrong box when she did the online
transaction. Alliance & Leicester, told her it has tried to contact
the other customer to request they return
the money but has not had a response, probably because the person in
question
is having a nice holiday at Logie's expense.
Logie was told that
banks can only request permission to retrieve the mistaken payment from
customers' accounts. If the
person refuses to hand over the money then there is nothing anyone can do to
make them part with it. Alison Steed, editor and co-founder of MyMoneyDiva.com, said: 'It is outrageous. For all intents
and purposes, the person who has chosen to hang on to your money is being
helped by the legal system as it stands.”
Under Blighty law it is not theft if the money has been transferred to their account in error
and therefore they can hang on to the dosh if they like. Apparently however they could get into hot
water if they spend it.