Bank transfer gone wrong

Did he tho. What are the chances of randomly getting it paid into a miss typed account? Details were correct just not James's , perhaps it was his GF's account. I smell fish.

Simple mistake guys!

So he gave you a completely different account number the 1st time, what was this over the phone? Do you have a written record of the details - are the two bank sort codes the same?

The odds of transferring money into a strangers bank account due to a typo must be tiny. Idk about Germany, but here in the UK numbers are 8 digits and sort codes are 6 digits. If the 2nd account number he gave you was completely different, it's not a clerical error. Either a) He made a typo - in which case the payment would surely bounce or b) He gave you someone else's acct number & sort code or c) He has the money in his possession and is refusing to send goods.

You have a written record of both details A and details B, and you have a record of making a payment to details A. Scam or no scam, going by what you've said, I can't see how he is not 100% at fault.

he made the mistake, either way how, he owes you the cash.

owes

So he gave you a completely different account number the 1st time, what was this over the phone? Do you have a written record of the details - are the two bank sort codes the same?

The odds of transferring money into a strangers bank account due to a typo must be tiny. Idk about Germany, but here in the UK numbers are 8 digits and sort codes are 6 digits. If the 2nd account number he gave you was completely different, it's not a clerical error. Either a) He made a typo - in which case the payment would surely bounce or b) He gave you someone else's acct number & sort code or c) He has the money in his possession and is refusing to send goods.

You have a written record of both details A and details B, and you have a record of making a payment to details A. Scam or no scam, going by what you've said, I can't see how he is not 100% at fault.

Hey,
no, all via PM and I saved each one.

For intl. bank transfers you need IBAN (which is a combination of account and directory code) & BIC which he gave me.

The first IBAN differs from the second, according to him, correct one. Sort code (within the IBAN) and BIC was the same, just the 8-digit account number was completely different.

I'm going to wait until end of this week for his reply, when there's nothing coming, I'll put this out here.

Thanks

-edit, and yes, I have proof of payment of course (my bank report) that's also the first thing the cops asked for.

Try and transfer 20p into the second account and see if that works.

(@last page)Yeah true. I was being an Arse. Hope you get your money back, philosovril, I do comiserate with this mess.

laughing in Germany, will steal this.

I'll tell it anyway. Perhaps it'll cheer philosovril up.

A German couple have a baby boy. All is well, until they notice that as he grows up a little, he isn't talking. He laughs and cries, but no words. At all. His toddler years pass, still no talking. He grows up some more, still no talking.

One day, when the boy is about 8, he and his parents are having dinner. He starts on his pudding, and suddenly says, quite calmly, 'This apple strudel is lukewarm.'

His parents exclaim with joy and surprise that little Joachim has finally uttered a normal sentence.
'Son', asks his father, 'if you can talk well, why have you never spoken, not even one tiny thing, until this moment?'
'Well, up to now, everything has been satisfactory.'

He starts on his pudding, and suddenly says, quite calmly, 'This apple strudel is lukewarm.'

What's wrong with lukewarm apple strudel? That's actually the perfect temperature (yes, I'm german).

Hey,
no, all via PM and I saved each one.

For intl. bank transfers you need IBAN (which is a combination of account and directory code) & BIC which he gave me.

The first IBAN differs from the second, according to him, correct one. Sort code (within the IBAN) and BIC was the same, just the 8-digit account number was completely different.

I'm going to wait until end of this week for his reply, when there's nothing coming, I'll put this out here.

Thanks

-edit, and yes, I have proof of payment of course (my bank report) that's also the first thing the cops asked for.

Should be even easier to sort out in that case. It could be a genuine mistake i guess. I'd hassle your bank even more. You've given an IBAN but presumably you also gave an account holder's name? If it is a genuine mistake the two should not match although I think the bank will clear on the IBAN alone - hence them stalling / fobbing you off. Ask your bank to verify that they cleared the payment against both the IBAN and the account holder's name and provide proof that they did this.

Lloyds told me on the phone, they generally don't match account numbers and holders..
I always thought banks are legally binded to do this but obviously not.
I think they should be!

^ for the (low) frequency of error, it's not worth them investing in a system or process to check this for every txn.

edit: as such, they should write off the errors. Sounds like things may have changed since 2008 tho.

Lloyds TSB keep remindnig me that they don't need all the details when I make transfers. Always makes me nervous, as they're reducing their ability to cross-check. But given my recent experience of a cheque book being stolen from the post and used to withdraw thousands from my account with signatures that the bank doesn't bother to check, I'm not sure Lloyds TSB give a shit about protecting our hard-earned money.

But good luck with resolving this.

pay the cunt a visit.

I think I need to stress, that I'm in Germany

^

Depart
Berlin 09:35
Arrive
London-Stansted 10:30
1 x Adult19.00 EUR Fare:19.00 EURTaxes/Fees:0.00 EURTotal Price:19.00 EUR

get in.

I have come across this before as Einstein's first words.

I'll tell it anyway. Perhaps it'll cheer philosovril up.

A German couple have a baby boy. All is well, until they notice that as he grows up a little, he isn't talking. He laughs and cries, but no words. At all. His toddler years pass, still no talking. He grows up some more, still no talking.

One day, when the boy is about 8, he and his parents are having dinner. He starts on his pudding, and suddenly says, quite calmly, 'This apple strudel is lukewarm.'

His parents exclaim with joy and surprise that little Joachim has finally uttered a normal sentence.
'Son', asks his father, 'if you can talk well, why have you never spoken, not even one tiny thing, until this moment?'
'Well, up to now, everything has been satisfactory.'

Lloyds TSB keep remindnig me that they don't need all the details when I make transfers. Always makes me nervous, as they're reducing their ability to cross-check. But given my recent experience of a cheque book being stolen from the post and used to withdraw thousands from my account with signatures that the bank doesn't bother to check, I'm not sure Lloyds TSB give a shit about protecting our hard-earned money.

But good luck with resolving this.

WOW, did Lloyds reimburse your loss?

I would give "James" untill the end of the week to sort it, then name and shameand look into a claim via the small claims court here and trying again with the fraud approach.

As well as the police you should contact Action Fraud

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

It is highly unlikely that a random number would be valid for an account on the same sort code. Simply giving a number out by one or two digits would not work as the IBAN would be wrong and the transfer process does a sanity check of this before the transfer even takes place, in effect it makes sure the account is valid before the money is transferred.

To me this smells like a scam. IMO "James" knows the owner of the other account and has appropriated the cash.

Even if ths is not the case, it is his error that has caused this and under UK law he is liable to either supply the goods or return the money,

The OP acted in good faith based on the information "James" gave him. In court this would be no contest.

If the case does go to small claims ( it's really easy to do and cheap or free) and you win then but he still refuses to pay up you can pass the debt to a collection agency along with "James" address details. You won't get the full amount, but will have the comfort of knowing that some big men in black overcoats will be paying him a vist and explaining very clearly why he should pay up. He'll also end up with a court judgement against him which will completely screw his credit rating for the forseable future. Again, doesn't get your money back, but maybe gives you some satisfaction.

^ can a non UK resident access the small claims courts here in le UK?

Yes. Evidence would need to be in written form, unless it was practicable to appear in court in person.

Since the offence was committed here, yes they can. You can either submit written evidence to the court ( 7 days notice of intent to do so prior to the hearing is required) or travel to the uk for the hearing is possible you can attend in person anyway.

You may also need a UK adress where any relevent documents may be sent, you dont have to live there, just be able to receive mail sent there for you.

You can also do it all online via the uk Govt's Money Claim Online service - Free info and advice here

http://www.inbrief.co.uk/claim-preparations/money-claim-online.htm

Even if ths is not the case, it is his error that has caused this and under UK law he is liable to either supply the goods or return the money,

The OP acted in good faith based on the information "James" gave him. In court this would be no contest.
County court judgements are a crap shoot - This is nowhere as cut and dried as you make out, unless you have access to precedent?

I would be far more inclined to write to the bank, and request the contact details of the account where the money was paid.

There is nothing in the Data Protection Act that states that the bank cannot pass on these details.

You can always apply to the courts to order the bank to give you these details. Inform that bank that this will be your next action.

Alternatively, you can ask the bank to forward correspondence to the account holder.

^ County Court and Small Claims Court: two different things.

Well, yes - One of them doesn't exist.