Double your money? Asda online shoppers still charged twice
Over a year ago, we reported that some Asda customers were effectively being charged twice for their online shopping, with some incurring bank charges as a result. So why hasn’t Asda put this right yet?
Shopping for groceries online is supposed to be a straightforward, painless process. But that hasn’t been the case for many Asda customers, who’ve incurred bank charges as a result of a technical issue with the supermarket’s online shopping system.
The problem – originally uncovered by Watchdog last May – arises when Asda asks your bank to hold the amount for the estimated bill, before charging you for the actual cost when the shopping arrives. If the actual cost differs from the estimate – owing to substitutions – Asda takes the right money, but some banks still keep the estimated amount ring-fenced for up to 10 days.
This means you effectively need to be able to pay twice – even though the money only leaves your account once – which has led to some Asda customers incurring bank charges.
A year’s worth of problems
When the issue was raised last spring Asda said at the time it was ‘working to find ways to minimise this issue for our online customers’. But it clearly wasn’t working hard enough, as comments continued to pour in from those of you who’d been effectively charged twice by Asda. Commenter Nancy was one of those who lost out:
‘I will not shop at Asda any longer after incurring bank charges for going overdrawn. This happened to me just before Xmas and I will never use them again.’
Another commenter, Louise, wrote in April:
‘It’s happening to me right now. Two lots of £265.20 for a single order that had already been cancelled. Direct debits bouncing left right and centre, no money re-released back into my account by Asda, three hours of phone calls to South African call centre, unreturned phone calls, trails of discussion through NatWest, my own bank, to try and sort this out. I’m livid.’
Have you been left out of pocket?
We wanted Asda to tell us why this issue was still causing chaos for customers over a year after it was first highlighted. A spokesperson told us:
‘When a customer makes us aware of this happening, we work with the bank to have the funds released as quickly as possible. If any charges are incurred, we will compensate these.’
It also claimed it had been working hard to minimise the issue and would have a new system in place by autumn.
We want to hold Asda to that – keep leaving comments if you find you’ve been left out of pocket as a result of your Asda shopping. We’ll be checking back later in the year to see if Asda has fixed this problem. If Asda does fix its systems, will you log back on or have you found alternative ways to get your shopping to your door?
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Jan
it might be handy to add your voices to this new thread here:
http://conversation.which.co.uk/energy-home/asda-charged-twice-online-shopping-order-bank-account/comment-page-1/
david roberts
i had to contact asda again today,fri 15th feb,as they owe me 73pounds and 80pence.that is the amount they overcharged me on a home delivery dated sat 2nd feb. i made the booking online and they told me it was for 100pounds and 46 pence, yet when i got the delivery the receipt with it stated it was now for 168pounds and 38pence. asda accepted that there had been a mistake, after numerous phone calls, and they assured me they would refund me what they owed me. however, i checked with my bank and no refund had been paid back to my account. after several emails to asda they kept promising somebody from customer services would contact me in 2 to 3 days, but nobody did. i contacted them today, 15-2nd, and i was told the refund had been paid into my bank account. i told them that was not the case as i had checked with my bank. she was going to have a word with her manager and would get back to me in 15 mins. 2 hours later and nothing. i phoned them back and was told they had refunded the money last week and that was the end of the matter, so i have lost out to the tune of 73pounds and 80pence, shoppers beware. they then had the cheek to email me with a special offer which included free delivery with my next online order. needless to say i wont be taking up their offer, nor will i use their online shopping again. david roberts
Alan
Hi David, If Asda have overcharged you I guarantee that you will get your money back.
First of all you need to keep the receipt that you were given with your delivery, In the right hand column of this receipt under TOTAL you will find how much Asda have charged you for all items, the total is the full amount before promotions.
Very carefully add up this column then add to this any items charged for any substituted items, you will find this under you’ve been charged at the top off the receipt, this will give you the correct amount of your items, compare this with the amount that Asda have entered.
If Asda’s total is more than yours you have been overcharged and Asda will have to pay the extra money they have taken back to you. they have no other choice other than to be charged with theft.
Regards Alan
david roberts
alan, asda assured me that they have paid back the money owed to me but it has not been credited to my account, sun 17th feb. i have the receipt from asda concerning the 73pounds and 80pence, but when i phoned asda with the order number they have no records concerning that number. i know that they have to repay the money owed to me because i have the receipt with dates and order number on it. they just dont want to repay the money owed to me. until i can get them to recognise that they owe it i a stumped
Alan
David, Get back to me when you have added up the prices as I advised in my last comment.
Posted 16 February 2013 at 11:41 am
Alan
david roberts
hi alan, thanks for your email. i have added up the cost of the shopping from asda and the amount of it after savings is actually 94pounds and 78 pence. they charged me 168pounds and 38 pence, so they owe me 73pounds and 60pence
Alan
Hi David, Does the Asda receipt actually show a total charge of £168-38 for the items that you added up and got £94-78.
Alan
Trish
Currently Asda owe me £70.00. What a dodgy company!
david roberts
hi alan, the actually shopping should have been 94pounds and 58pence and they charged me 168pounds and58pence. sorry i have not been in touch, i have been unwell. thanks for your email
Alan
Hi David,
You say that Asda charged you £168-58, what was the amount that Asda printed on you receipt.
Alan
Lindsey
I am a single parent and went shopping at my local Asda. I had just enough funds in my account to get my essentials. Once finished my shopping I went to the checkout and used my debit card to pay for my goods to be told that the transaction never went through and I would have to put my card back into the machine and to my astonishment I was told it had been declined!! I was then told that it was a problem with my bank. I asked them to hold my shopping whilst I ran to my bank to find out why this had happened. The bank looked into my account and said that the transaction had gone through and there was also another attempt of them charging me again, that’s why your card declined because there was not insufficient funds in for second transaction. I then ran back to Asda to show them the printed statement in which they still declined to give me my shopping. I was two hour trying to sort this out, until I eventually left the store in tears with my 11 year old daughter without bread and milk and other essentials I needed. To top it off I was then told I would have to wait 4 to 5 days before I would be able to get my money back into my account!! I rang my bank and fortunately because of my circumstances the reversed the transaction into my account which went back into my account within the hour. It was like I was made to say thank you and be grateful for retrieving my own money! I then went back to Asda to get my shopping which they hadn’t put back to then find items were missing from my shopping but I had paid for them. To top it all off I work for Asda and I feel disheartened as a customer and as an employer. Nobody should be treated like this. I have been so stressed over this incident.
david roberts
i have never used asda again since my own experience in jan/ feb, when they overcharged me over 70 pounds. i never got my money back, but i informed which magazine and i put it on facebook over what happened to me. i told asda head office who promised me they would look into it, but i already knew what they would tell me. i informed them i would never use there online service again, and that is the best advice for anyone. its a disgrace what they do to there customers.
marlese robb
i did a home shopping order to be dlivered to my home on the 9/5/2013, this order was for the amount of £497.16, when my shopping arrived the amount they acc needed was £413.18, £83.98 difference in these amounts as there wasnt all my goods delivered which is fair enough, i have now been on the phone with my bank and asdas 12 times, asdas has not only ring fenced the first amount but taken the second amount out my bank, leaving me with no money and over £400.00 overdrawn, the last phone call which was this morning the call handler for asda offered me a £10.00 E voucher for my troubles, to say that i am fuming is an understatement, this has also effected my other bank account as i had to use the money from there to pay for things as asdas had said they would fix the problem on fri 10th and that the money would be back in my bank that day, this hasnt happened so BOTH my accounts are now in the red with bounced payments, DISGUSTED AND VERY ANGRY i am, i have 3 children and now no money, WHY ARE THEY GETTING AWAY WITH THIS?????
Alan
Hi Marlese, Asda must return all money that they have overcharged and pay all losses if your bank charges you for being overdrawn.
The first thing to do is keep your receipt safe and check the total cost of your shopping at the bottom of the page,( this is the amount they will take from your bank) then add up the total cost on this list yourself and compare this with the amount that they have entered, if they have charged you more they must pay it back.
If you have bank charges send a bill to Asda for the full amount you have been charged.
Regards Alan