Crusader Full refund is the right call
THE loss of £ 400 devastated Patricia Humphreys after a mystery company accessed her bank account. But last week the 85- year- old was £ 500 better off and cock- ahoop following an astonishing upturn in her fortunes.
Patricia came to Crusader with her sorry tale last month, believing she had been foolish and that she was the one to blame for the money being taken.
But we could not agree once she had described what had gone on when she answered a cold call.
Had the caller been trying to sell her something and she’d volunteered her bank details then that would have been harder to defend.
But this one mentioned a mail order company, Natura Health Care, that Patricia had bought supplements from previously without any problem.
“He said it was closing down some customers’ accounts and needed to confirm my bank card details to make sure it was done correctly. No prices of products were mentioned. I didn’t intend to buy anything more and so I did what he said,” Patricia explains.
She was surprised when she got a box of ginkgo biloba tablets she had not ordered and horrified when she saw her bank statement. A colossal £ 399 had been debited by a company called House of Naturecare Ltd, with two different contact addresses in London. More information in the package she was sent indicated the goods had been despatched from a firm called Nutri Care Quest Ltd,
Consumers beware. If you give your bank details in the course of buying goods and do not check terms beforehand, you could be liable if the cost is greater than expected. Card protections may not apply, so don’t be drawn in if you’re called by a stranger. from what appeared to be a residential address in Peterborough.
“I’m on a basic pension and this is like losing three weeks’ income,” she told Crusader. When Patricia, a Co- operative Bank customer, alerted her local branch in Nottingham, she was asked if she had given her bank details. She answered truthfully that she had but the key point about how they had been obtained was not picked up.
“The bank says I was responsible for disclosing the information and so nothing could be done,” she said. “Although the bank did block more payments being taken.”
Given the circumstances we asked the bank to look again at the matter. House of Naturecare is a UK company and trading according to Companies House with a director, Fredy Fernandes.
Patricia had paid by debit card and we thought it might be possible for her bank to reverse the transaction, known as a chargeback, leaving House of Naturecare to challenge the move.
And Crusader also contacted the company, demanding that Patricia be refunded.
However, despite our concerns about House of Naturecare’s sales methods, director Mr Fernandes did respond promptly. Patricia was sent a cheque, next day delivery too, which she cashed without problem.
Mr Fernandes told Crusader: “Please accept our sincere apologies
from
her for the inconvenience caused to Mrs Humphreys. I will try to investigate this matter with my sales team as to how this happened and to make sure that such things do not happen in the future.”
How the company got her details in the first place remains unclear but we then discovered that the Co- operative Bank had been busy on Patricia’s behalf too.
A spokeswoman explained: “We’re pleased to hear that Mrs Humphreys has had a refund for the amount she sought from the company.
“If a refund hadn’t been issued by them, the bank could have actioned a chargeback for her on the grounds of misrepresentation, as it was not made clear to Mrs Humphreys that she would be charged during her call with them.
“We have written to her with an explanation of how a chargeback could have been applied.”
The bank also sent her £ 100 as a goodwill gesture.
“I can hardly believe the way this has turned out,” she said. “I am so thankful.”