STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

ON SEPTEMBER 28, I tried to move

£50,000 into a bond with Allica Bank. My bank, Barclays, called to check the payment was genuine. The next week I discovered £42,000 had been transferred to my friend instead.

J. S., Bedfordshire. You had attempted to pay this friend £42,000 in April 2020 but the money had been held because Barclays could not speak to you to complete fraud checks. When you approved the £50,000 transaction last month, the £42,000 payment was released. Barclays has now returned the money and offered you a goodwill gesture.

MY ENERGY deal with Avro was supposed to be fixed until March next year, but my most recent bill came from a company called Octopus Energy and it seems to be charging me more. How is this fair?

P. B., by email.

Unfortunately, Avro went bust in september and octopus energy has now taken over your account. you have been moved on to octopus energy’s standard variable tariff. This is why your bills are more expensive.

CASHBACK firm Complete Savings has taken £15 a month from my account for four years — a total of £720. I inadvertently signed up in early 2016 and the payments only stopped last year when my bank card expired. I am struggling to get my money back.

M. M., Campbeltown.

After investigating, Complete savings saw that you had not used the service and has refunded you as a gesture of goodwill.

MOBILE network Three has been charging me £35 a month for a Nokia phone I haven’t used in years. When I called Three, it cancelled the contract but refused to refund me for the previous payments.

B. D., Oxford. The firm says it could not cancel your contract without your permission. it had tried to text your nokia and a letter was posted to your address, but you never responded. you have now been refunded six months’ worth of bills as a goodwill gesture.