Ernest, 72, in debt for first and only time

Ernest Stopani was shocked when his bank suddenly put a stop on his credit card. The retired businessman had been with the TSB branch in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, for 30 years and paid off the full balance on his card every month. But in August he was stunned and embarrassed when the card was declined at his local grocery store. When he phoned the bank, he was told that his last bill hadn’t been paid. And when he went to the branch he was informed that a payment made days earlier for £1,350 must have been lost in the system. “I was told the only way to unlock my credit card wastopaythesame amount again until they located the missing payment,” he said. “There was no way I was going to do that because it wasn’t my fault. “It meant that my card stayed locked and I was in debt for the first time in my life. I was outraged.” A number of trips and many calls to the bank were getting Ernest, 72, from Tillyburn, nowhere. In frustration, he wrote to Raw Deal for help and we contacted the bank on his behalf. Within days the mistake was rectified. The missing payment for £1,350 has been credited to Ernest’s account and he was given a further £200 for his troubles. A spokesman for TSB said: “We are sorry to hear what happened to Mr and Mrs Stopani. “We have looked into the case and we have been in touch with him to apologise and to offer him compensation. “Iamhappytosaythat we have now put things right to his satisfaction.”