Conscience

[puternut]

My wife ordered her Christmas meat pack from a local - family run - butcher. The total was between £90 & £100. She paid by debit card asusual and all was good.

She was looking through the bank a few days later and noted - unusually - that he money had not been taken. She informed xthe shop who said well we will take a look too.

As of now the amount still hasnt been taken and she wants to go over with the cash.

I say leave it to the butcher to correct. Surely they have the problem with the card machine company?

Your helpful, unbiased advice would help

[jackthehat]

I think that given your wife has alerted the Butcher to the problem she should leave it to them to sort out. But another telephone call to reassure them that if it hasn't been sorted out electronically within a week, or so, she'd be happy to toddle in with the cash ought to satisfy honour all round.

[Kidas]

If it were a faceless corporation, then I'd certainly do as otherts suggest and allow the bill to go unpaid due to their incompetence or whatever.

But a local family company could be seen as a different matter.

Essentially it is, as you suggest, down to conscience, but (i speak only for myself here - this is not advice or judgment on you) , I'd make sure it was paid.

Small businesses have enough to struggle with, without having people fail to pay for the goods they buy. I'm sure the company is not right on the edge, but if they were and went belly-up because of a series of unpaid bills like this - I'd never be able to forgive myself for being a part of that.

[Bazile]

//..She informed xthe shop who said well we will take a look too. ..//

Small business or not , Mrs puternut has acted to inform the business of the fact that the money has not been taken .

They are aware of it now, so it's up to them to make sure the payment is taken

[ubasses]

Jack has given the best answer. The card acquiring company has the responsibility of processing the transaction and if they have had a problem the butcher may even have received the credit for that days transactions (it would be a bulk credit for the whole day). They will then be trying to trace what has happened to the debit to your wife's account. Certainly keep in touch with the Butcher but if he has had his money he will probably not be concerned.

[puternut]

Point to ubasses reply:
We are not sure if the butcher has or has not received it. The thing we do know is that it has NOT been debited from our account.

It might be that another account has been debited and the butcher has been paid. We don't know.

Thanks for the replies so far.

[Peter Pedant]

she has made a vol dec
voluntary declaration

that is enough - if she goes across again they may take two lots !

[Khandro]

If you do hand over cash, make sure he gives you a receipt, for the amount, what it is for and the date, in case at later time the money is extracted by computer.

[ubasses]

Exactly Puternut, that is why I said 'may have received the credit'. It would not be the first time an incorrect account has been debited. In the meantime it is in the hands of the Acquiring Co, and it would not be wise to pay a second time at the moment. When they resolve the issue the first thing your wife will probably know about it is when her account is debited. Depending on what has gone wrong it might also be sitting on one of their suspense accounts, and it will corrected quite quickly

[Caran]

We changed our car a year ago. OH put his MG sports car in as part exchange, I paid the balance by cheque.
After three months I noticed the cheque hadn't been cashed. I got in touch with the garage. They had no idea as they had lost the cheque and their paperwork was a joke. I sent a replacement cheque and cancelled the original one.
I could not cheat anyone out of anything so glad I did it.