Unauthorised debit card payment

[texol]

A few weeks before christmas as busy as we were i paid my rent (fornightly as that is when i get paid) over the internet (i usually use the automated telephone service) i entered all the details correctly and the transaction went very smoothly. now we get two weeks free rent over christmas (this is for those in arrears time to catch up, not me i might add) and as the dates fell i got a free week in one payment and this next payment due on friday the 11th would have been the same. i went to my bank this morning and discovered that the council had debited my account on wednesday of double the amount due (two weeks rent instead of one week and a free week). i had not made or authorised this payment the council simply took it from my account using the details i had given weeks ago over the internet (i phoned the bank and they told me exactly how the debit had been made). There is no option to make regular payments from the internet way of paying so i didnt make the mistake of not ticking a box etc(like a direct debit, i have also checked this too). It seems like the council have just taken the money. I rang the council and they said that although the money had left my account it had not yet registered in my rent account as this takes up to 3 days, this amount being taken from my account without my authority also overdrew my account so the bank have applied bank too. Who is at fault here as one seems to blame the other and who can i claim my bank charges from and the return of my money. (it also asks the question is it legal what they have done?)

[buildersmate]

Write to the council as follows:

Dear Finance Dept,
On 11th December you appear to have made an unauthorised deduction by Direct Debit from my account using details that I had previously supplied to you for an earlier transaction. This has directly resulted in my account becoming overdrawn, and will incur me in bank charges.
Please fully investigate the circumstances regarding this event and advise me of your findings. I wish to be assured that this will never happen again. Please also make a full refund of the unauthorised amount and comfirm that you will refund any bank charges that I incur as a result of this action by you.

[tboo]

You will need to prove that the council put your bank account into overdraft and you incurred a charge, this can be done by showing the bank letter or statement. Then write into the council stating you require the charge to be repaid, as you havent authorised any dd transactions, this may take a while as they will probably argue, Then either ask for the rent money to be returned or just leave it to keep your account in credit.

[SlackAlice]

You will also have to advise your bankers of the 'unauthorised' deduction and get them to follow up. You normally contact the Banks fraud section.