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Name: Ann Parsons

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Horrified to find they don't automatically transfer refunds from your previous card

I have been left gobsmacked by my discovery last week that if they issue a replacement card for any reason, whether out of date, lost or hacked, they do not automatically transfer any credits that come in to the old number to the new card, although the account remains the same. My card was replaced in May. Due to Covid I had had to cancel a lot of travel plans, some pre-paid, and refunds were due. I knew some were outstanding but presumed it was because of Covid delays. However, with some due last May I decided to check with a couple of places and discovered they had made the refunds, going back to May in some cases. I rang Sainsburys and was told that they did not automatically transfer credits from the former number to the new one, but only did so if instructed to by the customer - and that is not an ongoing instruction for all future credits but an instruction each time any credits might be due in. I was truly horrified. There were credits of about £600 sat there under the old card, which presumably Sainsbury's were taking advantage of, with no notification that they were there. The word fraud came to mind at that stage, I must admit. The person said they would manually transfer the refunds. Several days later the refunds had not appeared on the online account and I still could not believe what I'd told was true, so I called again. They confirmed the transfers had been done and said another refund was now on the old account, did I want it transferred! I will now have to keep phoning to check for late refunds. But they confirmed what I had been told. I really am horrified by this. I cannot find anywhere to send a complaint to them; it all seems to be phone numbers, but I want to put something in writing, hence this review. I checked with NatWest, my main bank and with whom I have my other credit card, to check their policy, and they seemed surprised I was even querying whether any late credits would be transferred! Of course they would be! I noticed on my last Sainsbury's statement there were a few very late payments taken out with 'correction' after them, and realised they were from the previous card. So they had transferred them across! But if someone tries to take a payment from an old card number it is refused so they get in touch with you for a new method. Why then does that not happen with refunds? Why aren't they refused and whoever is making them referred to the customer for an update? I really do feel this verges on illegal and would love to know what more I can do about it. Closing the account is not an option and then I'd lose anything else that came through altogether. I haven't had any problems with them until this and really think they should have a rethink. The policy has been confirmed to me twice by phone and once in a message. Reviewed on: 15th August 2020