High street bank with 3.1million customers hit by glitch as payments taken TWICE
CUSTOMERS at a high street bank have been left furious after being charged twice in a bank glitch.
People have complained to the Co-operative Bank that payments have been taken twice from some small business account holders.
One fuming customer on X, formerly Twitter, complained that they are “almost £5,000 down thanks to this with no resolution in sight”.
It is unclear how many accounts were affected by the glitch.
The bank apologised to users on X, who posted about the issue.
Under one users’ post, it replied: “Our business team are aware of duplicate, historical transactions showing and they’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible.
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“I’m sorry for the inconvenience and concern this has caused,” it added.
Co-op Bank’s website says it has about 96,000 small business customers and 3.1million retail customers.
One person, who said they are a customer, wrote on X that they “have loads of duplicated transactions from months ago”.
Another person wrote to the bank on X: “Can someone in authority please tell us what’s happened to our business account.
“We have been in overdraft all day and still waiting to hear from you.”
A third person posted: “Utter shambles regarding duplicate historical transactions being taken from customer accounts without any notification from you this has happened.
“Thousands of £ out peoples accounts without even notifying customers. Tell us how this will be resolved?”
In a statement, Co-op Bank said: "We are aware there are a small number of SME account holders who have duplicated payments showing in their balances and are in the process of correcting this issue.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are supporting customers during this period."
How do I switch bank accounts?
SWITCHING bank accounts is a simple process and can usually be done through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up - there's a full list on CASS' website.
Under the switching service, swapping banks should take seven working days.
You don't have to remember to move direct debits across when moving, as this is done for you.
All you have to do is apply for the new account you want, and the new bank will tell your existing one you're moving.
There are a few things you can do before switching though, including choosing your switch date and transferring any old bank statements to your new account.
You should get in touch with your existing bank for any old statements.
When switching current accounts, consider what other perks might come with joining a specific bank or building society.
Some banks offer 0% overdrafts up to a certain limit, and others might offer better rates on savings accounts.
And some banks offer free travel or mobile phone insurance with their current accounts - but these accounts might come with a monthly fee.
What are my rights if I'm charged twice?
It's not clear yet how customers will be reimbursed.
It is worth gathering evidence of any problems so you can make a formal complaint to the bank directly if necessary.
Make a note of charges you had to pay because of the glitch, and any other costs you incurred.
This could include overdraft fees, or charges for rejected payments if you didn't have enough cash in your account to cover a bill or payment.
If your credit rating has been affected because you got a late payment fee after being unable to make a transaction, for example, you should also keep a record of this.
If you spoke to anyone to try and resolve the problem, make a note of their name and when you spoke to them, as well as roughly what you discussed and what they advised you to do.
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You can make a complaint to Co-op bank in a branch or online.
Think about how much you expect to be compensated, and when you expect to receive it and include it in your complaint.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories