Cancelling Charity Direct Debits

[Jayne-123]

My aunt has been paying a direct debit to Cancer Research through the Nationwide for some years, she now wants to cancel it as she keeps getting phone calls asking for an increased donation. She went to the Nationwide and asked them to stop payments, however they told her she must cancel it with Cancer Research, surely this isn't right and a letter to the Nationwide should suffice?

[mccfluff]

you can cancel dd's with the bank, if she does online banking, she can cancel them herself, or tell her to ring up and tell them again to cancel it

[boxtops]

It depends if it's a direct debit, a continuous direct debit, or a standing order. Is she sure it's a direct debit? If so she can just cancel it at the bank, but it's courteous to tell the recipient too so they don't submit further claims for payment. If it's a standing order, she needs to write to CR to tell them to cancel - but she still ought to be able to tell the bank not to accept any more payment requests.

[ummmm]

I've cancelled DDs with my bank and although they do cancel them they advise to contact the recipient.

[boxtops]

The Nationwide site says this about DDs- just tell them. Perhaps the person your aunt spoke to at NW misunderstood her. http://www.nationwide.co.uk/search/DisplayArticle.aspx?article=1012

[aelmpvw]

on the subject of charity donations, i've cancelled a direct debit due to being bombarded on the phone for increased donations ... perhaps some charities should reconsider their sales tactics

[hc4361]

You sure it's not a standing order?

[Peter Pedant]

um it varies
I agree with your aunt's bank

however when I mentioned this to my dentists clerk who had changed the dental insurance, she the clerk not your aunt, went thro the old routine

ya whaaaa '
ooo I have neva heard of such a thing
oo no I dont think so
yeah ? no definitely not.... and so on and so on

and I was advised to write to both.

Actually the dental insurance co wrote to me and said the Bank had stopped paying, did I mean to... ? [ as we had crossed letters ]

hence my O it varies.

[pretty_snowdrop]

All direct debits and standing orders can be cancelled by the bank.

[Peter Pedant]

I am sure that is the case

however I remember a sweaty time when the bank told me to ring America to cancel a DD at source because otherwise I would have to pay it in perpetuity, and honestly the clerk did not give a t+ss if I was able to do so.

[Hopkirk]

The problem appears most when you give a continuous payment authority on a credit card, although I seem to remember hearing that changes were planned to that problem.

Was it definitely a DD on her bank account, or might she have done it on her credit card?

[Peter Pedant]

yes Hopkirk - it was
thanks.....

[Hopkirk]

I meant Jayne's aunt

[Jayne-123]

Thanks all for your advice

[woofgang]

straight from the horse's mouth
http://www.directdebit.co.uk/DirectDebitExplained/Pages/DirectDebitGuarantee.aspx

"You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify the organisation."

[craft1948]

You can cancel DDs and SOs with your bank. It's only courteous to advise the charity that you are doing so as the charity will be charged by the bank for each DD they apply for which is refused.