I tried to pay Staples for a new business account I have set up.

I entered the sort code, bank account number and account reference
from the invoice I received into the Bill Payment system.

I get a letter from Lloyds TSB saying Staples bank had returned the
payment because of "No Account".

I also pointed out they had described it as a "standing order" which
was untrue. They said that it was a standard letter. I asked if that
meant that we shouldn't rely on standard letters from Lloyds TSB?

I am always very careful entering these details so I phone Lloyds TSB
and ask what details I had used. They said: "We don't keep that
information". Yeah, right, Mrs Call Centre Monkey. After a few minutes
of arguing she agrees to find out. I'd entered the correct sort code
and account number. She said I hadn't entered a reference. I point out
that I have a long list of Bill Payments set up and they all have
references and I always put references. They were adamant I hadn't
included a reference.

I phone Staples and they told me that the account number only accepted
cheques and gave me different bank details for online banking
payments. This was the reason why the payment was refused.

More of the story: Don't believe what is written in a letter by Lloyds
TSB or said by a Call Centre Monkey.

On a related point, I have a bank account which I check every day and
transfer funds when I can see money going out that day. Despite this I
get a letter from the bank saying there's insufficient funds and I
need to pay money in that day. Obviously I get the letter a few days
later. The letter says: "You have had an unauthorised overdraft for
the last five days". I have pointed out to them that the current day
is the first day. Their response is: "It's the same thing"! They read
it as: "Sometime during the last five days you have had an
unauthorised overdraft".

Re. the sort code and account number on the Staples invoice -- was it
something you extrapolated from a tear-off giro slip at the bottom? If not,
did you ask Staples why they even bother to print it on the invoice?

Peter Saxton wrote:

I tried to pay Staples for a new business account I have set up.

I entered the sort code, bank account number and account reference
from the invoice I received into the Bill Payment system.

snip tale of woe

I phone Staples and they told me that the account number only accepted
cheques and gave me different bank details for online banking
payments. This was the reason why the payment was refused.

snip

On Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:05:22 +0100, Clifford Frisby
wrote:

Re. the sort code and account number on the Staples invoice -- was it
something you extrapolated from a tear-off giro slip at the bottom? If not,
did you ask Staples why they even bother to print it on the invoice?

It was on the giro slip