Wrong money transfer and Chargeback

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Transposed numbers are not uncommon and extremely annoying for transfers. This is even more so after the new guidelines for the banking industry came into effect. Since then, the customer is solely responsible if he makes a mistake with the sort code or account number. Previously banks have matched the name of the account holder with the bank. However now this step is omitted. The money will be transferred without detours on the account that is specified in the transfer form, regardless of whether there is possibly a faulty transfer or not.

React immediately with a false transfer

The sooner you react in such a wrong transfer, the better. If the error is noticed shortly after the transfer was made, online or with a bank transfer form, the probability is high that the process can not be stopped. This may include a call from your bank. If the transfer is not completed, the bank sees to it that the recipient account is reverted.

Ask for chargeback

Clearly problematic is a false transfer, which has already been executed and credited to the recipient’s account. The bank can not simply return the book as money. It requires an agreement by the payee. Without this consent, the only way a lawyer in the worst case. For purely legal perspective, the recipient unjustly enriched and is therefore obliged to accept the chargeback. In addition, the following applies: Bank customers are required to check their bank statements and responding to accounting errors. Our tip: To save yourself trouble, should be checked twice and three times at each transfer account number and sort code of the recipient. Might otherwise threatens anger of the person who actually had the money to get.

Incorrect or unauthorized withdrawals from checking account that were made by direct debit, can be undone. The method is simply called a chargeback. For example, if your account was deducted 1,200 euros instead of 120 euros due to a computer glitch by the insurance company or if you have been cheated by someone, the money is not lost. 

However, you should hurry. Although the law provides, quite generous withdrawal periods depending on the reason for the chargeback, the sooner the error is cleared out, the better it is.

Cancellation period for chargeback in Germany

Most of the time customers can instruct the bank for a chargeback if the money has been debited without their consent. For example when no instruction was issued for the direct debit before. This is for example the case when cheaters using the bank data for debits. This must not necessarily be large amounts. It is therefore important to look at each transaction on the bank statement. If there is actually an unauthorized debit, the withdrawal period is 13 months. If the debit is based on a direct debit authorization issued as an online retailer, the withdrawal period remain six weeks. The time limit begins when the bank statement or the accounts of the Bank is present. In SDD (SEPA Direct Debit), the time window for the revocation closes after eight weeks.

  • Chargeback period in case of  Unauthorised Debit – 13 months
  • Chargeback period in case of Authorized Debit by online Retailer – 6 weeks
  • Chargeback period in case of debit by SEPA Direct Debit – 8 weeks

The correct procedure for initiating chargeback in Germany

If there is a transaction which can not be assigned to any action or is just simply a wrong amount, the bank must be informed immediately. In case you have a local bank branch, take it to the employee and inform them. You might have to inform them in writing if it was a fraudulent transfer, and sometimes a police complaint must also be made in case of transfer by lost card. In the direct banks chargeback can naturally only be ordered by phone or, if by e-mail, and it is always better to speak personally with one of the clerks.

The cost of a cancelling the debit

Since the process is linked to banks with a certain effort, fees are applicable and is invoiced always to the one who initiated the debit. This sometimes leads to the fact that the payee the amount reclaimed by the account holder. If the chargeback initiated causes a lack of funds in the bank account, it leads to a penalty.

If the direct debit is disputed, the creditor must prove that a debit authorization has been granted, or the debtor must prove that the direct debit authorization has been revoked.

27 thoughts on “Wrong money transfer and Chargeback”

  1. Hello, i was asked to send money to an account, i found out i took out the wrong account information, what should i do to get my money back , it was sent to a German bank . Please Advice

    Reply
    • Contact your bank immediately and ask for a stop of transfer. Normally, the bank (receiving) should check if the name and account number matches, otherwise the transfer is automatically cancelled. But it can slip through.

      If nothing works, then you can only initiate a transfer back on the consent of the recipient through the bank.

      Reply
  2. I opened a block account in sutor bank through fintiba. Unfortunately my student visa was rejected. Fintiba reversed back my payment to my local bank account from where original transfer was done.Now its more than 2 months I have not received any amount.

    Reply
  3. Hello
    I want to ask a question and i need honest reply on time
    My dad transfer money from Germany Bank {Comdirect bank} to my own South Africa bank account
    { FNB BANK } and my account was frozen….How long it take to refund the money back to my dad account in Germany bcuz my dad have already ask for refund

    Reply
  4. I have been cheated by Keymaker in Germany. I called him to open my door when I was locked out of my apartment at 2am. On call he said 160 Euros but when he came he charged me 400 Euros. Is there any way that I stop or reverse his payment paid by POS machine with EC card ?

    Reply
  5. My landlord asked me to pay the rent for the month and abruptly abrogated the contract after two days. I have transferred the money now since 3 days and it has been debited from my account. Is it possible to cancel the transaction without his consent? Because it is not possible to get consent from him and I don’t want to lose my money.

    Reply
    • Unfortunately, no. If you made a transfer using your TAN number (voluntary transfer and not a third party debit instruction), you cannot make a chargeback.

      You can only ask for him to legally pay the money back as he terminated the contract. I suggest joining a tenants association (Mieterverein – https://www.mieterverein-muenchen.de/englische-informationen/).
      Beware, there is a lot of internet housing scam on the internet asking for pre-payment to a foreign account or wire transfer using Westernunion. In case of scam and you transferred to a German bank account, contact enforcement authorities.

      Reply
      • Today I transferred the money to one such account and later get to know that it is housing scam. I called my bank and they told once payment is made it is impossible to cancel the transfer. Yesterday night I made the transfer. Is there any way to get back the money.

        Reply
  6. In Frankfurt, Germany one of the hotel charged EURO 238.5 from my credit card. I never visited Germany and I lived in KSA. How they get my credit card details and deducted amount from my credit card? How its possible I am still confused. I immediately blocked my card and suffered a lot during this phase. After my complain to hotel they returned money but not complete money some exchange rate or tax I don’t know they deducted from my amount. Please help me to get compensate from hotel and what is the procedure?

    Reply
    • Your card details might have been compromised. Contest the charge with your credit card company as a fraud instead of dealing with the hotel. The credit card company should then check for fraud and refund the money if they find it was not done by you.

      Reply
      • After my fintiba block account (sutor bank, Germany) was closed, my brother sent a huge amount of money from Spain to my closed account (unknowingly to him that is has been closed). My brother and I have been calling sutor bank for weeks now, to initiate a reversal transfer of the money back to my brother’s Spanish account where it came from, but they keep saying that they did not receive any money (I understand that a closed account cannot receive funds, but the TELEX TRANSFER COPY from the Spanish account reveals that the money entered sutor bank). I need this money urgently for MEDICAL purpose, and sutor bank is frustrating me.

        Kindly advise me on how to get my money back.

        Reply
  7. I am from Berlin, i transfer money with my post bank to a German account, and now the account i transferred money into as been close, will i be able to recall my money back to my account ?, please i hope an answer from you,

    Reply
  8. Hello,

    I have a question. Leaving in Germany. Bought something over eBay-Kleinanzeigen fur 1250eur.
    Transfered money from my IBAN over mobile Banking app.
    He didn’t send me the item, deactivated his eBay account. Doesn’t want to answer on emails.
    What to do? Please help.

    Reply
  9. Hello please I need an urgent answer I just transfer money from a German bank to a Turkish bank and I found out that the account details was wrong and I want to transfer it to right account now what should I do ?it was transfer like30 minutes ago

    Reply
  10. I sent money via Sparkasse.this money goes to the South Africa bank. I sent it on 16 /11/ 2020, yesterday, 20/11/2020 ,l sent another money. But I have entered the wrong (Swift Code) and the wrong bank account address.so what should I do to fix this problem.

    Reply
  11. Hallo I sent money to my PayPal account 49 euros, and m PayPal says there’s no money received, how do I get back this money back to my giropay, thank you

    Reply
  12. Payoneer Ref. 210629-024854

    After informed to Payoneer Inc. about unauthorized transaction haooen, Payoneer told me I need to verify my identity then they set me with new login info to operating my Payoneer account. Secondly, they said Investigation in underway and I need keep patient.

    They Name Jeanine one of the Case Specialist emai me their records show I did withdraw my local bank GBP and EURO balance after they unauthorized transaction. This is totally lie. I did not made any withdrawal to my local bank after unauthorized transaction has been happen.

    I reply her explanation I did not any single amount from GBP wallet. Then she said she can not give any guarantee for money recovered, reverse or refund. So, this her message clearly visible they wont do anything and will not give me refund as Unauthorized transaction made. They were determined how to cheat, scam with me.

    Today Jeanine email me investigation has been completed and they can not give me refund or none money recovered.

    Did you guess what they do? They scam and broken their rules. Every company has policy to favor about unauthorized transaction but Payoneer Inc. do nothing and they kept my money on their own pocket.

    After every payment made confirmation email reach to sender email. But they did not sent me confirmation email after transaction made. Even they don’t alert by email any other IP logged my account.

    All of above details proved Payoneer Inc. did not fare investigation and they were alert ignore my refund. I need full refund asap.

    Reply
  13. Hi,
    I saw an ad in facebook marketplace and the seller agreed to ship the product. I transferred him the money via online bank transfer. Now the seller isn’t replying to my messages or call. I have theseller’s whatsapp number and bank details. Is it possible to somehow get the money back?

    Reply
  14. Hi I just notice that I have been scammed u purchase something online and I made the transfer if 300 Euro but the seller blocked me and didn’t send the order how can I remover my money back

    Reply
  15. Hi,

    I joined a trial dating website and I cancelled the membership before the end of my trial period. But they still charged me for first month. I argued with them over phone and they didn’t respond properly. So recalled back the direct debit for both thr trial and first month. Now after 8 months, they have sent me a notice that I should pay with fine a huge sum of money to them or they will take legal action. What should I do now
    .

    Reply
  16. After my fintiba block account (sutor bank, Germany) was closed, my brother sent a huge amount of money from Spain to my closed account (unknowingly to him that is has been closed). My brother and I have been calling sutor bank for weeks now, to initiate a reversal transfer of the money back to my brother’s Spanish account where it came from, but they keep saying that they did not receive any money (I understand that a closed account cannot receive funds, but the TELEX TRANSFER COPY from the Spanish account reveals that the money entered sutor bank). I need this money urgently for MEDICAL purpose, and sutor bank is frustrating me.

    Kindly advise me on how to get my money back.

    Reply
  17. Hello. A year ago, I opened an account with a Commercial Bank in Limburg, Germany, and did not use Internet banking to control my account.
    Today I launched Internet banking and discovered that unknown companies have been regularly withdrawing amounts of 100, 35, 10, etc. euros from my account during a year.
    Commerzbank promised to return the money only for the last 5 days.
    Can I claim the return of all illegally withdrawn amounts for 13 months? Thank you.

    Reply
  18. Hi, would like to know if it is possible to withdraw the money I sent and was already deducted from my account because the remittance company of the money said that they didn’t receive the money.

    Reply

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