LACK OF REPAYMENT: Accidental payment done to Flick Pest Control Environmental Services - Wendywood Branch

I made a first time booking with Flick Pest Control Environmental Services at their Wendywood branch for this week, Wednesday 4th March. I made a mistake and accidentally paid their quotation TWICE on Friday 31 March 2023 at 12.30.

I immediately contacted their Sales Person and forwarded the proof for both payments. I included my bank account details with clear instruction to please refund the money of the second faulty payment that I made into their bank account - as funds were needed for my month-end debit orders.

The email was forwarded to the relevant account department. Gloria (at accounts) promised me that she is just awaiting for the bank statement to show that the payments cleared, before she will forward it to her financial manager for a refund.

I followed up with them again on Monday (4 April), as I know that the funds had cleared in their bank account. I left several messages at their switchboard for Gloria and for their salesperson (Paul) to call me back, neither of them returned my calls.

I was copied in an email by their financial manager, Genevieve Engelbrecht, to Gloria on Tuesday, 4 March at 9.27 am, that read as follow:

Hi Gloria,

Our Director is in the UK and will be doing the next payment run on the 15th.

Apologies for the delay.

I've send them another email that payments can be authorise on your app and online banking, even when out of the country. I am in need of my funds, had no reply from the Financial Manager Genevieve, nor Gloria since then.

I eventually got a hold of Paul on the telephone later during the day (Tuesday, 4 April), he told me he informed them of the situation and forwarded the email to Gloria. I also explained to Paul that electronic payments are not limited to whether you are in South Africa or the UK.

It is unacceptable that I must wait until 15 April for their payment run to receive my money. I am not one of their debtors delivering a service to them.

Why must the director authorise payments when they have an accounts department with a debtors clerk and a finance manager?!

It is my money and this behaviour is in violation of the Consumers Act.