'reverse' direct debit instruction

Hi all, wonder if anyone can shed any light on this please. I have a bank account and a fairly new account with Selftrade, an execution broker. I signed up online and did not fill in any forms. I had to verify my bank account to them by post. Shortly after I spotted a direct debit set up in my bank account for Selftrade.

I called them and asked why. The lady said it was so I could pay into my account by direct debit. I explained that I would not be doing this, and would continue using a debit card. She then said that it was needed under money laundering regulations, to establish an "audit trail" and to confirm that money was moving to and from this nominated bank account only.

I said I wanted to cancel the mandate as I did not permit 'stale' mandates to hang around on accounts, and always clean them up. Since there is no need for Selftrade to take money out of my bank account, there is no need for a direct debit instruction to be present on the account as far as I can see. She replied that if I cancelled the instruction I would also need to close my Selftrade account. She referred me to the signup form.

Sure enough the signup for a dealing account states the following:

"You *must* set up a Direct Debit instruction from a UK bank to open a Selftrade account. Please check that your bank offers a Direct Debit facility for the account that you wish to nominate. You do *not* have to fund your account by Direct Debit.

This Direct Debit instruction gives you the flexibility to make payments any time __to and from__ (my emphasis) your Selftrade account."

(from

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I didn't use the form to sign up and was not aware that a Direct Debit was mandatory, however one has been set up anyway, which is fair enough. It could be argued that now the account has been opened (the form's words) it has served its purpose and can be cancelled.

However I fail to see how a DD facilitates payment *to* my bank account, or how it establishes an audit trail, or what kind of money laundering could take place or be prevented by it.

I called the bank and they said that they'd "heard of it" before but "hardly anyone does it like that" these days. They also reassured me that in the event I dispute any money taken by Selftrade using that DD instruction, I would be protected under the DD guarantee and have the money refunded. Selftrade should never take any money in this manner as I choose not to fund my account in that manner. The lady I initially spoke with agreed in that case, but still insisted the DD instruction must stay.

Does anyone here know more about this supposed system for using a DD instruction when money is being paid into a bank account? Obviously if there is a purpose served then I will leave it alone, but I've never heard of such a thing until now.

Reply to
Chris Lawrence
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In my case they've been using the DD authority to take quarterly ISA management fees - if you have an ISA, and you keep no cash in your dealing account, then I think it's a better option than letting them take the fees within the ISA itself, or having to make the effort to fund the dealing account with tiny amounts of cash every quarter.

Reply to
A Dodger

With another broker my wife had the opposite experience. Having been required tp give them a direct debit mandate she assumed that it wouild be used to get payment for purchases. But she learnt expensively that she was still expected to send a vheque on receipt of the contract note!

Reply to
Peter Lawrence

It doesn't - anybody with your sort code and account number can make credits to your account. There's no need for a direct debit mandate to be set up if money isn't going to be debited from your account.

Reply to
davidmcn

[snip]

This seems very odd to me, TPIM. No third party has the power to instruct your bank to do anything without your say-so.

Both bank and brokerage appear to me to be in breach of regulations. Any money taken from your account would have to be refunded.

- -- FERGUS O'ROURKE

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(Not just law stuff)

Reply to
Fergus O'Rourke

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