Not upheld: payment routing error / transfer to incorrect account complaint against West Bromwich Building Society (WBBS)

Decision detail

Summary

Miss C complained that WBBS transferred money to her bank account B instead of her building society account C in July 2025. Miss C claimed she had requested the transfer to account C multiple times, while the WBBS agent stated Miss C could not provide account details and agreed to use the account WBBS had on file. The ombudsman found the evidence contradictory and could not independently verify what was discussed. Given WBBS's records showed no previous transfers to account C but did show a December 2024 mandate directing payments to account B, the ombudsman concluded a misunderstanding had occurred and that WBBS had not made an error. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found the evidence incomplete and contradictory. Without independent verification of what was said during the branch visit, the ombudsman could not definitively establish that Miss C requested a transfer to account C. The ombudsman found it more likely that a misunderstanding occurred, particularly given that WBBS had no documentary evidence of previous transfers to account C, but did have a signed mandate directing payments to account B. The ombudsman concluded WBBS acted reasonably in transferring to the account on file when the customer could not provide alternative account details.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website