I'm not an expert on banking, but I know enough to say with conviction that what Dexters have told you is mendacious nonsense. Same day payments under the Clearing House Automated Payments System (CHAPS) can indeed cost as much as £30, but Chaps is used mainly for very high value payments (e.g. completion monies on property transactions). There would be no need to use CHAPS for return of a deposit, since the Faster Payments System permits same-day payments of up to £1 million, via online banking or mobile app, for almost anyone with a bank account. Some banks have their own lower limits, but most businesses can make same day payments online of up to £50,000, at a cost ranging from a few pence up to £2.50. Dexter's £30 charge is outrageous.
Were you renting under an assured shorthold tenancy? If so, then your landlord was obliged to put the deposit in a government=approved tenancy deposit scheme, and at the end of the tenancy the landlord must return your deposit within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you’ll get back. |