Customers warned as Wakefield Asda payment blunder charges shoppers TRIPLE for their grocery bills – by store hundreds of miles away in Essex

Shoppers affected visited the store on Asdale Road in early March and wanted to warn others to check their bank statements.

Many said they had done a usual shop, paid and then were charged twice more on March 24 with the origin of some payments listed as Asda Lancaster – 100 miles away – or Asda Shoeburyness – 220 miles away in Southend-on-Sea on some bank statements.

In a letter shared with the Express, Asda told one customer who complained that it would rectify the problem and any money taken in error would be returned within 10 days.

But shoppers were angry about the distress caused and said the cost of living crisis meant many people could not afford to be out of pocket for that long.

Customer Ruth Barnett said: “I'm wondering how many people don't know that that they were charged again. You might not notice smaller charges coming out.

“It was only because I went through my statement or else I wouldn't have known.

“People are struggling as well and don’t have money to spare even if it is paid back. A lot can happen in ‘five to 10 days’ if you're struggling.

“It might have been money aside for petrol or food. If it happened to some parents they would be panicking. Some people have to live day-to-day.”

Kelly Bainbridge, another Asda customer, said: “When I went into the store on Sunday there were queues of people who were affected.

“I reported the extra charges to Action Fraud and tried to claim it back from my bank but they say it isn’t fraudulent as I authorised the payment.

“When I went into the store I was told the issue was with the payment processing company and it may take up to 90 days to refund my money.

"While I’m able to manage without the money for now there were people crying because they had no more money for food and bills.

“It started when went into the Wakefield store on March 5 and made two transactions one for £104.07 and one for £27.98.

"Then on March 24 both of those payments were taken again by Asda Shoeburyness and Asda Lancaster.

“I feel whoever is responsible needs to sort it out.”

Another customer, who asked not to be named, said: “I think customers at least deserve an explanation as to how this has happened nearly three weeks after original transactions, but Asda seem to be trying to downplay it.”

Customer Jane Rigg said: “There really is a lot of anger about this matter. These dark financial days are difficult already for some, without being charged treble for a weekly shop.”

A spokesman for Asda said: “It doesn't look like any payments have been taken from customers and the pending charge that some customers have said had appeared has also come off their accounts.”