Couple fights for money back after bill-pay error results in $8K transfer

By Kirsten Johnson

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — “I felt my heart was just being torn apart,” recalled Jay Matteson, remembering what should have been a typical transaction that launched him and his wife into a state of financial distress.

Jay says they always pay their DirecTV bill through Mountain America Credit Union. They’ve rarely had issues, but in June when the Mattesons used the MACU Bill Pay option to pay their DirecTV bill of $83.74, they were in for a major shock.

The amount of $8,374 was transferred out of their account to pay the bill instead of $83.74.

Jay says they reached out to the credit union right away to figure out what happened.

“Call DirecTV and if they don’t give you the money back, there’s nothing you can do. It’s all over with, you lost it,” Jay said recalling a conversation with MACU customer service.

Jay contacted DirecTV. At first, Jay says a representative told him they’d receive their money back by mail. He waited, but it didn’t come. Then, Jay says he was told they’d receive an electronic refund, but the waiting continued.

Out of more than $8,000 because of the overpay, Jay and his wife worried about their financial future.

“We didn’t have the money to pay our mortgage, and the other bills that were forthcoming,” Jay said.

The Let Joe Know team reached out to both Mountain America Credit Union and DirecTV. Jay says he then received a call from DirecTV and the money was in his account days later.

A DirecTV Spokesperson emailed with this statement: “This matter has been resolved to the impacted customer’s satisfaction.”

Neither Jay nor the credit union say they’re responsible for the overpayment. Mountain America Credit Union issued a statement about the incident below:

“Thank you for reaching out about Mr. Matteson’s concerns. Our highest priority is providing exceptional service and ensuring the utmost satisfaction of our members. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Matteson for the inconvenience he experienced due to his Bill Pay overpayment.

Mountain America Credit Union offers Bill Pay as a free service, enabling members to pay bills automatically through our app. Members initiate all Bill Pay payments and have total control over who gets paid, how much they get paid, and when. Before any money is issued, the member confirms the payment and vendor amount. While the average Bill Pay payment is around $500, our members pay many different bills. It is not unusual to see them pay a small amount one month and a very large amount the next to the same payee.

To facilitate these payments, we partner with a vendor that adds a layer of security to ensure payments are processed quickly and sent to the correct vendors. When a refund is required, the extra layer of protection can also delay the return of funds.

At Mountain America Credit Union, we take our members’ concerns seriously. Upon learning of the payment issue, our team spoke with Mr. Matteson to help him resolve his situation through multiple conversations with Mr. Matteson and DirectTV. On July 13th, DirecTV refunded the overpaid amount and Mr. Matteson received this credit on July 14th.

We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns and clarify the situation. Mountain America Credit Union remains committed to helping our members define and achieve their financial dreams. Through this feedback, we will undoubtedly learn an even better way to serve our members. We encourage all members and individuals who use Bill Pay to call or visit any of our branches if they have questions or need assistance.”

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