Ontario man accidentally overpays credit card bill by $16,000 due to typo

TORONTO -

An Ontario man who overpaid his credit card bill by $16,000 because of a typo said he was shocked to learn it would be weeks before he got his money back.

"I can honestly say I'm not blaming anyone but myself," Peterborough man James Murray told CTV News Toronto.

The 78-year-old was paying his Capital One credit card bill in early August and owed about $1,800 for his car and home insurance.

Murray paid the bill through a bank machine and accidentally paid a lot more than he should have.

"I meant to give them $1,800 and I inadvertently pressed an extra zero and I gave them $18,000. I didn't know this until the next day when I was looking at my receipts," Murray said.

When the senior realized his mistake he contacted Capital One right away and he was shocked when he was told he would not get his money back for 30 to 60 days. 

His next credit card statement showed he had a minus balance with a credit of $16,055, but Murray said he needed the money back sooner to pay other bills that were also due. 

"They must realize they have money that belongs to me," said Murray. "This has been pretty tough on me. A lot of anxiety and sleepless nights wondering when I'm going to get my money back."

When CTV News Toronto contacted Capital One Canada a spokesperson said, "We apologize for any inconvenience and sincerely regret that Mr. Murray was dissatisfied with his experience. We have addressed Mr. Murray’s request and appreciate his business.”

"While we have established policies pertaining to credit card overpayment, we recognize the frustrations specific to this situation and are evaluating opportunities to communicate our policies with greater clarity to ensure our customers understand their options," Capital One added.

Murray was sent a cheque for the $16,055 that he overpaid Capital One and was relieved to get the money back.

"I just received the cheque from Capital One,” Murray told CTV News Toronto. "It's such a relief because that’s a large amount of money."

Paying utility bills and credit card statements has never been easier using online banking or bank machines. 

But when you're paying those bills be careful you don't make a mistake, because if you do overpay you could have to wait months for a refund.

It's a good reminder to be careful when paying bills online or at a bank machine.

If you catch the mistake right away, it can usually be corrected the same day. After that it becomes more difficult to get your money back.