A couple days ago I checked my statement at my bank and noticed that I'd been charged twice for something -- the reason I noticed being that the charge was from the unusually named (but really good) Busaba Eathai. So I dropped my bank an email via their secure messaging system, part of their online banking.

Today the second charge has been refunded, as well as another duplicate charge that I'd failed to spot -- with no reply from the bank, either in notification or apology. Some questions:

1. Does this happen a lot? Has this ever happened to you?
2. How can this happen at all? I assumed, when I thought it was a single charge, that the restaurant had accidentally pressed the button on the credit card machine twice. But the second charge is from a completely unrelated store, and on the same day, so some kind of error happened at the bank itself.

Anyway, well done to HSBC for promptly returning the extra £80 they'd taken, not so well done for the lack of an apology. Check your statements, kids. Also: stay in school, don't do drugs, batteries not included.