A food bank has seen a huge increase in referrals and its shelves emptied after a “technical error” at an Aldi branch.
Payments made via Visa and Mastercard to Aldi’s new Rhyl store at Marina Quay were not debited from bank accounts during its first five-and-a-half weeks of trading.
Instead, the money was taken in a single hit nearly two months later, leaving many people in the red with bills of up to £450, The Kings Storehouse in Rhyl said, North Wales Live reports .
Sarah Jones, a volunteer for The Kings Storehouse, said the food bank felt the effect of the payment glitch as the number of emergency referrals rocketed.
(Image: Kings Storehouse)
“We have already run out of milk and bread and the rest of our supplies are going down rapidly,” she said.
“We are having to feed an extra two families a day, so a minimum of four people each time.
“These are families who need help getting back on their feet after Aldi took the money from bank accounts last week.
“It’s left many distressed and overdrawn with many facing bank charges.
“At the very least, Aldi should help us with food.”
Jones went to visit the store on Wellington Road to explain the situation.
But Aldi said they already support two of the four food banks in the town – Hope Giver Foodbank and Brighter Future – through a partnership with Neighbourly, a national food redistribution network.
The King’s Storehouse has since been urged to sign up to the scheme which they have now agreed to do.
(Image: Daily Post Wales)
An Aldi spokesman said: “Due to a technical error, Mastercard and VISA payments made at our Rhyl store between August 15 and September 22 were not processed.
“Customers who made a payment on card during this period will see the transaction appear on their bank statement from October 3.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and want to assure customers that card payments are now being processed at this store as normal.”
Aldi urged anyone left overdrawn or facing bank charges to contact them directly.
