POL00040888
POL00040888
Privileged and Confidential Second Sight Support Services Limited
HORIZON — SPOT REVIEW
Reference Number: SROOL Issue Debit Cards — Cash Date: 04/10/2012 at
Type: Withdrawals and GIRO 10:32 hrs
payments
SPMR Name: John ARMSTRONG I PO Lepton FAD: 1913204
Branch:
Loss to SPMR? yes K] no [J] Current Awaiting response from Category: I 1[-]2(]
Status: POL
3C4)
What the SPMR says happened
The SPMR reports that there were intermittent internet connectivity problems (also reported to Chesterfield)
on 4 October 2012. Online payments and withdrawal transactions were sometimes successful but also failed
on occasions. It is possible that Horizon was partially operating through its back-up (mobile phone)
connection. Some card payments had to be attempted two or three times before being accepted. At
approximately 10:32 a customer tried to pay his £76.09 BT phone bill with his LTSB card but was not
successful. The customer then withdrew £80.00 cash and used this to pay the phone bill. The SPMR stamped
the customer’s phone bill to evidence receipt of the cash, returning change of £3.91. Several weeks later, the
customer returned from holiday to find his phone had been cut off due to non-payment. The SPMR’s
examination of the Transaction Log showed that all components of the transaction had been reversed. The
‘SPMR did not initiate those reversals nor did he receive any reversal notifications. The SPMR raised this as an
issue with Chesterfield but was told that due to cost issues Horizon transaction data could not be requested. It
was implied that the SPMR had stolen the money and he was told to make good the shortage. This meant that
2 people had paid the phone bill (the customer, who handed cash to the SPMR and the SPMR on instructions
from Chesterfield). The SPMR was informed that he should have a surplus of £76.09 due to the reversal of the
transactions. The SPMR disputes this conclusion, but the more important issue here is the automated,
unreported, reversal of the transactions.
Investigative work done
Dialogue with the SPMR and with POL seniors in order to clarify the facts
Review of letter from P&BA dated 14 December 2012
Review of Fujitsu XML-level data for October 4" 2012
POL Response
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
.
The Horizon automated recovery process designed to deal with power and internet failures reversed a series
of transactions without notifying the SPMR or reporting the actions performed on screen or elsewhere. The
system also failed to notify the SPMR of the appropriate corrective actions.
The decision by P&BA not to examine the Horizon detailed transaction data on cost grounds delayed or denied
the SPMR the opportunity to process the transactions correctly or understand what happened.
Form HSR 1.0