and what else I can do with your bank account besides send you money?
> "But Clarkson admitted he was "wrong" after he discovered a reader had used the details to create a £500 direct debit to the charity Diabetes UK."
Not even having a provably validly signed mandate protects merchants against a refund (merchants recourse is small claims court), so while it's a nuisance, and while some people do get de-frauded by not paying attention to their statements, the article overstates things: If he "lost" money it'll be because he chose not to demand a refund.