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Streetcar T&C change - caught out!
Hi,
I joined Streetcar early this year, hiring a car and then paying at the end of the month when the monthly statement is issued - online. I then didn't use it for about four months, when my husband joined. The £12.50 for him joining was debited straight away from my bank account and although I thought it strange that they could do this without my specific permission (not just on my husband's - we use different names) I thought it was a one-off membership issue. Then we took out a car for 24 hours which amounted to just under £100 and knowing that the account wasn't due for a week or so didn't transfer the money as my salary would be in by them.
Unbenowst to me Streetcar had changed the T&C and it was now a Pay-As-You-Use. The money was therefore taken directly from my bank account on the next banking day; the charges from my bank were more than the cost of hiring the car:mad: That took my budget into a whirlpool and I'm just in a spiralling situation with bank charges and am now reorganising/deferring all my direct debits to get back control of the situation.
It seems that Streetcar sent out e-mails (in the newsletter and in a separate e-mail) which I didn't receive for some reason - I've got 6 months of e-newsletters missing, but I didn't notice as I don't tend to read newsletters (except Martin's of course).
There's nothing on the website warning of this change to the T&C either.
So:
Can the T&C change without me having confirmed my acceptance of this? After all the new conditions might not be acceptable.
Or does caveat emptor apply?
Don't they have to make some effort, beyond e-mails, which might not be read for some reason (eg long holiday). Surely this is a major change and should be one of the few things they use paper post for? After all they handed out enough leaflets around London during the recent on-street promotions.
Any advice welcomed. Thank you very much. :wave: :wave:
I joined Streetcar early this year, hiring a car and then paying at the end of the month when the monthly statement is issued - online. I then didn't use it for about four months, when my husband joined. The £12.50 for him joining was debited straight away from my bank account and although I thought it strange that they could do this without my specific permission (not just on my husband's - we use different names) I thought it was a one-off membership issue. Then we took out a car for 24 hours which amounted to just under £100 and knowing that the account wasn't due for a week or so didn't transfer the money as my salary would be in by them.
Unbenowst to me Streetcar had changed the T&C and it was now a Pay-As-You-Use. The money was therefore taken directly from my bank account on the next banking day; the charges from my bank were more than the cost of hiring the car:mad: That took my budget into a whirlpool and I'm just in a spiralling situation with bank charges and am now reorganising/deferring all my direct debits to get back control of the situation.
It seems that Streetcar sent out e-mails (in the newsletter and in a separate e-mail) which I didn't receive for some reason - I've got 6 months of e-newsletters missing, but I didn't notice as I don't tend to read newsletters (except Martin's of course).
There's nothing on the website warning of this change to the T&C either.
So:
Can the T&C change without me having confirmed my acceptance of this? After all the new conditions might not be acceptable.
Or does caveat emptor apply?
Don't they have to make some effort, beyond e-mails, which might not be read for some reason (eg long holiday). Surely this is a major change and should be one of the few things they use paper post for? After all they handed out enough leaflets around London during the recent on-street promotions.
Any advice welcomed. Thank you very much. :wave: :wave:
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Comments
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You'll find in their terms a clause allowing them to do this. I take it you never read the T&C when signing up?
Whether they can open up a DD in just your husbands name on a joint account depends entirely on the bank.
Also, you may want to have a rethink with how you run your finances if you keep an account so low that a single unexpected £100 bill gets you into bank charge territory when you've money sat in another account.0 -
Hi Conor, thanks for that. I did read the T&C but that was nine months ago and I just don't remember everything I've read, there's a hell of a lot going in my life. I don't intentionally keep the accounts so low, but all the money goes on household bills, on direct debits, so I lose track sometimes despite planning. The money is in my husband's high interest account and not mine so I transfer only when I know I will run short. It's a complicated family situation which I'm resolving by putting all the direct debits on his account and he can try managing it all for a change. I try hard to stay in control, but unexpected charges like this then throw a large spanner in the works, especially as the Halifax doesn't take them straight away but seems to wait until it's just before pay day so I get more charges. Ah well. just have to take more care.0
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Contact the bank and as them if there's "anything they can do" about the charges. It's worked for me in the past. Halved one time and refunded another time.Happy chappy0
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