Late payment scam again

Squire_Fulwood

This morning I got another of those letters from Alliance and Leicester saying that from a certain date my credit card payment due date will change. I remember the last one where they gave me two months warning and then charged me a £15 late payment fee when I had forgotten all about the letter and, indeed, made a late payment.

They give no reason for the proposed change in the payment due date and the impression I got the last time they did this was that they just like catching people out and getting a £15 late payment fee.

This time I am advised to pay attention during September when this change comes into effect. I will pin the letter to the wall this time in the hope I don’t forget. They also say I must allow five days for the money to reach them. I know this is true since that is how long it took when I paid them last time from my debit card. Would any other firm I gave my debit card to wait five days for payment?

I am writing this note on here, not for the Mary Poppins (practically perfect in every way) school who, of course, check their due by dates and never make mistakes. No, this is for the rest of us in the hope that some of us might avoid charges because we have filed the letter telling us about it.

CLAPTON

why not set up a DD for the minimum or total payment so you don't need to to ever pay a late payment fee.... its not mary poppins

Squire_Fulwood

I do something similar since the last time this happened. I pay an amount of my choosing straight away and any spare money is paid later in the month. I put this post up for the people who are in the state I was in the first time with no contingency plan. I just wanted to warn them to keep more alert than they may normally be.

Geenie

The beauty of online banking means that you can set up payments all by yourself and control what goes out every month. As soon as I get my BC statement, I set the payment up in my Nationwide account to go out on the due date that has been stated by BC. I don't want to pay them before I need to, but on the other hand this gives me the security of knowing it will still be paid if I am away or forget nearer the time.

Squire_Fulwood

Geenie, your method has credit (sorry about the pun). If I knew exactly how much I was going to pay off at the due date early in the month I might do the same.

September is going to be exciting. When I find out when I am supposed to pay and subtract five days I will have some idea how much will be available to pay off.

I have sympathy for all of the people who gear this to a pay day. There is the prospect of having to pay two amounts in one pay period. The last time this happened the due by date jumped forward a week. I don't expect it to go back at all this time.

YorkshireBoy

Squire_Fulwood wrote: »

They give no reason for the proposed change in the payment due date and the impression I got the last time they did this was that they just like catching people out and getting a £15 late payment fee.

The reason has to be the 'credit crunch' and bottom line profitability doesn't it?

MBNA are simply reducing the number of days interest free...witness the reduction to 50 days (from 56 days) on the Virgin Money card for new applicants for example.

And the minimum payment on an MBNA card is often 'interest + £5' (min £25) so, as CLAPTON says, a minimum payment DD is the way to go if you're 'forgetful'.

Finally, I'm surprised you say it takes 5 days because when you pay an MBNA card by debit card from your secure area online it's 2 days max.

BritBrat

I have had this notice a few times, I just phone up and change the date back.

It is the payment date that catches you not the days free before a payment is due.

Squire_Fulwood

Yorkshire boy. The credit crunch had not arrived the last time they did this.

The minimum amount DD has already been suggested. I am not forgetful, it's just that someone keeps moving the goalposts.

Five days was the result of the test I did just last month. Then the statement was updated retrosectively but it still took from 27 June to 3 July. Anyone who says six days is including 3 July which don't count.

YorkshireBoy

Squire_Fulwood wrote: »

Yorkshire boy. The credit crunch had not arrived the last time they did this.

What did they do "last time"?...bring the payment due date forward (ie reduce the number of interest free days), or change your statement date (ie bring it forward)?

Squire_Fulwood

They brought the payment due date forward. I got charged £15. I can't find the records now since this was more than a year ago.

Gorgeous_George

I agree that this is more likely a scam to con people out of £15. Possibly A&L fighting back against all those claiming the return of bank fees.

I also agree that a Direct Debit (for the minimum payment) is the way to go. Don't let them win - set up a DD today.

GG