Late Payment Fee - Advice Please

sassybird

I have a 'Brantano' Card which I normally use for shoe purchases (my son has size 14 feet and I can order them in through Brantano). I never make the 'minimum payment' and normally pay for any purchases over two months after the purchase.

I have had this card for 4 years or so and never made a late payment.

In October my mum died after an 8 month battle with a brain tumour. I absolutely forgot the payment due in October as everything was in such turmoil. I received a late payment fee advice letter around 10th November.

They have put a fee of £20 onto the account (my account balance prior to this was £32.78). I rang straight away and made the payment of £32.78 which I would have made in October. I queried the late fee and asked for it to be refunded. They could not refund it at that point but advised me to write to a Mr A Barker who they said was the Director at Creation Financial Services (the card provider). I did this by letter on 13 November.

I have now received my latest statement and the balance is £20.59 (59 pence interest accrued during the past month + the late fee). :eek:

I rang customer services and they said that the notes on screen say the letter was received, but a refund has been declined. The lady did not know who Mr A Barker was??! God knows who I was writing to.

She has advised me to e-mail their customer services complaints department, which I have done during my lunch hour. I am politely requesting the £20.59 be refunded to my account (if not I will pay it unhappily and then cancel the blasted card anyway). :mad:

My question is - I thought that late payment fees were limited to £12? Also, is it not a bit stiff to put a late payment fee of £20 on an account whose balance was just £32?

The world is going bonkers :rolleyes:

Any advice on this one would be gratefully received before I write it off as a bad experience.

Thanks.

rachyrach2k

my bank charged me £28 for going £2 overdrawn so I know how you feel