Cheated - What can I do?

SeanOg_3

Hi

I've made a purchase online with my credit card in Euros. Waited a few days for the transaction to complete, and tried to pay it off in full.

When I rang the Credit Card payment line, the person I spoke to told me the amount due to clear the balance was £x. I requested to clear this balance in full and was told that this had happened.

Alas, I did not trust the Credit Card company and returned to check my balance a few days later to find some balance still outstanding.

I was adamant at the time to the representative that I wanted the entire balance cleared, and they assured me that this was the case.

I am extremly angry at what has happened, and feel that I have been lied to.

I want to take this to the hightest level, and also wonder whether there would be record of the phone call to prove my point? And if so, am I entitled to hear it or use it as evidence.

I made the call in the bank branch, and know the exact date and time it took place.


All help much appreciated

YorkshireBoy

Your post lacks detail, but two possible reasons for the balance not being cleared with your payment are...

1. You already had an interest bearing balance on the card.

2. The Euro transaction has come through not as a purchase but as a cash transaction, and as such it is interest bearing.

In both cases, the statement was produced between the Euro transaction and your second balance check?

_Andy_

SeanOg wrote: »

Hi

I've made a purchase online with my credit card in Euros. Waited a few days for the transaction to complete, and tried to pay it off in full.

When I rang the Credit Card payment line, the person I spoke to told me the amount due to clear the balance was £x. I requested to clear this balance in full and was told that this had happened.

Alas, I did not trust the Credit Card company and returned to check my balance a few days later to find some balance still outstanding.

I was adamant at the time to the representative that I wanted the entire balance cleared, and they assured me that this was the case.

I am extremly angry at what has happened, and feel that I have been lied to.
I want to take this to the hightest level, and also wonder whether there would be record of the phone call to prove my point? And if so, am I entitled to hear it or use it as evidence.
I made the call in the bank branch, and know the exact date and time it took place.
All help much appreciated

You haven't been lied to - as YB says, this was probably just residual interest. Nothing to feel 'extremely angry' about at all.

SeanOg_3

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Your post lacks detail, but two possible reasons for the balance not being cleared with your payment are...

1. You already had an interest bearing balance on the card.

2. The Euro transaction has come through not as a purchase but as a cash transaction, and as such it is interest bearing.

In both cases, the statement was produced between the Euro transaction and your second balance check?

the purchase was made online with ticketmaster. although there was a difference between the sterling amount and euro amount, i asked implicitly to pay the full amount, and only after 3/4 days when i was sure everything had processed.

this was the 1st and so far only transaction on the card, so regardless of anything else, there should be no interest after clearing a balance in full.

YorkshireBoy

SeanOg wrote: »

only after 3/4 days when i was sure everything had processed.

I don't do a lot of overseas spending, but when I used my Nationwide debit card abroad earlier this year I noticed that a 'provisional' amount was charged to my account.

Once settlement took place a few days (week or so?) later the amount had changed. Maybe you asked for your figure before settlement had taken place?

Why the rush though? Why didn't you wait for the statement to be produced?

some balance still outstanding

How much are we talking here? Can't be a lot surely?

NickX

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

I don't do a lot of overseas spending, but when I used my Nationwide debit card abroad earlier this year I noticed that a 'provisional' amount was charged to my account.

Once settlement took place a few days (week or so?) later the amount had changed. Maybe you asked for your figure before settlement had taken place?

This is quite correct, I have noticed when abroad that the actual amount charged can vary from the initial amount that goes into "Pending" before the transaction is settled.

Generally you are talking very small amounts and I would have thought that even with the recent nosedives in Sterling against the Euro it cannot be that much.

But as above you do not need to settle the balance until it is finalised and on the statement.

SeanOg_3

thanks for your help.

yes, the remaining balance was minimal <£20. but when does clearing a balance not become clearing a balance? i understand now to some extent anyway.

it's just dissappointing becasue had i not checked the balance, and taken for granted the balance was cleared, then i would have recieved a fine/charge for not paying the minimum balance the next month.

YorkshireBoy

SeanOg wrote: »

it's just dissappointing becasue had i not checked the balance, and taken for granted the balance was cleared, then i would have recieved a fine/charge for not paying the minimum balance the next month.

You circumvented the 'system' by paying early.

It's not a problem if you wait until the statement is produced...which I assume you'll do from now on?

johnllew

I can't see the problem - make another payment to clear the outstanding balance rather than raising a fuss.

CLAPTON

SeanOg wrote: »

thanks for your help.

yes, the remaining balance was minimal <£20. but when does clearing a balance not become clearing a balance? i understand now to some extent anyway.

it's just dissappointing becasue had i not checked the balance, and taken for granted the balance was cleared, then i would have recieved a fine/charge for not paying the minimum balance the next month.

surely you would have received a bill the next month and if you paid it (or at least the minimum ) you wouldn't been charged a fine.

SeanOg_3

johnllew wrote: »

I can't see the problem - make another payment to clear the outstanding balance rather than raising a fuss.

the problem is that the balance wasn't cleared when i was assured it had been. i'm not trying to make a fuss for the sake of it. even more-so outlined by coming on here and asking for advice before i do anything else about it, and i have payed the outstanding balance in the meantime anyway.

erm, the problem is outlined throughout my posts. thanks to everybody for help