Missing Statements - What to do?

PunjabDaPunk

Hi,
This is my first post so please forgive if I'm not following etiquette - still learning.

Need to give some background before I ask my question:

I've been moving from 0% deal to 0% deal for sometime now. Around a year ago I picked up a 0% deal from MBNA for six months. As that deal ended I moved to another 6 month deal with MBNA. Now, this is when the trouble started.

For some apparent reason I stopped receiving my statements regurlarly. The first statement I didn't receive I put down to post issues. Then when I called up and asked for copies I never received those either.

I do rely on my statements to pay so I ended up being charged late fee and interest charges. I called MBNA up and explained the situation and they kindly removed all charges and reinstated my 0% deal.

I eventually took out the 12 month 0% deal in July 04. Again, I've been plagued with statements not turning up. I 've missed one of my payments. I've been in discussion with MBNA explaining what has happened. The have put me back on the 0% deal for 12 months but will not remove the charges.

Now for my question:

Am I right in saying that I need only pay (not refuse to pay) my minimum payment if I receive a statement?

I feel that if I haven't received a statement how do I now what to pay and when to pay.

Any advice will be appreciated. (Oh aye! Sorry about the long story).

Robert_Sterling_3

You could check up by phone if you were expecting a statement and did not get one.
Better still arrange to pay the minimum by Direct Debit as that would be kind of fool proof.

Gotabiscuit

Statements tend to be run on the same day of every month (give or take a day) so make a note of when your statement date is (eg 20th of the month) and call MBNA if it doesn't arrive after about 10 days.

You can always sign up for their online account access - though this doesn't solve the issue of where your statements are disappearing to.

Am I right in saying that I need only pay (not refuse to pay) my minimum payment if I receive a statement?

Yes but it's not adviseable once you are outside of a 0% deal.

Walletwatch

The direct debit option seems to be ideal for you. I don't think you can / should quote non-receipt of statements as a reason for irregular payments consistently. Banks do allow this once in a while, and I have had my late charges reversed on one occasion quoting this reason, but they may have a log of these cases (which I got to know the next time I called up the customer service guys abt my next statement, and they said that they had already reversed charges once earlier, so they couldn't do it yet again, unless I agreed on a direct debit)

Westcountrymaid

Strangely enough this has just happened to me with MBNA, first time I've ever missed a payment and did not received statement. My own stupid fault for not checking payment date I know and with hindsight I should have taken out direct debit for min amount. With Xmas and everything else going on I just didn't check the date.

Anyway MBNA have taken away my 0% which I had until next July and charged me. When I rang them I explained the situation and they could see this was first time ever happened but all they would do was put me on a lower rate (6.9) until July and backdate it so that I wouldn't pay as much interest. They said I must have known when the payment was due and should have checked.......obviously them not sending statement was my fault and nothing to do with them!

I've managed to find another 0% card for 12 months and will transfer the balance but I've certainly learned my lesson. Makes you wonder though how many missing statements there are, MBNA are making a lot of money out of us. >:(

Martinslovechild

1. Sign up for MBNA internet access. Statements for the current period and the previous 6 months are available online.

2. Most of the time during the 0% period, the statement date is the last day of each month. However, I would suggest that you follow the advice of other posters here who say that you should set up a direct debit.

johnllew

I feel that if I haven't received a statement how do I now what to pay and when to pay.

If you're on a 0% deal with MBNA, you usually pay £5 a month, don't you? Not receiving a statement is no excuse for missing a payment; you should keep track of these things and chase up statements when they don't arrive. I'm surprised MBNA have been so generous in reinstating the 0% promo.

You really need to find out what's happening to your statements, get internet access and a direct debit set up.

PunjabDaPunk

Thanks for all the advice.

Thing is that I just want to know if I am legally bound to make payments without even receiving a statment?

Note: the terms and conditions do not state my postion clearly.

I have many other cards which to this day have never failed to send a statment but MBNA have now failed 5 times with three different cards. I feel that this is now more than a coincidence.

Are there any legally minded people out there who can help.

Thanks again.

johnllew

This may be relevant in MBNA's T&Cs:

13a Unless you have told us that your card has been lost, stolen or possibly misused, you will have to pay us the amount of all the transactions on your account, interest and other charges, even if:

- your balance goes over your credit limit;
- your card, card number, cheque or PIN is used in a way that is not allowed; or
- there is a delay in our producing, sending or delivering your statement.

Walletwatch

Punjabdapunk

Sorry, looks like llew has just hit the final nail into the coffin.... I think it is kind of presumptuous to be a stoozer and expect to be reminded of a minimum payment due(after all, stoozing also should have its own ethics, but then I guess that's a candidate for a different chat topic altogether)

So I think Direct Debit is the way for you, else it's balle balle all the way

PunjabDaPunk

Thanks WalletWatch. I have set up a monthly DD and will no longer rely on my statements. This is the only card that has failed to send me statments. I have contacted the Post Office and they have investigated and found no issues. I just can't believe that statements can go missing so easily.

I agree with the 13a clause (thanks John) but the clause is vague on what action MBNA will take. Clause 13a should be read with clause 9 in mind (states that MBNA will send you a statement every month unless there are no transaction and you do not owe anything). I suppose a decision has to be taken on a case by case basis.

I suppose they way I see it is that I have had to call MBNA about charges and miscalculation on my statement over 6 times during the two year period I have been with them. Without a statement there would be very little proof of what they have done (online accounts have not been upto date and have information missing). So, as an ethical stoozer I have paid the interest and caught up with my payments. I will write a letter to MBNA and see what happens. If I have a postive outcome I will let you know. If not then I'll just keep on stoozing. Thanks to you all.