MBNA failed to collect Direct Debit, now I have late fees!

frio

I took out an MBNA credit card in November 08 and set up a direct debit for payment. I had paperless statements and lost the card while abroad so was unable to check statements online until I was issued with a replacement.
Due to not having access to statements I was unaware that I had missed a payment in December before the Direct Debit was set up.
MBNA have charged me late fees each month for this, and failed to collect the money owed by direct debit in the following months, they just collected the minimum payment, so the late payment persisted until I paid it off manually.
I do not have a copy of the Direct Debit agreement between myself and MBNA and I am unaware of the Terms and Conditions of a direct debit, but I believed that I had agreed for the money owed to be collected by DD each month, so MBNA should have done that instead of allowing the debt to persist and charging me.
Does anyone have any advice about what I agreed to in the DD? Were MBNA allowed to do this? Please help!

oscar52

You can try writing to them.

However, DDs can take upto 4 weeks to set up, so you would/should have been advised to make a manual payment in December.

Also DDs can only collect the minimum payment, they cannot collect any arrears owing on the account.

natweststaffmember

But don't forget to claim the charges back PLUS interest