Postal strike - Charged for late payment

cinema1973

Hi, we have never missed a monthly payment for our Tesco credit card. However, due to the postal strikes our cheque arrived late and we have been charged £12. They say we have other options to pay!:mad: Really, really annoyed. Does anyone know of anything we can do?

C_Mababejive

I have credit cards set up to pay minimum amount by DD from my current account each month.

dmg24

Set up a direct debit for next time?

Surely you knew that there was a strike on when you posted the cheque?

TFD_2

I too have credit cards set up to pay minimum amount by DD from my current account each month.

cinema1973

Thanks for your responses, yes knew there was a strike on but not full blown. Usually no issues with our money so frustrating when something goes wrong.

wayoflife

cinema1973 wrote: »

Hi, we have never missed a monthly payment for our Tesco credit card. However, due to the postal strikes our cheque arrived late and we have been charged £12. They say we have other options to pay!:mad: Really, really annoyed. Does anyone know of anything we can do?

paying by cheque is an extremely old fasioned method of payment. You can pay bu direct debit- standing order- or bank transfer which takes next to no time to set up if you have online banking and very easy...

I wouldnt pay by cheque for anything, in terms of anything you can do there is nothing, however at least missed payments will only be recorded for 12 months

izools

missed payments are recorded for 36 months on Experian, longer on Equifax

However if you called to pay by card immediately as soon as you noticed (i.e. before the next CRA update) it will not show as late / missed...

Moggles_2

If you register your details on the Tesco website, you can settle your bills with your debit card. There's no need for anyone with a pc to rely on the post.

If that's not possible, for whatever reason, Tesco accepts payments over the phone.

Otherwise, as above, it might be an idea to set up a direct debit to pay the minimum amount required..That way, it's Tesco's responsibility, not yours, to make sure the minimum monthly repayments get there and on time

cos_2

I'm guessing you want advice about recovering the penalty, as opposed to payment options that you already knew about.

My advice is to beg. Honest! Call them back and explain how important it is that you keep a good relationship with them; that your credit rating is important as well and you'd welcome their help in protecting it. Lay it on thick

At the end of the day your legitimate chosen method of payment has been usurped by Royal Mail: you did make an intention to pay.

Good luck!!

P.S. The direct debit stuff mentioned up above is probably awfully sound advice for the future

cinema1973

Thanks, will give them a call to 'challenge' the charge based on the fact we have always been good payers and we did make the effort to pay on time....

msgnomey

ask nicely, they credited me with a charge that was my 'fault'

I went over my limit by mistake, as soon as I realised (1 day!) I rang and asked how much I would need to pay into the account to be sure I cleared the over spend and didn't incur any more charges (quite happy that I would be charged for being over limit), paid more than they asked for. When the next bill came I had been charged again for being over limit even thought I had gone back under limit and paid one charge. When I rang up to query the charge the lady said it was right as I started the payment period over the limit even though I went back under it and paid a charge last month, (hope you're still with me here!) so I told her I had specifically asked about making a payment to avoid any more charges and not been told about being charged twice! So she cancelled it!

Moral, be nice they might give you it back!