Is this my fault?

smartpicture

I have two store cards and two credit cards, all set up with direct debits to pay off the full amount so I can never have a black mark on my credit file. And yet, I've ended up with two missed payment markers in the last month. What I want to know is, is this my own fault (as the companies say) or could I reasonably argue that the markers should be removed?

1. With the first card, I got a phone call saying that my payment was overdue, and I'd been charged a late payment fee as a result. It turned out to be because I'd recently reported the card as lost or stolen and they'd agreed to send me a new one, which meant the direct debit was rejected because I had a new card number. Also, because the Christmas post was delayed, my statement and the new card (with a warning to check my direct debit) didn't arrive until after the phone-call, when it was too late to do anything about it.

2. With the second card, I hadn't used it for 13 months, and apparently the direct debit mandate runs out after 12 months so no payment was taken - yet I wasn't warned about this, so I just believed it was all covered by the direct debit.

Anyway, the moral is, you can't just rely on direct debits to pay off your cards and forgot about it!

smartpicture

84 views and not one person has an opinion on this??

Do I win the post for most boring thread of the year then :eek:

Oneday77

:beer: to much drinking going on today i reckon..hic :rotfl:
Nah seriously I have never heard of a DD mandate expiring after 12months, what about annual payments that maybe fall 1year and 3 days apart. I would challenge that with your bank, if the CC cancelled it then it's their own fault.
The missed payment seems wrong due to your card being cancelled, you sort code and account number won't have changed so that is wrong too. Worth chasing the charges but 2 misse dpayments isn't really a big black mark tbh.

binaryuniverse

I'd say in both cases it is worth phoning up, apologise and ask to have the direct debit reinstated. They may see it as a genuine mistake and let you off the hook (with fee refund), or they may not. Depends on who you speak to and how you speak to them.

But definitely give it a go.

CocoPopsLover

I do not think that the lost card in an excuse for them to put a missed payment on your credit file. I reported a card lost 2 weeks ago and 2 weeks later, my direct debit came out fine. They told me they would amend the direct debit, i did not even have to mention it to them

I do not think its your fault

smartpicture

I was told that ALL direct debit mandates expire by law after 12 months if they have not been used in that 12 months period, and you have to sign a new agreement.

In the other case, the money left my account but was then returned because the card number was no longer the correct one - although until I received the new card, I had no idea what the new card number would be, so I'm not sure how I could have made a payment to it?

CLAPTON

for the first I would write and explain the situation and ask for the missed payment to be removed... if they don't then ask for a final response letter so you can complain to the financial ombudsman.


for the second... you really should read your monthly statement .. if it says it will take the payment by DD then again write and complain and again ask for a final response letter so you can complain to the financial ombudsman

kazd

I would argue in both cases you are not at fault and your credit file should be amended. If they won't do it, tell them you want to make a formal complaint.

exel1966

smartpicture wrote: »

I have two store cards and two credit cards, all set up with direct debits to pay off the full amount so I can never have a black mark on my credit file. And yet, I've ended up with two missed payment markers in the last month. What I want to know is, is this my own fault (as the companies say) or could I reasonably argue that the markers should be removed?

1. With the first card, I got a phone call saying that my payment was overdue, and I'd been charged a late payment fee as a result. It turned out to be because I'd recently reported the card as lost or stolen and they'd agreed to send me a new one, which meant the direct debit was rejected because I had a new card number. Also, because the Christmas post was delayed, my statement and the new card (with a warning to check my direct debit) didn't arrive until after the phone-call, when it was too late to do anything about it.

2. With the second card, I hadn't used it for 13 months, and apparently the direct debit mandate runs out after 12 months so no payment was taken - yet I wasn't warned about this, so I just believed it was all covered by the direct debit.

Anyway, the moral is, you can't just rely on direct debits to pay off your cards and forgot about it!

1. The card company is not responsible for late arrival of the post/your statement. Just about every card company has online facilities so for that there is no excuse. I fail to understand how a new card could possibly cancel the original DD as the account has not changed, only the card number has. If the company have cancelled the DD then you could argue that they should have advised you at the time of notifying the card as being lost/stolen.
How do you know for sure a missed payment marker has been put on your credit file so soon ? Late payments are not usually recorded (apart from 2 companies I know), only missed payments are so you could easily make a manual payment before the next statement cycle, therefore avoiding those markers.

2. It is and always has been (AFAIK) standard practice for DD's to expire after 12 months of non-usage.

If this isn't all hyperthetical, what are the card companies ?

shellsuit

smartpicture wrote: »

I was told that ALL direct debit mandates expire by law after 12 months if they have not been used in that 12 months period, and you have to sign a new agreement.

In the other case, the money left my account but was then returned because the card number was no longer the correct one - although until I received the new card, I had no idea what the new card number would be, so I'm not sure how I could have made a payment to it?

How do you mean 'if they have not been used'?

smartpicture

shellsuit wrote: »

How do you mean 'if they have not been used'?

As in, no amount needed to be taken via the direct debit. In my case, I hadn't used the store card for 13 months, so no direct debit payments had been taken in the last year. I had no idea they expired, and wasn't notified, but obviously I need to pay attention to this in future and can't just rely on the direct debits.