Tesco/RBS - determined to make me MISS payments?

tin

Hi All

Just a comment really I'd like to know your opinions on it.

I received my first bill for a new tesco card today. It's 26th Aug (Saturday) although the bill is dated 19th Aug (also a Saturday).

They want payment by the 3rd Sep (a Sunday)

First of all this strikes me as unusual. I also got my Virgin card statement today and they have given me till 20th Sep.
My last b/card statement gives me Just short of an entire month to pay (say a week off that given how long it will take to arrive) My last Halifax one is the same.

Now if we accept that I can't reasonably pay something until I've got it, that gives me a total of 4 working days to pay the bill (given the weekends and bank holiday next Monday)

Their paperwork says "You should allow enough time for your payment to reach your account" - "This is usually 4 working days if you pay at a bank, or 7-10 working days by 1st class post"

Well 1st class post is out of the question then, and I presume next tuesday won't count as one of the working days, perhaps part. Therefore no matter how I pay it will miss. If I pay through my online banking (Nationwide) it will take at least the same time.

Lets just say by miracle the statement really did arrive on the 19th (I am sure all cc companies keep their bills back several days before actually sending - or they use 3rd class post or something) I still would only have 9 working days. Not enough to meet their possible 10 (OK I am being picky there )

I tried to set up a direct debit with them over the phone, they wont. Funny as Virgin, Egg, Barclaycard and Halifax all did no problems. They insist on sending me a form, which took a couple of weeks to arrive, and I sent back at the same time in the same postbox as an Amazon DVD, which Amazon recieved and processed on 15th Aug. Funny enough it hasn't reached Tesco in time for the 19th though.

So I try online servicing with them. Aha no! Once you register, you have to get a MAC code from them, again in the post, to be able to do anything. Without it you can view only! So no go there either.

So now I am giving them a call to pay and complain, but I thought I'd post my annoyance first before they appease me on the phone.

<edit> I was "assured" that they're not trying to make me miss a payment, but alarmingly STILL no record of the DD mandate at their side. They took debit card details though no probs. Not really appeased though, however it will do. I'm not going to try and cause trouble with them, I just wanted to bring to their attention that they're out of order.

The_Boss

Even if the statement was issued on the 19th, thats still not a lot of time to pay it.

My advice would be to call them up asap and explain this to them over the phone and see what they say. If you let them know the score beforehand, at least they will be a bit more sympathetic. Its better to be proactive than to wait till afterwards.

The_Boss

ahh, ok, you've just called. So what did they say?

tin

Yeah and while that happens, amazon DVD rental takes 1 day for the disc to be sent either way. Funny how the postal service is suddenly great when they want you to get stuff quickly innit.

@The Boss - They just said they assured me they weren't trying to make me miss payments, and took the debit card payment.

M_Thomson

tin wrote:

Hi All

Just a comment really I'd like to know your opinions on it.

I received my first bill for a new tesco card today. It's 26th Aug (Saturday) although the bill is dated 19th Aug (also a Saturday).

They want payment by the 3rd Sep (a Sunday)

First of all this strikes me as unusual. I also got my Virgin card statement today and they have given me till 20th Sep.
My last b/card statement gives me Just short of an entire month to pay (say a week off that given how long it will take to arrive) My last Halifax one is the same.

Now if we accept that I can't reasonably pay something until I've got it, that gives me a total of 4 working days to pay the bill (given the weekends and bank holiday next Monday)

Their paperwork says "You should allow enough time for your payment to reach your account" - "This is usually 4 working days if you pay at a bank, or 7-10 working days by 1st class post"

Well 1st class post is out of the question then, and I presume next tuesday won't count as one of the working days, perhaps part. Therefore no matter how I pay it will miss. If I pay through my online banking (Nationwide) it will take at least the same time.

Lets just say by miracle the statement really did arrive on the 19th (I am sure all cc companies keep their bills back several days before actually sending - or they use 3rd class post or something) I still would only have 9 working days. Not enough to meet their possible 10 (OK I am being picky there )

I tried to set up a direct debit with them over the phone, they wont. Funny as Virgin, Egg, Barclaycard and Halifax all did no problems. They insist on sending me a form, which took a couple of weeks to arrive, and I sent back at the same time in the same postbox as an Amazon DVD, which Amazon recieved and processed on 15th Aug. Funny enough it hasn't reached Tesco in time for the 19th though.

So I try online servicing with them. Aha no! Once you register, you have to get a MAC code from them, again in the post, to be able to do anything. Without it you can view only! So no go there either.

So now I am giving them a call to pay and complain, but I thought I'd post my annoyance first before they appease me on the phone.

<edit> I was "assured" that they're not trying to make me miss a payment, but alarmingly STILL no record of the DD mandate at their side. They took debit card details though no probs. Not really appeased though, however it will do. I'm not going to try and cause trouble with them, I just wanted to bring to their attention that they're out of order.

Why do you persume that next Tuesday doesn't count as one of the working days? It is a normal business day. You could have set up a payment to leave on Tuesday with your online or telephone banking. And it would have got there on a Friday with no problem.

asharon

Is it because they send statments out at a set time each month and you have your billing date set at a certain time ?

**purplemoon**

This doesn't sound quite right somehow as I received my Tesco cc statement yesterday (25th) which was dated 21st August, so took 4 days to arrive, and my payment due date is 15th Sept.

My statement is prepared on the same date every month (21st) and payment is due 56 days from date of last statement which gives a 3-4 week payment window.

Tickergirl

My latest Tesco bill was even worse!
I received it on Weds 23 (dated 17 August) and said that my direct debit would leave my account on 26 August - 3 days notice!!! Luckily I get paid the 25th.I'm glad I have got a DD (although it is just for minimum amount) set up otherwise would have missed their date no matter how I paid.

Reading the back of my statement they do state you get a maximum of 46 days interest free which is about 10 days less than my other credit cards. 10 days is quite a difference when it comes to letting you know you need to cough up! I've onyl had the card 2 months so wonder if others like purplemoon have had theirs longer and got better t&cs?

I think I might call them to complain about this actually as short notice is OK whilst I'm on 0% but I'm not going to be tricked into paying interest once that ends.

**purplemoon**

Have some of you got different cards then because the T&C's appear different to that of my own (bog standard Tesco Mastercard)?

Tickergirl

purplemoon - i was just editing my post wondering the same (different cards) when you must have posted!!

Mine is a platinum mastercard (new one with strawberries on the front) which I've only had a couple of months

seanparkin

I have the one with the strawberrys on the front...

I was away with work commitments for two weeks in July, came back to find my tesco bill requesting payment by the 12th - it was the 11th.

So I called up, gave them my debit card details and asked to pay £100. Next statement? £20 charge, apparently I should have given it at least three days to clear.

Why do they ask for payment on the 12th then, for any other reason than to plow the charges on? Surely they should just ask for payment by the 9th?

?:(