Tesco credit card - BEWARE OF DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENTS!

cabriokas

I am so angry!!!
I received my statement from Tesco creidt cards on the 21st January saying that the minmum payment o £204 would be taken out on the 10th February. It also said that I was £91 in arrears. The £91 had been returned from my bank, so I paid that over the telephone straight away.
On the 27th January the FULL balance of the amount owed was paid from a balance transfer to Barclaycard Platinum on a 0% for 18mths that I had set up.
On the 10th of February Tesco still took out the £204 even though the balance was £0!!!
I have just called them and they have said that it is correct, that regardless of the balance on the day of the direct debit coming out they will still take the minimum payment that was stated on the previous month's statement.
I told them that I wanted my money back as the account is now £213 in credit. They have said they can put it back in my account electronically but at a cost of £25 to me!!! They will send a cheque in the next 14 days.....I can't afford to give them £25 so have had to settle for the cheque and wait for at least 14 days for it to arrive and then another 3-5 days for it to clear. This is just so unfair....can they do this!!!
I pay my bills through a cash only Co-op bank cashminder account, due to Tesco taking this money the Co-op is no overdrawn and they have said I have to pay the £18 it is overdrawwn by and they are closing the account!!
I am sick sick and tired of being ripped off!!!!!!
Is there anything I can do????

Engeroosi

You could of just used the tesco credit card until ur credit was used, then cancel it

cabriokas

I didn't want to do that as I needed the money back in my account to pay my direct debits about to come out

molerat

That is how it works with most cards, once the statement is issued with"we will take £xxx by direct debit" that is excactly what will happen irrespective of any payments in between. A few would have reduced the DD but they are in the minority. Read the T&C's.

poddle911

Yep they can unfortunately - it's clear on the T&Cs, but still very frustrating!

The same thing happened to me after Christmas; I thought I was being super organised by paying my bill in full when my statement arrived, but not so smug when the amount was collected by DD a couple of weeks later.

Fingers crossed your cheque will arrive before the 14 days.

chattychappy

The DD squad will be along shortly to tell you it was all your fault...

But this is why I don't like DDs. You do lose an element of control - once they're in the pipeline you're stuck. When they go wrong the knock-on effects can be a pain.

I suggest you cancel your DD (with Tesco and your bank) and just make manual payments in future - the amount you want to pay and when you want to make it. Then you stay in control. Obviously you mustn't forget and have to be organised, allowing enough time for payment to arrive.

chexum

chattychappy wrote: »

The DD squad will be along shortly to tell you it was all your fault...

There's one thing worse than a DD - a returned DD. It's difficult enough to get DDs changed, since they are submitted at least a few working days before the date they are due. If they are bounced, practically all bets are off. Many providers simply retry it a few days later, no matter what.

There's two things you could do - when you call them to pay after the failed DD, ask them to confirm that the DD won't be taken again. They usually will agree to this, so if the DD is taken a few days later, you can ask for a "full and immediate refund" as per the DD guarantee.

If the harm's already done, you could call them with the same - if they have taken a different amount than you were notified about, it still could be considered taken in error - so the refund should apply again. And an immediate refund should not cost anything, nor would I think sending a cheque could be considered "immediate"

Cmdr_Bond

I am a happy DD user for things like electricity, gas, phone etc. But for paying CC's hwre I need the flexibilty between min payment and any other amount - I set up a standing order/regular payment through my online banking. Because I have so much more controll over it. But can still "forget" about it if it is going to cover at least the min payments.