Late Fee on Credit Card - given wrong info by NatWest

Jen151

Hello

Hoping someone can help - I'm looking for some advice before calling NatWest about this

At the moment i have a zero % credit card with them that was got for a balance transfer to clear some debt. I've been paying the minimum payments every month and this month decided to change to a standing order of £150 each month instead, to get it paid off quicker.

I called up NatWest to arrange this and the agent told me to set it up on the 4th of each month in order to make the payment in time, so I went ahead and did that.

However this month the statement has come in with a late charge on it incurred on 1/3/11. They have also mailed out a notice of Default Sums

Am going to call them back and ask to have the late charge removed, but am wondering will this affect my credit rating? We are hoping to move house in the next year and also rent out our flat so will be applying for mortgages soon, we're also getting a car soon and will be needing to get insurance for it. Will this default
affect things? Having always paid any credit card bills etc on time its annoying to have this default now on the basis of advice from NatWest.

Is there any way the default can be removed?

Am not the best at phoning and complaining about things, but really don't want this to affect us badly

Does anyone have any advice, it would be most appreciated and be good to be a bit clued up before calling them.

Thanks in advance

Jen

PNPSUKNET

Its a late payment, not a default as such. As long as you are always on time in the future be fine, but always check the statment dates

billymadbiker

Won't really hit your credit rating,
Just make sure they don't switch you from the 0% rate to the standard apr now though (standard procedure after a late payment)

Consumerist

A more important issue to address is that your 0% promotional rate may be withdrawn if any payment is late or missed during the promtional period.

You don't mention what the payment's due date was on your previous statement or what date your payment was actually credited to your account in the latest statement.

If you were charged a fee on 01/03/11, this suggests your payment was due on 01/03/11. If your payment was credited later than that date then it will have been recorded as a late payment.

If you were wrongly advised by the call centre then it may be helpful if you have to hand the name of the adviser you spoke to and the date you called to arrange the standing order.

fozmcfc

Setting up a direct debit for the minimum will ensure that providing you have the money in your account, that payment will be made.

You can of course keep the SO as well or make additional payments at any time.

Jen151

Thanks everyone will phone them this morning and make sure the interest doesn't go up

Good to know it won't have too bad an impact!

Jen