0% deal revoked, missed payment, not my fault!

edam

Argh.

I set up a Direct Debit to pay £20.00 per month against my card (more than min payment) and it turns out the DD didn't go through this month! It didn't fail, it just merely didn't take effect! I got slapped with a charge so I phoned up. They said they'd revoke the charge and that the 0% deal would be unaffected.

Just got my statement through and it says the 0% has been revoked and now my minimum payments have increased massively.

They confirmed that I'd set up the DD but said "sometimes it doesn't come through until your NEXT statement"

If I phone up and explain, are they likely to re-invoke my 0% deal? I paid £50.00 right off as soon as I'd been slapped with hte charge and realised they hadn't requested the direct debit that month to show I'm not trying to avoid repayments.

If they refuse to re-invoke it, what can I do?

Also, is this gonna permanently affect my credit rating? If so I'm seriously !!!!ed off for being penalised for something that wasn't my fault. I've stayed with in my terms and done exactly what they said - set up a direct debit to ensure no payments are missed - and yet it fails for 'some reason' and I'm penalised?

Thanks!

Wallhart

Phone them and tell them that you had originally explained and they would not remove the 0% deal etc.

I'm assuming you didnt recieve confirmation or check that the DD had been set up.

izools

Whilst they aren't under any obligation to refund the charge and reinstate the 0% - given that your statement won't have stated the monies will be taken by DD - you have an argument now that they've agreed to re-instate the 0% and refund the charge.

Just call them up, explain the situation. Make sure to be calm, collected, nice, and humble. They aren't under a contractual obligation to re-instate the offer.

edam

Wallhart wrote: »

Phone them and tell them that you had originally explained and they would not remove the 0% deal etc.

I'm assuming you didnt recieve confirmation or check that the DD had been set up.

The online card services showed the direct debit as
"fixed sum £20" and "payment date 16th" which, considering I'd set it up before the 16th of June (around about the 18th of May I believe), led me to believe that would go through from the 16th of June and not the 16th of July!

Talked to Natwest and the lady there said she'd send through a form in and in 6 days I should phone up to see what's happened. She said I wouldn't receive any written confirmation.

I fear it's this lack of written confirmation which has led to this whole fiasco. If they'd have sent me a letter confirming the Direct Debit and from what date none of this would have happened!

izools

If the online services clearly stated next payment date 16th with no month listed, you have a definite cause for complaint.

I suggest you send in a written formal complaint advising that the online system clearly stated the next payment would be taken on the 16th, but payment wasn't taken. Advise in your complaint that whilst you understand that the Direct Debit may take a couple of months to go live in certain instances, that you didn't make manual payment because you were (falsely) advised by their website that the next payment date would be the 16th.

You have the right to request a written response.

splatt30

I've just opened an RBS card (I think they're now the same as Natwest). I set up a direct debit when I telephones to confirm arrival of the card. About a week later I got a letter with the direct debit details asking I check them. On this letter it sates in bold type face that until there is a message on your statement advising that the account will b settled by direct debit, you need to make payments by another method. Did your statement say they would collect by direct debit?

I think it can be difficult if you've turned off paper statements and just use online. Unless you down load the pdf file (ie the one that looks like the statements which come in the post) you sometimes don't get to see this message, just a figure of what the balance and minimum payment are, not how they are being collected.

Evilm

I didn't know that you could set up Direct Debits with "only £20 please". I've never seen a Credit card providers DD form with this option. Did you do this with the card provider or through your bank? if you did it through your bank it is an Standing Order not a Direct Debit.

What did it say on your statement? Did it say "you must pay" or "we will take your direct debit on or before..."? If it didn't say the latter then unfortunately all you can do is plead ignorance and beg them to reinstate the 0% on a goodwill basis.

izools

Evilm, whilst fixed repayment direct debits are rare, they aren't unheard of.

Even several years ago when I had a Barclaycard as a teenager I could set up a fixed DD. They still allow you to. I am not aware of others that allow this but I guess RBS Group allow you to, too. Good to know

edam

I'm with natwest and they allow me to set up fixed payments by direct debit through the credit card online services website. So I set up fixed payments of £20.00 to cover minimum payment plus some, then I'd make one off payments as and when.

It was when I made a one off payment of £50.00, two days after the due date, that I'd noticed what had happened.

No paper statements so I didn't see any of that bold text.

EDIT* I've found in my account management reference to "Request set up of Direct Debit" which was approved on 30th May a good 2 and a half weeks before the due date.

YorkshireBoy

edam wrote: »

EDIT* I've found in my account management reference to "Request set up of Direct Debit" which was approved on 30th May a good 2 and a half weeks before the due date.

It's too late to collect.

The DD has to be in place before the statement date. Only when you see the message "your payment will be collected from your nominated account on xx/xx/xx" on your statement are you guaranteed it will be collected.

chattychappy

The "DD guarantee".

Guaranteed to cause confusion!