Advice on payment plan?

spinelli101

Hi, not sure if this is the right place to post this or not, but i'm hoping someone can give me some advice.

I purchased a new laptop in April, where I entered into a 24 month payment plan. I paid 10% up front, and agreed to make payments each month via direct debit. This was alll set up in store, and all paperwork etc signed.

I work offshore, with very limited communication available (no phone, just the odd email). So when I get home a few weeks later, I find a letter telling me to call Creation (the company handling the payments) to confirm my agreement. I think the letter was about a week old when I got it. After trying unsuccesfully to call the number they gave me, I recieved another letter, telling me I had to go to their website to pay this months installment online, which I did (and paid an extra £3 for the privilage). I then used the contact form on their website to make a complaint about the lack of communication, the fact that I have had to pay extra just because they won't adhere to the payment plan. I recieved no reply to this.

I have just recieved contact from a family member at home, who tells me i have another letter, stating that I have to pay online again, and that I have been charged £25 for late payment. They tried to phone up for me to try and sort this out but of course only I can confirm my details, and I can't phone.

I will be offshore for another 3 months - please tell me how to rectify this situation. Am I entitled to claim that £25 back? As far as I was concerned when I completed the payment agreement in-store I had signed a legal document stating that I would adhere to the direct debit plan - why am I now getting charged because the Creation will not hold to their end of the deal?

Any advice appreciated, thanks in advance!

izools

Write a formal written complaint to them.

Outline exactly what you have here - that you entered into a direct debit agreement, that you have been charged for their mistake in not setting it up, and that you expect them to cover the financial loss resultant from their mistake.

State in your letter than to resolve the complaint they are to refund all fees and charges incurred as a result of their mistake, and set up a direct debit for the remaining payments post haste. Provide your bank account number and sort code in the letter. Advise them that if the DD cannot be set up in time for the next payment that they are to waive the card payment processing fee.

Also advise that they are to correct any defamatory data they may have sent to credit reference agencies as you were only late due to their mistake.

Good luck!

jonesMUFCforever

Can OP confirm that the account he gave at the shop is eligible for D/D?

spinelli101

Thanks izools, I will give that a shot.

Jones, I have several direct debits set up with this account and have never had problems before. They did a transfer of £1 when I set it up, so I know that they have all the correct details.