What time is it Mr Wolf

chazagill

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone could help me with a question?
Yesterday the first of the month, I had direct debits going out of my bank account, (flex account)to pay my bills but I had forgot that my quarterly TV licence direct debit was also due out which left me sort by £21.00, so I shot to the bank to add more funds only to be told that a direct debt had been return as unpaid, yes i said I've come to add the difference now, No sorry it's to late said the young lady, but it's only 2.00pm I said close of business is not until 3.30pm, i know said the young lady but it has already been reqested and returned as unpaid there's nothing we can do.

My question is does anyone know if this is true or can i pay in funds to cover direct debts up until the close of business?

Thanks for any help.

Tixy

She is right, DDs are paid out at the start of the day before any credits in. The money would have needed to be paid in before the end of yesterday. Otherwise they can and will have bounced the DD.

alanq

Yes. If the money is not in your account the PREVIOUS working day the Direct Debit is rejected. If you have a Debit Card ring up TVLA and make the missed payment by phone.
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/pay/payment-methods/viewpaymentcontent.aspx?id=pay2&iqdocumentid=pay2

ihateyes

depends on the bank....

did lloyds not run an advertising campaign recently saying as long as funds were in by cop it would be honoured??

chazagill

That's true they did, but my bank is Nationwide and it's looking like the money has to be in the day before DD is due out, which was difficult as the day before was a Sunday, so it would have had to be put in at the latest on friday which was 29th of July, when I sign the DD it was to go out the first of the month or within 3 days after the first, it just seems like the bank keep moving the goal posts, over charges.

pmduk

I'm sure the goalposts are laid out in your terms and conditions.

meer53

If you'd phoned your bank to let them know you were paying in later that day, they would probably have paid the direct debit. Pay or return decisions are made early in the day, to make sure this doesnt happen again, make sure the money is in the account the day before the d/d is due to be claimed.

noh

chazagill wrote: »

That's true they did, but my bank is Nationwide and it's looking like the money has to be in the day before DD is due out, which was difficult as the day before was a Sunday, so it would have had to be put in at the latest on friday which was 29th of July, when I sign the DD it was to go out the first of the month or within 3 days after the first, it just seems like the bank keep moving the goal posts, over charges.

The goalposts have not been moved. As far as I remember the T+Cs have always been so. I have had a Flex Account for 23 years.

chazagill

Maybe I should put it down to experience and change to a bank that does allow payments up until the end of business like RBS and Lloyds?

charlieboycat

chazagill wrote: »

Maybe I should put it down to experience and change to a bank that does allow payments up until the end of business like RBS and Lloyds?

I don't see how "making payments up to /14:30/close of business/whatever time one's bank specifies" can affect the bank's decision on whether or not to allow the DD/SO/cheque despite insufficient funds - since that decision is taken early in the day.

Surely this "pay-in by whenever" mechanism only affects whether or not you got charged for being overdrawn - ie. it only comes into play in circumstances where the bank had decided earlier in the day to allow an overdraft.

pinkdalek

Not every bank has the same terms and conditions. For best practice it is advisable to have cleared funds in the account on the working day prior to the debit being processed.

Speak to the Nationwide, if this is the first time you have missed a direct debit and incurred a charge then 99% of the time they will wiave the charge as they will be able to see a simple miscalculation has been made on your part. If you have though incurred charges before then they may not be so lenient as you had been made aware of their procedures around direct debit payments in the past.

I fully sympathise with you, and personally agree that customers should be able to pay monies into their account on the same working day to cover bills. You would think the bank would be able to calculate failed payments/charges etc at the close of business.