BT complaint - Grrr :(

garethwilliams_2

I currently have a monthly bill plan in place which I pay over the phone or over the counter at a post office or bank. I've had this in place for years so I don't get expensive quarterly bills. Today BT decided to take £144 out of my account for a quarterly bill which they said was a direct debit :mad:
Now, going back we used to have a direct debit in place but one month we were short so it got cancelled. To be honest we found it easier to pay that months bill over the phone so we never reinstated it, and going forward just paid over the phone with our card details or at the bank or post office with the giro slip.

I never asked for a direct debit to be reinstated on the account and I certainly didn't ask for my monthly bill to be amended to a quarterly bill.

Due to this I now don't have enough in the bank to pay my mortgage on time so now I'm going to be charged a £65 fee for the late payment to them and also have a late payment show up on my credit file.
The BT representive on the phone kept saying it was my fault (the damn cheek!) saying I must of set a direct debit up, which I have not and there was nothing they could do as 'the bill had already gone off' He did say that I could go to my bank and get them to refund the money but even this would mean my mortgage payment would be late so again I would incur the late payment fee.
I repeatidly told the representive that I had not done this and even if I had set up a direct debit, which I hadn't, but if I did, then surely it would of been for a monthly bill not a quarterly one as thats how we have always paid, something which he verified from his PC. He had nothing to reply with apart from there was nothing that could be done.

I'm appauled that they have made this error right before Christmas and they have washed their hands of it. I have 3 children including 4 month old twin boys and having this stress just before Christmas is something I could do without.

Mark_In_Hampshire

Payees are supposed to get your permission to reinstate a cancelled mandate. But there's no check or balance in the system that makes sure. The bank just goes on the payee's say so that you instructed it. So in that respect, you can never be completely confident that a direct debit mandate will not suddenly reappear; the best solution is not to hand over bank details in the first place.

As regards late payment and credit history reporting, from memory that shows the number of months in arrears, so as long as they get the payment for this one before the next one is due then that shouldn't show a late payment.

You can indeed have the bank refund the money and should do so. They are supposed to refund "immediately" but in practice it often takes a banking day.

As regards the late charges, in theory you should send a bill to BT for them, however they are not liable for consequential losses and do not have any obligation to pay them. Likewise any "bounce fees" on your account since you agreed to pay those to the bank. There is a mechanism which the banks keep very quiet about which is called an Indemnity Claim. You instruct the bank to recover their bounce fee from the payee and they make the claim. Of course the bank won't mention it, as they can just as easily take the money from you.

Suggest you watch your bank account via Online Banking regularly to make sure the DD mandate isn't set up again.

Buzby

Your DD can be reinsatated by anyone you have gtiven a mandate to, but there is a 12 month limit. If they have not taken any payment during this period then re-establishing it from month 13 months is a breach of the rules and you can demand the funds are returned.

If less than this, you can ask - but your bank can refuse.

As for credit reporting, BT still do not do this (they have to ask your permission) but I'm not aware of this happening... yet.