Virgin 0% balance transfer

the4thlion

Hi all,
I recently transferred a Barclays credit card to Virgins 0% deal.I received my first statement from Virgin with all the usual details including statement date(27/06/12),payment due date(15/07/12) & minimum payment (£55).
On the 01/07/12,i set up my d/d paying just the minimum payment.
Yesterday (02/08/12),i received my second statement dated 27/07/12,and couldn`t believe it when i read that i had been charged £12 LATE DEFAULT SUM, interest charged £77.81, the payment due date on the 16/08/12, and with the minimum payment due £199.81 !!!. I immediately went online and checked my d/d was in place (it was), but nothing had been took out.
On their website,i took advantage of their "LIVE CHAT". "Steve", looked at my account details, and then went on to explain that because i had set up my d/d AFTER my statement was issued on 27/06/12,they would have confirmed a manual payment was required (i cannot recall this!), and as they have received nothing(it also states in the t&C that they automatically take out the minimum payment),the promotional rate was removed. He then states "You will also see a late fee of £12.The interest rate reverted to the standard variable rate of 18.6% apr from the day after we sent your previous statement"....(HUH)... He then went on to give me a new rate of 9.9%.
No matter how much i tried to explain that the d/d was set up 4 days after i received the first statement(27/6), giving 2 weeks leeway before my first payment was due(15/7), he repeatedly stated that the d/d should have been set up BEFORE the 27th June !!!.
He then chose to end the conversation. I also phoned today, they confirmed my d/d was set up, but also stated that it should have been set up previous to my first statement.
I then had to make a payment over the phone for July for £55 (so basically, they still havnt took a payment out yet from my d/d). She also wouldnt move on the new charge and stated that £144 will be took out on the 16th August.
Can anyone PLEASE explain to me how a d/d can be set up BEFORE you receive a statement,how would i know when and what to pay. I feel i have been scammed by VIRGIN.
Has anyone please got any ideas as towards where i go from here .
Thankyou (sorry about the long letter)

stephane_2

The direct debit would have had to be set up before the first statement...if not then you should have done a manual payment...so on that aspect Virgin is correct. When setting up a direct debit then you would be asked if you wish to pay the minimum balance each month...or maybe a set amount. Unfortunately now there is nothing you can do if they are not willing to revert the offer to 0%.... I suggest that you accept the 9.9% and move the debt onto another credit card when ever possible....