FAILED Payment of the 18185 invoice

onzey

Hi

Recieved an email from 18185 today with the title of this thread as the subject. I pay by credit card and as far as I know all is well with my credit card account so is this possibly just a blip in the system and if they try again it will go through ok?

Anyone else had this problem?

Thanks.

JohalaReewi

My 18185 email was just the invoice. Nothing about failed payments. I pay by direct debit though.

onzey

Well I contacted my credit card company who have no record of any failed payment and suggested I contact 18185 about their email. I did this and told them there was no record of a failed payment according to the cc company and they have replied saying:

"Banks don't like to give a reason as why a payment has been declined. Fact remains that the last invoice could not be collected. Please follow the instructions on your personal pages on our website. When the outstanding amount has been recieved, we will deblock your number and then you will be able to review/change your payment details."


Anybody think this response is a bit odd especially as it is a credit card involved which I can't imagine would decline a payment on an account in good standing? Is it more likely that 18185 messed something up and can't be bothered to sort it out so pass the job on to the customer.

belleabi0405

onzey wrote: »

Hi

Recieved an email from 18185 today with the title of this thread as the subject. I pay by credit card and as far as I know all is well with my credit card account so is this possibly just a blip in the system and if they try again it will go through ok?

Anyone else had this problem?

Thanks.

I have had the same happen and my card is fine too, not sure why it has failed, anyone else?

Heinz

I understand that some people are opposed to the use of Direct Debits for payment of such bills but I wonder whether they realise how dangerous use of CCCA (Continuous Credit Card Authority) - also known as CPA (Continuous Payment Authority) - is and how much more protection the use of Direct Debits affords.

See THIS still active thread started by Martin in 2004.

Paul_Varjak

Sorting out failed payments with 18185 (or any other Finarea offerin) is an absolute nightmare! The main problems do seem to be with payment by debit/credit cards and not by Direct Debit.

Like Heinz says, you also get better protection paying by Direct Debit than with a continuous authority on a debit/credit card.

Another consideration is that a continuous authority will have to be renewed when the card expires. This will not occur with direct debit.

onzey

Thanks for replies guys. I am actually aware of the dangers of CCCA and don't use it often but used it a long time ago when I started with 18866 (when at that time, it was the only payment method I think), and more recently with 1899 and 18185. None of the companies has ever taken unauthorised payments.

I've sent one more email to 18185 saying that I've contacted the cc company again and that they are adamant the problem lies with the merchant.

I'll wait for a response just to see if they say anything but will eventually change to direct debit I think.

Heinz

One of my daughters has just told me she can't dial using the 1899 prefix now - allegedly a 'failed' DD call on her bank account.

No problem with the bank account (or balance therein).

onzey

Strangely, although 18185 said in an email to me:

"When the outstanding amount has been recieved, we will deblock your number....."

I can still actually use the service.

Heinz

onzey wrote: »

I can still actually use the service.

That may be because a 'failed payment' e-mail does not, it appears, result in an immediate suspension of service.

My daughter received such an an e-mail in January - when 1899's January call for DD payment of their January invoice failed for some reason - but didn't pick it up until 2 months later (when the next invoice was due to be sent) - when 1899 suspended her access.

So, it seems they send a 'failure' e-mail and then give you until your next invoice is due to sort the matter out. She hadn't (because still hadn't picked up the e-mail) so they suspended her service exactly 2 months later.

Gambler

I signed up with 18185 on 08-Feb-07 and selected to pay via direct debit. I was invoiced on 09-Feb-07 and the amount collected via DD.

Not had any invoice since then, thought they were supposed to invoice monthly?