MBNA problem, any help appreciated.

Tiger_greeneyes

Last year I paid off my balance on my MBNA card via my debit card and also requested/received/sent them a mandate for a monthly direct debit to pay off the balance every month. I only have one payment going out per year, £24 to M&S CardSafe.

I've just had notification that I owe £75 for this £24 because they didn't take the balance from my bank account. I've now had a conversation with a woman on the phone said they will keep adding £12 each month and they're sending it to a debt collection agency despite the fact I sent them a direct debit mandate as discussed and they failed to put it onto their system. I don't have £75 and if I pay the minimum payment, it'll add another £12 to my account every single month. That means it'll go on indefinitely.

She refused to put me through to anyone else, she told my husband he can't write in to complain. The notes she read me back from my conversation with a manager last year didn't make any sense - ie he noted that I was setting up a direct debit and he also said I was going to pay monthly via my debit card. Even though I pointed that discrepancy out she refused to comment on it. Regarding my "what happened to the direct debit mandate I sent you" question, all she can say is "we didn't receive it" or "it's not on our system". Clearly it's down to me to pay for someone else's mistake because I know 100% posted off that mandate.

They're not being helpful or answering my questions - and they're threatening us with heavy monthly charges AND debt collection and I'm feeling a bit bullied by her as she's declaring we can only speak to her and nobody else (I must have asked half a dozen times at least) and neither can we write in (as she told my husband). All she is programmed to do is to make threats and ask me how I'm "paying today".

I know this will have to be paid as I'm over a barrel but until I can speak with someone who is prepared to work out a way of not adding £12 to my account every month (she said I would have to pay £13 a month - £1 towards the £75 owed and £12 in fees, but I find this is unacceptable - £900 in fees for £24 that they failed to take from my account, despite having my debit card number (as I'd apparently set up to pay every month) and also a direct debit mandate.

Is there anyone else I should be speaking to? A different department or customer helpline maybe? So long as it's not a little dictator and is willing to help me work this out...:(

Wheres_My_Cashback

The fact that you sent a mandate does not mean it was received with MBNA and may not neccessarily be their fault.

Did you receive any statements between you posting the request and finding out you owe them? If you did then it would have told you that a DD was not in place. They also send confirmation letters when you set up a DD. Did not receiving confirmation make you curious as to find out? Did you not notice the payments NOT leaving your bank account? It is your responsibility to check and pay.

I'm confused as to how you come by your figures, it doesn't really make sense to me. Can you please clarify what you've spent, how long exactly since you've made a payment? Was the card used regularly?

You can always just call and speak to complaints and register it officially. They then have to follow procedure, but in the meantime it's in your best interests to make any payment that's being requested.

Tiger_greeneyes

They're the figures she gave me. She said I'd have to pay £12 every month until the balance was cleared. She said altogether I'd be paying £13 every month as a minimum. 75 months at £12 a month interest works out at £900.

Seeing as I wasn't aware until now they send out confirmation letters once they'd set up a direct debit, then no, I wasn't alerted to the fact they haven't done this yet. I know MBNA is a huge company so I shouldn't be surprised at any of this.

I've now closed down my account with them and borrowed the amount to pay them off in full.

StuC75

What about the Statements? that you would have received advising the Balance? Does that statement show a direct debit as being in place? Did you not check your bank account to see if that payment was going out? If you bank online can you check if the direct debit is actually active?