Post Office 0% card - can't confirm Direct Debit is setup

JesseJames_2

Have taken out that recent 17 months at 0% and 0.7% BT deal.
Set up the direct debit online around the 23rd June after I set up online banking.

Checked statement a few days ago, dated 2nd July, but only shows the payment amount.
It does NOT show...
1) When it is to be paid by.
2) Where the money is to be taken from.

Looking at the direct debit details on PO site shows nothing.

Phoned them up and they confirmed payment date is 27th.
But cannot confirm direct debit details as their system does not show them that info.
Bank shows no direct details set up yet either.

How are you meant to confirm?

Anyone else with experience with the PO credit card site can give me some pointers?

forgotmyname

Check your bank account. Direct debits are clearly shown on my Halifax account.

Any direct debits setup should be listed.

SuperHan

Rule of thumb is that if your statement doesn't say that it will be paid by direct debit, it probably won't so pay it manually this month. 23rd of June for a 2nd of July statement may not be long enough, on most of my cards I set up a DD immediately but make a manual payment for the first month just in case.

fozmcfc

It's never ever worth the risk, of thinking a DD is set up, if for whatever reason, you cannot confirm it is set up, make a manual payment.

As has been said, until a statement says taken by DD, it should always be assumed it hasn't been set up.

Several CC providers will tell you online, if a DD is in place, never had a post office card, so perhaps someone else can advise on whether this is the case.

giblet10

I have the PO credit card and it's the only card I pay manually instead of by DD for this same reason. Whilst the PO card is useful for not having foreign charges, I've found it generally difficult to navigate. Also, when you sign on, if you don't see any amount owing on the summary screen don't assume you owe nothing. Like I say, not an easy card to own.

JesseJames_2

Thanks for the replies, all good info.
Will manually pay in before if I don't confirm things with them.

That PO website is pathetically lacking in info.
Doesn't even tell you how you can pay it, not even in their FAQ.
I would have thought detailing these things would be a legal requirement.

EDIT: Just checked bank and is now showing a DD as "UKPO MC PLATINUM"
Wasn't there last night before I phoned the PO.
Will still make a manual payment, as giblet10 says not to assume anything with them.

lfc84

i setup a dd on the post office credit card website and it took around 3 weeks to show up on my current account. in the meantime i had to make a manual payment otherwise i would have missed the deadline

JesseJames_2

Yes, just received a paper statement today.
No mention of the DD on the statement, but statement date was the 2nd.
Also letter came yesterday saying that DD was setup - date on this letter was 3rd.

The cynic in me is saying that this is a ploy to try to get people to miss the first payment thereby breaching terms and losing the 0% straight off.

It appears they get the DD instruction and wait on it - coincidence that it is set up 10 days later, the day after statement is produced! Especially when the card and pin was delivered, and balance transfer was sent and in the target account within 5 days of applying online.

lfc84 - did you set up the DD when applying for the account - that may explain why yours took even longer.

NiftyDigits

JesseJames wrote: »

Yes, just received a paper statement today.
No mention of the DD on the statement, but statement date was the 2nd.
Also letter came yesterday saying that DD was setup - date on this letter was 3rd.

The cynic in me is saying that this is a ploy to try to get people to miss the first payment thereby breaching terms and losing the 0% straight off.

It appears they get the DD instruction and wait on it - coincidence that it is set up 10 days later, the day after statement is produced! Especially when the card and pin was delivered, and balance transfer was sent and in the target account within 5 days of applying online.

lfc84 - did you set up the DD when applying for the account - that may explain why yours took even longer.

It is quite usual that you make the first payment manually.

clanger9

The Direct Debit setup for the Post Office CC is easily the worst I have ever encountered. They can ONLY process the DD via a paper application process (i.e. not online or by phone) and even when it's set up there's no confirmation on the website that it's working…

You just have to take your chance (or pay by Debit card if not sure).

Warning: if you switch banks using the new Current Account Switch Service (introduced last September), the PO will *cancel* your existing DD set up instead of changing it. Only just found this out after they failed to take the DD as usual and tried to hit me with a late payment charge! They are not supposed to do this, but they seem unaware of their obligation to follow Payment Council rules…

Hopeless :wall:

Alexd52

clanger9 wrote: »

The Direct Debit setup for the Post Office CC is easily the worst I have ever encountered. They can ONLY process the DD via a paper application process (i.e. not online or by phone) and even when it's set up there's no confirmation on the website that it's working…

You just have to take your chance (or pay by Debit card if not sure).

I set mine up online as part of the registration process