Late payment charge - paid too early

JimmyTheSaint

Hi

Just wanted to run this one past you guys and see if anyone has any advice.

My Halifax One card always has a minimum payment due date of the 17th of the month and has done for the couple of years I have had it. Back in June I made a payment on 1st of the month to cover the necessary amount for June.

Later in June I had some money from elsewhere so I made a payment on the 19th June thinking this would cover my payment that would be due by July 17th since we were now past the 17th June and forgot about it.

I have now been hit with a £12 late payment fee for July (+ interest) and told by customer services that this is because my statement is not printed until the 21st of the month and would therefore have stated I still owed the minimum amount for July as my payment on the 19th June would have been taken as part of the June payment despite being beyond the Due Date. :mad:

Is it just me or does this seem seriously unfair?

Thanks

Jimmy

Alias_Omega

I think you have just missed the payments dates.

Claim the £12 back.

Manson

Having been in a similar situation once, I now have setup minimum direct debit on the cc a/c. Any spare cash is then paid as and when possible.
Your best way out is to growl that this is (hopefully) an oversight in a long time and that you would really really appreciate being let off this time round. If still no joy, ask that the late fee be removed - you will pay the interest charge. And the final option of threatening to close your account and taking your business somewhere else sometimes does work. Hope this helps.

JimmyTheSaint

I tried the growling approach but the girl would not be moved! Apparently this will now be logged through there system and I will get a decision in 5 - 7 days as to whether they will give me the £12 back.

Still seems ludicrous to me that if I make a payment too close to the previous due date it is incorportaed into last months transactions. I bet if I was trying to make the June payment on the 19th (2 days late) they wouldn't have thought it was part of that months transactions.

Jimmy

Milarky

There's nothing 'tricky' about this set up: Statement around 21st and payment for that statement by the following 17th or so... Thus there is no way that a payment received before the statement can count towards the next period's minimum payment - it is simply an 'overpayment' of the minimum payment of the previous month.

.. and that would be true of every other credit card also...

JimmyTheSaint

Just to update - Halifax refunded this money to me in the end :T.

I got a grudging letter saying how it was entirely my own fault and I was charged correctly but due to their almost saintly magnanimity I could have the £12 back.

All's well that ends well I suppose....