Big mess by Council tax and bank

LunaLou

meer53 wrote: »

Why don't you set up a direct debit ?

I am now, but I shouldn't have been pushed into it like this......I'm much like my late dad and that I'd rather be in charge of my money and pay how I want too lol

NotRichAtAll

LunaLou wrote: »

I am now, but I shouldn't have been pushed into it like this......I'm much like my late dad and that I'd rather be in charge of my money and pay how I want too lol

and look where it got you...............

System

What a thoughtless comment.

I would NEVER set up a direct debit with a local council.

I suggest you pay them by standing order; that way you have control of all payments - I've rarely had a pleasant experience and when THEY have any issues, they are as obstructive and rude as possible.

NotRichAtAll wrote: »

and look where it got you...............

colsten

Heng_Leng wrote: »

I would NEVER set up a direct debit with a local council..

I have been paying my council tax by monthly DD ever since council tax became payable in 1993. So that's around twentytwo years now, some 220 direct debits (I am still on the 10 x per year DDs) . Never had a problem once. All payments were 100% in line with my annual council tax bills.

If at any time the DDs would not have been as previously advised, I would have invoked the Direct Debit Guarantee. But nothing ever did go wrong.

I would expect most people will be in similar situations - collection of council tax by DD will rarely ever go wrong, and if it does, there's the DD guarantee.

I must admit I don't know whether my post helps the OP as I am not sure I understood the OP.

calleyw

Heng_Leng wrote: »

I suggest you pay them by standing order; that way you have control of all payments -

Yes that fine if you remember to change it when the new council tax year starts.

I know someone who used a standing order and got threatened to be taken to court as they forget to change it. And we are talking less than £100.

So from what you are saying any DD is evil!!!

Yours

Calley

Hazzanet

Council tax is the only bill I don't pay by direct debit.

My council in 2008 failed to set up the DDI with the bank, tried to take multiple payments when they weren't due and then invited me to magistrates court as a result of their ineptitude, despite going into their offices sitting with customer services and agreeing action in writing with them. When I sent all of their documentation back to them to prove that, even though the DD had failed due to their problems, I had paid by BACS/FP, they withdrew from court and refunded the court fee.

Between 2008 and 2012 I paid by SO.

Believing in second chances, in 2013 I tried again to set up the DD with the council, and once again, it all spectacularly failed with the DD getting set up in May, when the first payment was due in April and the paperwork had been sent back to them in plenty of time in February.

I went back to SO as a result; forfeiting the 1% Santander 123 cashback in lieu of my sanity.

I can only wish for an experience as happy as Colsten.

LunaLou

NotRichAtAll wrote: »

and look where it got you...............

Charming!!

LunaLou

I will speak to my bank today with regards to DD and SO, But first I have to find out through the bank who requested the money back from the council.

Harveys_2

Since January 2005, the public has a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public bodies, including councils. If you request a piece of information from them, they have a duty to disclose that information, providing they hold it and it is not subject to any legally defined exemptions.

If you would like to make an FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act you can either go in, phone or email your council.

Whose your local council?

TartanSaver

Councils are notoriously slow at processing changes - if you're going to be in the same house a whole tax year and no discounts/student/benefit status, then a DD is not a terrible option. Otherwise, they will almost certainly overcharge you and take months to sort it out. When my OH became a student, I told her to cancel her DD and inform them of the change. She told them she was a student, but didn't cancel the DD, and they took three months CT before refunding her several hundred pounds. At the end of the day, it's better to owe them a small amount of money and wait until you know how much it is than have them "borrow" your money and pay it back months later.