Accidental Missed Payment Halifax CCard

mrwa

Hi All,
Well good news,
Wife got a text that promo rate will be reinstated.
Also just checked her account and they even gave back £12 for late payment charge.
All ended well and DD is set up now...

For future - asking nicely may help.

Gizmo247

Don't rely on the DD to fire in the first month.

Look at the next statement when it comes in and check to see if it says the payment will be collected by Direct Debit. If not then pay the minimum amount ASAP. Also check your bank account to ensure the DD is set up.

andyfromotley

Not having a go, but i am curious as to why someone would not set up a DD to pay at least the minimum? It always seems like such a no brainer to me

lisyloo

but i am curious as to why someone would not set up a DD to pay at least the minimum?

Personally I prefer to know what is going in and out and I don't like DDs that say we'll take it "roundabouts sometime".
However I am a complete control freak and check my accounts daily and have never in 30 years missed a payment. I accept there's a risk but I think it's very small in my case.
It also get messed up when there is something unexpected like a refund that the DD's don't take acount of.
So in short - I can do a better job.

I think for most people DD is a good idea.

GingerBob_3

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

^^^ This.


It's standard practice across pretty much all card companies to remove the promotional rate if you miss a payment - as will have been stated in the T&Cs. All you can do is ring them up and ask them nicely if they'll reinstate it. Also bear in mind that a record of the missed payment will have been placed on your credit file - not the end of the world in itself, an isolated missed payment will not upset most lenders, but something to be aware of.

An incredibly minor issue but it can end up getting you blacklisted (the dysfunctional CRA industry).

lisyloo

but it can end up getting you blacklisted

What do you mean?
What are the name of these blacklists?
Who keeps them? and which lenders use them?

mrwa - I think this is scaremongering and there is no such thing. Credit reference agencies (CRAs) keep details of your history and one missed payment will be marked but shouldn't be a big deal but it's obviously important to make sure there aren't repeat occurences.

chattychappy

lisyloo wrote: »

I think for most people DD is a good idea.

I don't use DDs either.

JKSandy

Setting up a DD for the minimum is a great idea if you're the kind of person who loses track of your bills etc or not very good at money management.

chattychappy

JKSandy wrote: »

Setting up a DD for the minimum is a great idea if you're the kind of person who loses track of your bills etc or not very good at money management.

Perversely, I disagree. I believe DDs only work if you do track your bills and manage your money well. In this situation, I don't think they do any harm and for some undoubtedly work well.

I think "minimum payment" DDs are a scourge for people who are not on top of their finances. People in this category have little idea what they owe, what interest they are paying or when promotional deals end. We have many posts on here from people who, months later, realise they lost a promo deal or there was some other issue on their account but didn't notice as they were on DD. For them, DDs entice them into sitting back, relaxing, and spending, without ever opening a statement. A recipe for disaster.

QuietOne

DD are great if you don't want to miss a payment but I have email notifications set up when a new statement is available and I pay it online on that day.

I find it easier and more manageable when it comes to budgeting. Only DD I have set up is for my Virgin Media which goes out on the 4th of every month or the nearest working day. I get paid on the 23rd of every month and by the 4th of the following month everything is paid and I know exactly how much I have to myself for the rest of the month.