Aqua late payment

AliceBanned

I set up a direct debit to pay the minimum on my new Aqua card. The card was opened on 1st Feb. Somehow the direct debit wasn't there in time for the first payment. I know this can happen but I thought I was on top of everything. I've been off sick earlier this week with flu which didn't help. These things happen and I have quite a few cards and loans which I'm paying off so it's stressful enough.

Aqua phoned me at work yesterday and my colleague took a message as I was just coming back to my desk. She said out loud 'Aqua' is on the phone but didn't put me through. It's a bit embarrassing. Anyway later that day I got a text to say that my minimum payment had not been paid. I made an online payment of £20 (min payment £5). I only have about £200 on this card so it is not big deal but I have lost the 0% deal (only 4 months anyway) because of this. The interest rate has gone up to 34%.

I was going to use it help me pay off my overdraft ie 0% spending so I can use it for rail fares etc but I'm not too bothered. I'm just annoyed that for the first payment being late by mistake, and when I paid straight away as soon as I knew something was wrong, they can't be a bit more reasonable.

I've closed the account, am going to pay it off and would never go back to them. hopefully I won't be so desperate in the future that I need them anyway.:D

Nasqueron

FWIW if you make a single mistake and speak to them nicely they may agree to reinstate the 0% deal if it's the first time

The terms and conditions you signed would have stated they reserved the right to cancel the 0% deal if you were late however

PeacefulWaters

On what document have they said they will collect the first payment by direct debit?

I'm guessing none.

StopIt

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

On what document have they said they will collect the first payment by direct debit?

I'm guessing none.

To be fair, sometimes the first DirectDebit can be later than anticipated.


I set up a DirectDebit for PayPal for a 0% purchase, paid that months payment and the App told me the next month would be taken by DD. This was 6 weeks notice which is usually more than enough for a DD mandate to work.


I checked the day of the DD and it didn't come out so I made a payment to cover it and called PayPal who said they had been having troubles and that the DD may be delayed for a month. I also got an e-mail 3 days later saying I had a late payment charge. Cue another call where I was told this was in error and as they could see a payment made on the due date that I had made up for the DD going wrong anyway.


The DD started the month after and I made sure to pay the balance before the 0% ran out. It's the only time I've had an issue with DD but it shows it does happen with no fault other than a computer glitch.

AliceBanned

Exactly - for the first one they could make an exception in cases where the DD was set up in plenty of time but didn't take effect. It's clearly a simple mistake.


Anyway I've cancelled it as I don't see any point arguing with them. There are more reasonable companies out there.

AliceBanned

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

On what document have they said they will collect the first payment by direct debit?

I'm guessing none.

I wasn't saying that's what they said. I'm saying I set it up that way to cover myself so how could I have known it wouldn't work? It is slow systems. I would have known to pay if I hadn't set up the DD. The fact that I had in plenty of time should have meant that the minimum payment was made. When I saw that it wasn't I made the payment straight away and phoned them. If that's not enough then I think they are unreasonable.

Shakin_Steve

I only use two banks, Barclays and Tesco. Both of them text and email me whenever a direct debit or a standing order is set up or cancelled.

john2054

You shouldn't have cancelled the card Alice. The fact that the payment was made late, shouldn't really have affected anything, other than possibly your interest rate. But the fact that you have opened and closed an account, in quick succession, will leave a negative footprint. I can tell you this from personal experience!