Company wasn't taking the direct debit

BoGoF

If you somehow think you are going to get out of paying this debt then you are going to be disappointed. You may be able to arrange a payment plan - but would suggest you drop the attitude when speaking to them about it.

trex227

If I was in your position I would be making a complaint to the provider ASAP. Who knows, they may be able to recall the debt from the collection agency and agree a payment plan with you.

I don’t know who your provider was but for example Sky say they try and resolve complaints when you call, otherwise you can write in. If you’re not happy when you get their final response after their investigation you can go to an independent dispute resolution service.

If you don’t get anywhere with calling then make a written complaint. If I were you at this point I’d be trying to get money together to pay it so it doesn’t increase. You did receive the service but it is their error payment wasn’t taken so I’d be hoping to get a bit back as compensation.

The only organisations I have experience of complaining to are banks so not sure how successful you will be, but got to be worth a try.

Ergates

Shropshireguy wrote: »

This may not be the correct place, but i was just wondering collectively what the views were on the following ....

I had a Satellite broadband subscription, £90 a month (was an unlimited data plan etc) and had it since 2013, just over a year ago the company changed ownership and name etc, which wasn't any concern or problem, but at that time my monthly direct debit stopped for whatever reason (without my knowledge, ie something must have happened during the changeover)

Anyway, in January i left the company, i gave them a call and gave my months notice, no problems at all, they cancelled the service, everything all as it should have been, but a few months later i get a letter from a collection agency saying i owe them around £1300!

I spoke with them to find out why when i had cancelled it, and equipment had been collected by them so it couldn't have been for that, and they told me that it was the direct debit that had stopped over a year previous to me cancelling the service!

Now firstly, i have checked old statements and they are correct, the money has not been going out of the bank, so i know know that i do owe that money, but they are just dealing with it through a collection agency and demanding the money and threatening court etc

My question is, have the done anything wrong that i can pull them up on, not to get out of paying, but to get the collection company to stop calling and sending letters and allow time to pay etc

To have the direct debit stop, and as a company not saying anything to me about it seems like a ridiculous thing to do, not one phone call or letter in all of that time. They continued to send the invoice each month which only had that months charge on it and didn't mention arrears, and even when giving my notice and stopping my service nobody mentioned anything about a final balance being due etc, even after i left, it wasn't them who contacted me, the first thing i knew about it was a collection agency letter

I know plenty of people will say that i should be looking through the bank statements to see what is going out etc, but when you look through the statements you look for charges that shouldn't be on there, not ones that are missing, with so many things going out you don't really think that something won't be taken, and even if you did, you would expect a letter, call, or even cutting the services until you paid.

Is there anything that they can be pulled up on when i am negotiating the payment plan to stop them from trying to demand it all?

There isn't much you can do to *stop* them demanding it all - as you owe it.

However, there is nothing to stop you asking them to spread it out. Point out that you're in this situation because of their failure and that it would be good customer service to work with you.

SlovakianGuy

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

It is your responsibility to make sure you pay your bills.

But isn't there such thing as Direct Debit Guarantee? Aren't you protected in the case something goes wrong with DD?

[Deleted User]

SlovakianGuy wrote: »

But isn't there such thing as Direct Debit Guarantee? Aren't you protected in the case something goes wrong with DD?

The money is still owed regardless.

They’re not going to strike it off.

colsten

SlovakianGuy wrote: »

But isn't there such thing as Direct Debit Guarantee? Aren't you protected in the case something goes wrong with DD?

The DD guarantee is not designed for the situation the OP is in. It's for when you have been charged too much and/or to soon, not when you haven't been charged at all.

https://www.directdebit.co.uk/DirectDebitExplained/Pages/DirectDebitGuarantee.aspx

colsten

Shropshireguy wrote: »

Sadly i am too busy to be sitting there with a list of payments and checking the bank

You are not too busy though to use a service that you don't pay for.

Bottom line is, you are not in control of your spending. You would be wise to use a personal finance manager, or at least a spreadsheet or pen & paper, and record recurring payments in your budget. Then compare the actual spending with your budget. Do that at least once a month.

As far as the satellite broadband bill is concerned: pay it, you have used the service. If you don't pay it, you might end up with a CCJ which will wreck your credit record for the next 6 years.

Zero_Sum

Shropshireguy wrote: »

Did you read the post???

The direct debit was set up in 2013, it had been going out every single month since then, up to mid 2017 when the company cancelled it, without a letter or phone call or anything to say so

Money was NOT going out, hence the money owed, i didn't feel a need to sit there each month checking that the company who had been taking the direct debit for 3 years might have suddenly stopped taking it for some reason

I thought this forum might be useful, guess i was wrong

This is a great forum, its just that you're getting a bit huffy cos you dont like the home truths that you are being told.

Im in a sort of similar situation with Sky as they havent taken the DD for a new mobile device. The first month i assumed it was just a timing issue so left it. The 2nd month I phoned them up to find out why (turns out it was an admin issue with the courier)

I assume you're a grown adult, and as such have a responsibility to manage your finances. You know when your DD's are due, it takes less than 5 mins to log on to online banking for a quick check.

This reminds me of the tale of the person who sent off a cheque for some bill but the organisation didnt cash it for 4 or 5 months. The person then just spent the money after month 2, so when the cheque was cash it left them a bit skint. They tried to then get compo for the cheque being cashed late even though they knew fine well they had this pending transaction hanging over them.

sal_III

Shropshireguy wrote: »

Did you read the post???

The direct debit was set up in 2013, it had been going out every single month since then, up to mid 2017 when the company cancelled it, without a letter or phone call or anything to say so

Money was NOT going out, hence the money owed, i didn't feel a need to sit there each month checking that the company who had been taking the direct debit for 3 years might have suddenly stopped taking it for some reason

I thought this forum might be useful, guess i was wrong

If you don't have £1300 "spare" to settle the debt in full, and by your own account are pretty much zeroing your account each month, £90/m is not an insignificant amount to just not notice you have available to you each month.

At the very least when you went out to close your account you should have checked your account balance (most people tend to do that).

Bottom line is, you owe the money. The best thing you can hope for is to setup a payment plan before you do even more damage to your credit record.

MEM62

Shropshireguy wrote: »

I didn't feel a need to sit there each month checking that the company who had been taking the direct debit for 3 years might have suddenly stopped taking it for some reason

That one statement alone is not going to gain you much sympathy. You claim that the DD was stopped 'without your knowledge'. It clearly wasn't and your bank statements would have reflected this. If your personal policy is only partially check them then you are leaving yourself open to issues such as the one you are currently dealing with.

Shropshireguy wrote: »

I thought this forum might be useful, guess i was wrong

It is extremely useful for a lot of people and the advice you have been given is sound - even if some respondents are more direct in the way the word their advice than others.

Maybe it is not unreasonable for you to have expected some previous correspondence from the supplier on the issue. I am also a little surprised that they did not suspend the service considering how long the DD remain unpaid for. However, neither of these afford you any leverage against the more robust collection measures now being taken.

Unfortunately, you'll just have to suck it up and pay it.