1 late payment - BT

SharkMoney

Hi
I have signed up for a new broadband service from BT and gave my direct debit details during the sign up. It was impossible to sign up without providing direct debit details.
I didn’t receive an email alerting me that my bill was ready, I received an out of the blue late payment notice (2 days late).
I phoned BT to pay by debit card and they informed me that for some reason the direct debit was not created.

Will this affect my credit rating? I haven’t used any service to lookup my credit file before because I’ve never been late or had problems getting credit so now I am worried.

[Deleted User]

One late payment isn't the end of the world.

You'll need to check your three files to see if it even appears.

phillw

SharkMoney said:

Will this affect my credit rating? I haven’t used any service to lookup my credit file before because I’ve never been late or had problems getting credit so now I am worried.

If they failed to let you know the direct debit had not been created then I would ask BT if they are going to report a late payment and if they are then I'd raise a complaint.
If they say they are not going to, then check all three credit files for free in a few months time and if they do then I'd raise a complaint.
If they did send you an email that the direct debit could not be setup but you missed it, then I'd still complain as I'd want them to investigate why the direct debit had not been set up.

stclair

late payments only normally register once your 7 days or more in making the payment from experience. 

MalMonroe

I'm also with BT and on their site it says, "A default happens if your bill is paid late for six months in a row. Your account will have been through the full collections cycle before we add a default. Since we’re not regulated by the Consumer Credit Act, we’re not obliged to write to you to tell you there’s a default on your account or to provide a copy of the original agreement."  So it seems you'll be okay but it's not a bad idea to keep an eye on things like this, basically just to make sure that they haven't made any errors.

Hopefully the direct debit is set up now? If that had been me, I would have been on the phone to them demanding to know why the direct debit was not set up as requested and letting them know that I was really upset as it had caused worry and distress as well as inconvenience (you having to then pay by card over the phone). Their excuse "for some reason the direct debit was not created" is not good enough.

BT always notify me when my new bill is ready and I would also expect them to contact me if there was a problem with a direct debit BEFORE the due date. They should have notified you. I have done this in the past with BT on more than one occasion - when they've made errors - and they've usually either reduced or refunded a month's bill. It really is worth complaining.

It's always a good idea to look at least one of your credit reports regularly, even if you 'have never been late or had problems getting credit' because credit reports are not always correct and besides, I like to check up on what information others are holding about me. They are your reports, after all.