Paying by credit card for new windows

toolazyto

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

ItsComingRome

I think the bigger question is why you're paying £30k for new windows?  Do you live in Buckingham Palace?

theonlywayisup

toolazyto said:

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

I'm hoping maths isn't your subject.  2% means £2 for every hundred - as has been highlighted above, £300 in surcharges for a 50% payment would put your windows at £30000.  But it is moot.  Since 2018 companies in the UK are not allowed to charge more for credit card payments.  

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/credit-cards/the-costs-and-charges-of-credit-cards/

ItsComingRome

theonlywayisup said:

toolazyto said:

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

I'm hoping maths isn't your subject.  2% means £2 for every hundred - as has been highlighted above, £300 in surcharges for a 50% payment would put your windows at £30000.  But it is moot.  Since 2018 companies in the UK are not allowed to charge more for credit card payments.  

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/credit-cards/the-costs-and-charges-of-credit-cards/

But the OP can't insist they take a credit card, so the legislation is rather moot in this instance.

theonlywayisup

ItsComingRome said:

theonlywayisup said:

toolazyto said:

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

I'm hoping maths isn't your subject.  2% means £2 for every hundred - as has been highlighted above, £300 in surcharges for a 50% payment would put your windows at £30000.  But it is moot.  Since 2018 companies in the UK are not allowed to charge more for credit card payments.  

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/credit-cards/the-costs-and-charges-of-credit-cards/

But the OP can't insist they take a credit card, so the legislation is rather moot in this instance.

The OP hasn't insisted on them taking a credit card. 

toolazyto said:

he invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. 

Do remind me of your point. 

Jenni_D

The point is that they'll remove their CC offer once they realise they can't make a surcharge.

@toolazyto can you offer to pay even just £10 on CC and then the balance by bank transfer? As long as some of the total is paid on CC then you retain S75 protection for the whole amount.

ItsComingRome

theonlywayisup said:

ItsComingRome said:

theonlywayisup said:

toolazyto said:

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

I'm hoping maths isn't your subject.  2% means £2 for every hundred - as has been highlighted above, £300 in surcharges for a 50% payment would put your windows at £30000.  But it is moot.  Since 2018 companies in the UK are not allowed to charge more for credit card payments.  

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/credit-cards/the-costs-and-charges-of-credit-cards/

But the OP can't insist they take a credit card, so the legislation is rather moot in this instance.

The OP hasn't insisted on them taking a credit card. 

toolazyto said:

he invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. 

Do remind me of your point. 

As Jenni_D has correctly pointed out, the company can simply withdraw the option to pay by credit card, thus complying with the legislation.

The OP can run off to the company and tell them what they're doing is illegal. They can rectify this by refusing to take a credit card.  The OP can't say "you must take a credit card because you previously offered to allow me to pay by credit card but you can't charge " hence my comment of the legislation being largely moot.  Or perhaps more accurately they can say this, but it probably won't do them much good.

theonlywayisup

ItsComingRome said:

theonlywayisup said:

ItsComingRome said:

theonlywayisup said:

toolazyto said:

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

I'm hoping maths isn't your subject.  2% means £2 for every hundred - as has been highlighted above, £300 in surcharges for a 50% payment would put your windows at £30000.  But it is moot.  Since 2018 companies in the UK are not allowed to charge more for credit card payments.  

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/credit-cards/the-costs-and-charges-of-credit-cards/

But the OP can't insist they take a credit card, so the legislation is rather moot in this instance.

The OP hasn't insisted on them taking a credit card. 

toolazyto said:

he invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. 

Do remind me of your point. 

As Jenni_D has correctly pointed out, the company can simply withdraw the option to pay by credit card, thus complying with the legislation.

The OP can run off to the company and tell them what they're doing is illegal. They can rectify this by refusing to take a credit card.  The OP can't say "you must take a credit card because you previously offered to allow me to pay by credit card but you can't charge " hence my comment of the legislation being largely moot.  Or perhaps more accurately they can say this, but it probably won't do them much good.

Back pedalling?

You said the OP cannot insist on paying by CC.  I didn't say they could, what I said was that the company cannot charge for a CC.  

If the company offer CC, then they cannot charge for it.  

My point stands, but I am still missing yours. 

ItsComingRome

theonlywayisup said:

ItsComingRome said:

theonlywayisup said:

ItsComingRome said:

theonlywayisup said:

toolazyto said:

I'm getting new windows installed soon. Payment is made in 3 parts and I've already made the initial 25% by bank transfer a few months back.

The company sent the 2nd bill for 50% of the cost which I'm to pay before installation. The invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. I wasn't aware of this before and 2% works out to almost £300.

I'm wondering if the consumer protection a credit card offers here is worth the additional cost? The company states their worksmanship is guaranteed for 10 years. If for example the windows are bad and cause issues months/years from now what advantage is having paid by credit card, if any?

I'm hoping maths isn't your subject.  2% means £2 for every hundred - as has been highlighted above, £300 in surcharges for a 50% payment would put your windows at £30000.  But it is moot.  Since 2018 companies in the UK are not allowed to charge more for credit card payments.  

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/credit-cards/the-costs-and-charges-of-credit-cards/

But the OP can't insist they take a credit card, so the legislation is rather moot in this instance.

The OP hasn't insisted on them taking a credit card. 

toolazyto said:

he invoice says they're happy to take credit cards but when I called them to make the payment they've said it will incurr an additional 2% cost for credit card fees. 

Do remind me of your point. 

As Jenni_D has correctly pointed out, the company can simply withdraw the option to pay by credit card, thus complying with the legislation.

The OP can run off to the company and tell them what they're doing is illegal. They can rectify this by refusing to take a credit card.  The OP can't say "you must take a credit card because you previously offered to allow me to pay by credit card but you can't charge " hence my comment of the legislation being largely moot.  Or perhaps more accurately they can say this, but it probably won't do them much good.

Back pedalling?

You said the OP cannot insist on paying by CC.  I didn't say they could, what I said was that the company cannot charge for a CC.  

If the company offer CC, then they cannot charge for it.  

My point stands, but I am still missing yours. 

I'm not backpedalling at all.

You were very clearly implying that their OP could march off to the retailer, legislation in hand, and get them to waive the fees under threat of, whatever.  There was no point in the post otherwise.

They can do that, but as I said, it's going to be largely pointless as they have the option of withdrawing the ability to pay by CC, and probably will do.

So, my point, as if it was difficult to grasp, was that there is little point in the OP trying to raise this issue with the retailer, as they won't get anywhere, and there is nothing they can do to force the retailer to take the CC without charging a fee.

TELLIT01

The alternative is to pay the surcharge and then complaint to the CC company.

Grumpy_chap

ItsComingRome said:

I think the bigger question is why you're paying £30k for new windows?  Do you live in Buckingham Palace?

That's what it cost for us to have new windows all round.

The corgis did enjoy seeing all the workmen