Can 118 118 do this legally? They’re attempting to take TWO payments in ONE month

tulipchickuk

“We often review our customers’ accounts and payment dates. Our recent results show that customers are benefiting from an earlier payment date and reducing the impact of missing payments and unnecessarily damaging credit files. As a result, we’re letting you know we will be changing your payment due date from 1st to the 29th of every month. As you have a Direct Debit set up this will now be taken on or around the 29th of every month.  Your next payment is due on 29th Jul. And the amount of £xxx will be taken by Direct Debit.  Please do make sure you have sufficient funds available in your bank account to cover your Direct Debit. Any missed payments can change the status of your account pushing you into arrears and may be reported as a missed payment to the credit reference agencies.

	Thanks, The 118 118 Money Team

[Deleted User]

Yep, that's all fine.

TadleyBaggie

Not sure of their logic however, many people get paid at the end of the month and may not have the funds available on the 29th. 

wiseonesomeofthetime

Or get paid on the 1st 🤷‍♂️

Certainly don't get paid twice in the same month. Those days are long gone for me (4-weekly pay packet)

cymruchris

You could give them a call and ask them to keep it as the 1st, as you get paid on the last working day of the month, and moving to the new date would mean they are trying to take your payment at the 'end of your working month' after you've paid all your other bills, instead of at the beginning when it would make more sense for YOU, and that you'd much rather they took their payment when you have the highest balance available, which in turn would ensure your payment history was maintained. Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

Sandtree

TadleyBaggie said:

Not sure of their logic however, many people get paid at the end of the month and may not have the funds available on the 29th. 

Their logic appears to be the fact that the payment is actually due on something like the 2nd therefore by having the DD earlier if something goes wrong and you dont have the monies etc it give you an extra couple of days to find the funds and pay the credit card bill therefore avoiding late payment fees and/or late payment notifications being put on your credit history. As a card aimed at the sub-prime market they may have more customer DD bounces than your average card issuer.

[Deleted User]

cymruchris said:

You could give them a call and ask them to keep it as the 1st, as you get paid on the last working day of the month, and moving to the new date would mean they are trying to take your payment at the 'end of your working month' after you've paid all your other bills, instead of at the beginning when it would make more sense for YOU, and that you'd much rather they took their payment when you have the highest balance available, which in turn would ensure your payment history was maintained. Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

If OP knows they need to pay 118 118 £x a month, it hardly matters if it is at the start of the cycle after payday or the end, they know they need to pay it and should have the money available. If they'd spend it because it was in there due to the date being changed, that is on them, not 118. I agree the firm should be flexible but let's not start making arguments about things that OP can control

wiseonesomeofthetime

Deleted_User said:

cymruchris said:

You could give them a call and ask them to keep it as the 1st, as you get paid on the last working day of the month, and moving to the new date would mean they are trying to take your payment at the 'end of your working month' after you've paid all your other bills, instead of at the beginning when it would make more sense for YOU, and that you'd much rather they took their payment when you have the highest balance available, which in turn would ensure your payment history was maintained. Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

If OP knows they need to pay 118 118 £x a month, it hardly matters if it is at the start of the cycle after payday or the end, they know they need to pay it and should have the money available. If they'd spend it because it was in there due to the date being changed, that is on them, not 118. I agree the firm should be flexible but let's not start making arguments about things that OP can control

The way I read the OP's post is that the change means 118 are going to try and effectively take two months' payments in one calendar month.

This should only happen for OP the once but, of course, means that for that one month, 118 want paying twice while OP gets paid once.

That would seem to be OP's reasonable complaint.

MalMonroe

You are covered by the Direct Debit guarantee - info in link below -

https://www.directdebit.co.uk/direct-debit-explained/direct-debit-guarantee/

Organisations should give at least ten working days notice of any changes to direct debit payments, did that happen here? 

As you have posted this on 22 July when they are due to take payment on 29th. 

Although it's perfectly legal for them to do this (otherwise they'd not be in business very long), whenever you receive such a notification you can always phone them and say that their new arrangement does not suit your personal circumstances.

As with my energy company who are often contacting me to say they've changed my direct debit amount to a random figure. I send an email to say I don't want to pay that figure but I'll increase my payment to a figure to suit me, not them. (I'm dreading October!)

You don't have time to send an email and barely have enough time for a telephone conversation now as I feel they must have contacted you some time ago about this. But in any event I'd phone them on Monday and say it's just not on. Especially as you have made one payment already in July. 

If they have not complied with the terms and conditions of the Direct Debit guarantee by not giving you sufficient notice and then still taking your money anyway, they'll have to pay it back. 

cymruchris

Deleted_User said:

cymruchris said:

You could give them a call and ask them to keep it as the 1st, as you get paid on the last working day of the month, and moving to the new date would mean they are trying to take your payment at the 'end of your working month' after you've paid all your other bills, instead of at the beginning when it would make more sense for YOU, and that you'd much rather they took their payment when you have the highest balance available, which in turn would ensure your payment history was maintained. Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

If OP knows they need to pay 118 118 £x a month, it hardly matters if it is at the start of the cycle after payday or the end, they know they need to pay it and should have the money available. If they'd spend it because it was in there due to the date being changed, that is on them, not 118. I agree the firm should be flexible but let's not start making arguments about things that OP can control

But taking two payments in one calendar month is not something the OP can control. My suggestion was a way to ensure that this didn't occur. It doesn't matter when in the month the payment is taken - but one payment - one calendar month is only fair. 

Vinknut

They should have forwarded the next payment date to the 29th of August.

Not many people could afford to have, for example, two mortgage direct debits go out in the same month.

Whenever I've had DD dates changed (or requested a date change) it has always been worked so that there's still only one payment taken per calendar month.