Virgin claiming they didn’t receive my monthly payment and 0% interest taken whilst payment was made

grumbler

TheLabFather said:

Virgin is app only now,

Since when? I haven't noticed this, but I do need the app to login on my PC.

ETA: I have only current and savings accounts though. Not sure about their credit cards.

kaMelo

grumbler said:

TheLabFather said:

Virgin is app only now,

Since when? I haven't noticed this, but I do need the app to login on my PC.

ETA: I have only current and savings accounts though. Not sure about their credit cards.

It's the Virgin credit card that is app only now. They deactivated the online access a while back, around the beginning of 2021 if I remember correctly.

artyboy

I wonder if there is any devil in the detail of the T&Cs here.

Ultimately the payment has been made - yes the OP didn't include all the requested detail here but nonetheless, Virgin will have received the money. And ultimately isn't that detail effectively a courtesy to Virgin to assist them with automated allocation of payments? Or do the T&Cs state that without it, they can consider the payment not to have been made?

Ebe_Scrooge

artyboy said:

I wonder if there is any devil in the detail of the T&Cs here.

Ultimately the payment has been made - yes the OP didn't include all the requested detail here but nonetheless, Virgin will have received the money. And ultimately isn't that detail effectively a courtesy to Virgin to assist them with automated allocation of payments? Or do the T&Cs state that without it, they can consider the payment not to have been made?

From a purely practical viewpoint, how else could it work?  Virgin must receive tens of thousands of payments from customers every month.  Payments go into Virgin's account, and from there are assigned to the correct customer's account based on the customer's unique reference code.  Without the unique payment reference, Virgin can see the money coming into their account, but have no way of knowing where that payment came from.

Similar, but on a much smaller scale ... I'm a member of a sports club, and most members pay their membership fees online.  We ask them to put their name as the reference, then we know who's paid.  Sometimes people forget to put their name on the reference, so we don't know who it's from.  So it's a case of sending out an email to ask who has and hasn't paid, and trying to work it out - or just asking folk the next time we get together.

That's workable when you've got a few dozen members, but somewhat impractical if you're talking tens of thousands of customers.

artyboy

Ebe_Scrooge said:

artyboy said:

I wonder if there is any devil in the detail of the T&Cs here.

Ultimately the payment has been made - yes the OP didn't include all the requested detail here but nonetheless, Virgin will have received the money. And ultimately isn't that detail effectively a courtesy to Virgin to assist them with automated allocation of payments? Or do the T&Cs state that without it, they can consider the payment not to have been made?

From a purely practical viewpoint, how else could it work?  Virgin must receive tens of thousands of payments from customers every month.  Payments go into Virgin's account, and from there are assigned to the correct customer's account based on the customer's unique reference code.  Without the unique payment reference, Virgin can see the money coming into their account, but have no way of knowing where that payment came from.

Similar, but on a much smaller scale ... I'm a member of a sports club, and most members pay their membership fees online.  We ask them to put their name as the reference, then we know who's paid.  Sometimes people forget to put their name on the reference, so we don't know who it's from.  So it's a case of sending out an email to ask who has and hasn't paid, and trying to work it out - or just asking folk the next time we get together.

That's workable when you've got a few dozen members, but somewhat impractical if you're talking tens of thousands of customers.

I don't disagree with you, I just feel it's a bit harsh on the OP if they lose a major financial benefit due to a minor admin error. So if asking Virgin nicely doesn't elicit a good result, I would really be tempted to look at the T&C detail here

As you said, payments go into Virgin's account, so technically the OP has made the payment to Virgin. It's then a question of whether the fact it hasn't been specifically allocated to their account is grounds for revoking the 0% deal. I don't know the answer but it would be worth checking. 

I also wonder if this was pushed as a complaint, who the ombudsman would ultimately side with... it's an easy mistake to make with (arguably) a disproportionate impact. What if the OP had put the number on but got one digit wrong? Far far too easy for something to go wrong and get missed with no validation process, and the onus entirely on the customer...

binao

I do hope it all turns out ok for the OP.

 With my own accounts I am changing everything now to DDs etc. I'm not relying upon memory to transfer money from account to account  everything is being automated with DDs etc.

I'm moving  into the modern banking age totally and completely and grabbing it  wholeheartedly with both hands  including applying for new account sign up dosh.

In a few years there will not be a bank branch left on the High Street

Good luck op

Brie

Natwest will be able to provide a transaction number (might start BX and have about 20 digits??).  With that, the date, time, amount there is no reason that Virgin should have any trouble locating the payment.  Even if it was for £10 and they 300000 payments of that amount this one will be unique due to the extra info.  

Hubby has made the payment on time and that's what the T&Cs will say is crucial.  Yes he should have included the reference to make the payment easier to match but it's not a fatal mistake.  Virgin had the money on time and even if it's in a suspense account they have had the use of it so they have not lost out anything.

The thing to do is to send them an email/message titled COMPLAINT WITH FINANCIAL LOSS and explain again what has happened and that there is no reason they should withdraw the 0% as that unfairly penalises the card holder.   Include all the tracking info and ask that they confirm (within 5 days?) that they have assigned the payment to the account on the date it was paid.  And that the 0% rate is reinstated from that date as well.  Ensure you also state that you will continue to pay the required minimum payment on time as previously agreed.

born_again

Once they locate the payment. They will reinstate the 0% offer, but till then. They will not as no matter what the customer says, they have no trace of the payment.

But given the OP said "made the regular monthly payment" but used the APP. I can not see why it should not have used the previous payment details, that had the reference. Or did they simply make a new payment?

Certainly all the bank accounts I use have all payments in both online & app.

Dimanche_Prochain

artyboy said:

Ebe_Scrooge said:

artyboy said:

I wonder if there is any devil in the detail of the T&Cs here.

Ultimately the payment has been made - yes the OP didn't include all the requested detail here but nonetheless, Virgin will have received the money. And ultimately isn't that detail effectively a courtesy to Virgin to assist them with automated allocation of payments? Or do the T&Cs state that without it, they can consider the payment not to have been made?

From a purely practical viewpoint, how else could it work?  Virgin must receive tens of thousands of payments from customers every month.  Payments go into Virgin's account, and from there are assigned to the correct customer's account based on the customer's unique reference code.  Without the unique payment reference, Virgin can see the money coming into their account, but have no way of knowing where that payment came from.

Similar, but on a much smaller scale ... I'm a member of a sports club, and most members pay their membership fees online.  We ask them to put their name as the reference, then we know who's paid.  Sometimes people forget to put their name on the reference, so we don't know who it's from.  So it's a case of sending out an email to ask who has and hasn't paid, and trying to work it out - or just asking folk the next time we get together.

That's workable when you've got a few dozen members, but somewhat impractical if you're talking tens of thousands of customers.

I don't disagree with you, I just feel it's a bit harsh on the OP if they lose a major financial benefit due to a minor admin error. So if asking Virgin nicely doesn't elicit a good result, I would really be tempted to look at the T&C detail here

As you said, payments go into Virgin's account, so technically the OP has made the payment to Virgin. It's then a question of whether the fact it hasn't been specifically allocated to their account is grounds for revoking the 0% deal. I don't know the answer but it would be worth checking. 

I also wonder if this was pushed as a complaint, who the ombudsman would ultimately side with... it's an easy mistake to make with (arguably) a disproportionate impact. What if the OP had put the number on but got one digit wrong? Far far too easy for something to go wrong and get missed with no validation process, and the onus entirely on the customer...

9.3 The Minimum Payment must reach your account after your statement date and by the payment date shown on your statement. If you receive a refund to your account after your statement date, you must still pay the remaining balance or the Minimum Payment. If you pay before your statement date, your balance will be reduced but the payment will not count towards the Minimum Payment. 

I would argue that "your account" is exactly what it says, your account, not theirs and thus they would be correct in refusing to reinstate the offer/delete the adverse information if that is what they wish to do.

binao

Dimanche_Prochain said:

artyboy said:

Ebe_Scrooge said:

artyboy said:

I wonder if there is any devil in the detail of the T&Cs here.

Ultimately the payment has been made - yes the OP didn't include all the requested detail here but nonetheless, Virgin will have received the money. And ultimately isn't that detail effectively a courtesy to Virgin to assist them with automated allocation of payments? Or do the T&Cs state that without it, they can consider the payment not to have been made?

From a purely practical viewpoint, how else could it work?  Virgin must receive tens of thousands of payments from customers every month.  Payments go into Virgin's account, and from there are assigned to the correct customer's account based on the customer's unique reference code.  Without the unique payment reference, Virgin can see the money coming into their account, but have no way of knowing where that payment came from.

Similar, but on a much smaller scale ... I'm a member of a sports club, and most members pay their membership fees online.  We ask them to put their name as the reference, then we know who's paid.  Sometimes people forget to put their name on the reference, so we don't know who it's from.  So it's a case of sending out an email to ask who has and hasn't paid, and trying to work it out - or just asking folk the next time we get together.

That's workable when you've got a few dozen members, but somewhat impractical if you're talking tens of thousands of customers.

I don't disagree with you, I just feel it's a bit harsh on the OP if they lose a major financial benefit due to a minor admin error. So if asking Virgin nicely doesn't elicit a good result, I would really be tempted to look at the T&C detail here

As you said, payments go into Virgin's account, so technically the OP has made the payment to Virgin. It's then a question of whether the fact it hasn't been specifically allocated to their account is grounds for revoking the 0% deal. I don't know the answer but it would be worth checking. 

I also wonder if this was pushed as a complaint, who the ombudsman would ultimately side with... it's an easy mistake to make with (arguably) a disproportionate impact. What if the OP had put the number on but got one digit wrong? Far far too easy for something to go wrong and get missed with no validation process, and the onus entirely on the customer...

9.3 The Minimum Payment must reach your account after your statement date and by the payment date shown on your statement. If you receive a refund to your account after your statement date, you must still pay the remaining balance or the Minimum Payment. If you pay before your statement date, your balance will be reduced but the payment will not count towards the Minimum Payment. 

I would argue that "your account" is exactly what it says, your account, not theirs and thus they would be correct in refusing to reinstate the offer/delete the adverse information if that is what they wish to do.

The important word is "REACH". Last spq.

Don't badger them, they may well see the gleam of  future profitable interest and forgive you.

Sit tight and quite for now.