Interest added in a new way to me!

Scooby1979

Hi all, I had a really interesting conversation on the phone with the halifax today.
Just for background, I have two credit cards, A tesco one to rack up the clubcard points and a Halifax clarity for holidays abroad. I have always settled in full on the occasional times I've used them and have never paid a penny interest in over 25 years.

However...... I went to settle my Clarity card which had one transaction on it to loveholidays.com.
Holiday was paid for on 2nd June, statement date 22nd June, minimum payment due 17th July. Hence interest will start accruing on the 17th July. Went to settle the card today (5th of July) and noticed there was £20.74 of interest on there.

Nothing was bought on the card the month before and no outstanding balance. 

After a ridiculous back and forth on the phone with a customer services rep for 30mins who just kept parroting "the interest is for loveholidays.com". All the while completely unable to explain HOW the interest was there.
She eventually stated that that it was because the loveholidays purchase was classed as a CASH Transaction because they are a broker, unlike TUI for example??????
Demanded to speak to a manager as I had never heard anything so ridiculous in all my life. Got the interest waived with the promise that interest accrued since the previous statement date and now, would not appear on next months bill.

Sorry for long winded post, but has anyone heard of this before? I have never in my life. Should I be lodging a complaint?

MorningcoffeeIV

What would your complaint be about? Not being charged interest? 

If Loveholidays are coding their transactions as cash, that's their issue, so send your complaint to them..

HillStreetBlues

MorningcoffeeIV said:

What would your complaint be about?

Having someone clueless answering the phone, who won't admit they are clueless.
Rather than " I don't know why you were charged interest, I will transfer you to someone that knows".

Scooby1979

What do you mean by "loveholidays coding their transactions as cash"?
Is this a common thing? The complaint would come from me !!!!!! away 45 minutes of my precious time, whoever I need to direct it at. I'm unsure and have never heard of this before, hence the question.

MorningcoffeeIV

HillStreetBlues said:

MorningcoffeeIV said:

What would your complaint be about?

Having someone clueless answering the phone, who won't admit they are clueless.
Rather than " I don't know why you were charged interest, I will transfer you to someone that knows".

That would be fruitless.

At best you'll get a 'sorry, we'll improved training ' response.

MorningcoffeeIV

Scooby1979 said:

What do you mean by "loveholidays coding their transactions as cash"?
Is this a common thing? 

Yes, it's a very common thing.

Scooby1979

MorningcoffeeIV said:

Scooby1979 said:

What do you mean by "loveholidays coding their transactions as cash"?
Is this a common thing? 

Yes, it's a very common thing.

Then how the heck do I avoid it again? Never come across this before. I would've paid by debit card if I had only known this before hand. I only paid by credit card to get clubcard points, (albeit I selected the wrong card on the autofill and used the Clarity by mistake)

zagfles

How did you pay for the holiday, online or over the phone?

Was the payment just for the holiday or did you order any foreign currency/pre paid card etc?

It was definitely interest charged and not "estimated interest" wasn't it?

grumbler

MorningcoffeeIV said:

Scooby1979 said:

What do you mean by "loveholidays coding their transactions as cash"?
Is this a common thing? 

Yes, it's a very common thing.

No, it isn't (even if it's really the case, not a fantasy of the CS agent)

grumbler

Scooby1979 said:

Holiday was paid for on 2nd June, statement date 22nd June, minimum payment due 17th July. Hence interest will start accruing on the 17th July. Went to settle the card today (5th of July) and noticed there was £20.74 of interest on there.

No, interest will start on the 2nd June if you don't pay on 17th July. The interest is waived only if the statement balance is paid in full before or on the due date.

However, you paid in time, so there has to be no interest except on cash transactions.

HillStreetBlues

MorningcoffeeIV said:

HillStreetBlues said:

MorningcoffeeIV said:

What would your complaint be about?

Having someone clueless answering the phone, who won't admit they are clueless.
Rather than " I don't know why you were charged interest, I will transfer you to someone that knows".

That would be fruitless.

At best you'll get a 'sorry, we'll improved training ' response.

I've had plenty of those

Once time when the chip and pin were being rolled out, I called up to request one sooner.

Me: can I request a chip and pin card
OP: you already have one
Me: no, I don't
OP: yes you do
Me, no, it is the just a plain plastic card .
OP: there is a chip it's near the edge of the card.
Me: no there is not, I'm looking at it now
OP: yes there is
Me, there is nothing in the near the edge,  it's just the plain old type
OP: yes there is,  it criss cross and look brownish
Me: the only way my card would look like that if I glued a bl00dy Shready to it
OP: I will pass you on you my manager
Manger: Sorry, yes you  do have old card, will send you a chip one and brief the call handlers.