Companies causing distress by removing traditional payment means

user1977

dw89 said:

It’s 1) a generational trust thing (and they’re not wrong) to give others your banking info

The same info which is on all their cheques?

RefluentBeans

With out wanting to sound rude - this seems like the whole post is bait. As others have said, names and shame the company if they are legitimately trying to cut off pensioners from paying for their water bill. Otherwise, it seems like every company I’ve just looked at (the first 20 on Google that came up) accept cheques or have a method for accepting cash. 

If direct debit isn’t an option, and the person doesn’t feel comfortable to make phone calls or using online payment portals; then contact the company and ask for an exception. It seems you already think the answer will be no. But if you don’t try, how do you know?? 

booneruk

dw89 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

dw89 said:

Very interesting to hear all of that I take it all on board and don’t have an issue myself, I use apps like most, but although I hear your points clearly, don’t disagree with them, it’s just not applicable to all…choice or not. If it’s consumer led then fair game but in my experience it often isn’t even if it’s presented as such.

Just a qu but is not a bill, paid in arrears, a debt? Therefore shouldn’t any legal tender be applicable?

Anyway, just thought I’d ask as I didn’t know and I can relate whatever back. 

Thanks all for replying

No, because it has a very specific application.

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/explainers/what-is-legal-tender

Got it. Thanks all, DD will be my suggestion though. The reticence, as I understand it, is more to do with their control of their finances and paying as and when as opposed to having money automatically taken. Again, a generation thing.

I never understand this thinking. You get a bill, don't agree with it and don't pay it with cash, or whatever method you have that gives you control = credit file wrecked, potential default etc. If you pay by direct debit, yes the money goes out but I believe you can recall it via your bank if you feel it's been taken incorrectly - then you can play the whole credit file wrecked game if you like. End game is the same.

Also, credit/debit cards have been a thing for half a century and more. 

la531983

user1977 said:

dw89 said:

It’s 1) a generational trust thing (and they’re not wrong) to give others your banking info

The same info which is on all their cheques?

Check (no pun intented) and mate.

p00hsticks

dw89 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

2childmum2 said:

My parents are in their 80s and simply cannot get their heads around online banking, anything on their phone past a text (mum only) or a call (with difficulty). It's not that they won't change, they simply don't understand how it all works however much time I patiently spend explaining. So they are gradually losing their independence. Thankfully they are with Nationwide, and they can get to the branch. Staff there are really understanding and sort out anything they need. Not all elderly people can adapt easily.

Ageuk are campaigning about services all moving online and how this is affecting older people. Scroll down on this page to see how many this affects

A home telephone became the norm in the 70s when your parents would have been in their 30s... how are they not comfortable making a call? 

That doesn't sound like not being able to cope with change but a degeneration in faculties which personally would make me worried about them trying to go into the bank and do anything on their own. I'm not implying the bank staff would be wanting to do something bad but if they've forgotten how to use a phone after 50 years of using one do they understand what they're asking the bank staff to do? My great aunt was sending money in envelopes to her long dead nephew for years before someone caught and stopped her. 

 It was easy for them to stick a cheque in the post, they didn’t need to speak to anyone, didn’t need to worry about numbers, scams or anything. Our experience is not theirs.

It's easy to stick a cheque in the post until their eye sight is so bad they cannot see to write a cheque, or their arthritis is so bad that they cannot hold a pen, or their mobility is so bad they cannot get to a post box. 

At some point in our lives things that were once easy are no longer so, and we need to start exploring different solutions...

Marvel1

molerat said:

A couple of the local small shops I use regularly - remember cash is supposed to be king in small business - went card only during the plague and have no intention going back to cash.  The time saving in not having to count and bank it and making sure there is enough change in the till far outweighs the minimal cost increase and loss of custom by those who have not moved in to the 21st century.

My local takeaway won't take card, cash only.  Luckily an ATM around the corner.

dw89

It’s funny how you find that nothing’s ever a problem in life, until it is and affects ‘you’. We’ll all be old one day and then it will be you, the link to AgeUK says it all. 

Thanks all

dumpster_fire2025

IvanOpinion said:

Cheques and cash should have been abolished a decade ago.
If that had have happened we would have had a couple of years of whinging and whining but by now everyone would be well settled into the new world and not needing antiquated or unhygenic methods of payment.

Cheques, perhaps. But if people want to pay using that method, why not? Perhaps it might get to the point that people have to pay to receive them as it won't be realistic to subsidise the equipment and staff to process them otherwise.

Cash, definitely not.

When internet connections go down, servers go down etc, companies can still trade with cash. If they only accept cards they're dead in the water.

https://moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/06/visa-outage-across-europe-/

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2015/06/natwest-and-rbs-payments-missing/

Cash is a reasonable backup to prevent this. We tell people to make sure they have a backup of their data. Why not have a backup payment method that isn't digital?

born_again

IvanOpinion said:

Cheques and cash should have been abolished a decade ago.
If that had have happened we would have had a couple of years of whinging and whining but by now everyone would be well settled into the new world and not needing antiquated or unhygenic methods of payment.

Cheques I agree with, cash.. No way.

The payment systems for cards are prone to dropping. Not just at banking end, more rare, but retailer if things like WiFi or phone lines go down & they get no connection. 
Recent experience in coffee shop, where card payments were down. Cash only. Many people had to walk out without their brew.


TBH, the older I get, the more I put regular payments on DD. No need to worry about missing or late payments.

eskbanker

IvanOpinion said:

Sometimes people need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future.

I don't think this thread is really about dragging people kicking and screaming into the future, it's more about bringing them into the present.

I do completely understand the natural resistance to change, which is likely to be more pronounced among older folk, but don't accept that the most appropriate answer is always for change not to happen, it should be more about communication, education and support, not necessarily just from merchants or banks but family and friends too.  In other words, if someone's always paid in a particular way and finds that this is no longer available for whatever reason, a kneejerk response of 'they must be compelled to continue to accommodate my preferences' isn't really the most constructive reaction, as long as a range of reasonable payment options is still provided, which, for example, recognises that not everyone has smartphones or online access....