Solved: Don't try and Change Payment Dates!!! - Page 2

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

Goodness me. I'm a pay monthly customer for 18 months. Last month when I received my bill I needed to change my payment date and rang 202, gave them the new date, which in fact, was only 8 days later and was told all was well. The existing bill was on hold for 8 days and the direct debit would be applied then.

That was until yesterday when I received a default notice. It seems that the direct debit had not been collected because of the bank holiday? So I called 202 again and was met with a very aggressive customer service person who told me default notices are automatically issued to bad payers!!! When I pointed out that it was they who had not appled the debit and I had changed my payment date I was told it wasn't possible for the date to be changed or the direct debit not to be collected. He demanded I pay the outstanding amount instantly. I said I just needed to double check with online banking that it hadn't been paid and if that was the case I would pay immediately on line.

He rang me back immediately and again demanded immediate payment, so I just rang off. Needless to say as soon as I checked online banking I paid online.

It's unfortunate I still have a way to go on my contract because with this treatment I would be out. The service since the new year at home has been crap anyway. Lucky to get 3G indoors and of course 4G is just a laugh!!!

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

@Anonymous wrote:
Have you thought about using what's app or viber but the other parties need this downloaded too or e mail.

A lot more cheaper than mms.

Hmm. Thanks for the suggestions. With immediate family I try to persuade them to use g+ for photos etc. But I find most of the people I know very resistant to using some of the other apps, which always makes me laugh inside when we are all lead to believe how fantastically popular these apps are!

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

They are just good alternatives which in recent times have come along immensely.

Or perhaps BBM !

I personally use iMessage to send mms style messages but this is limited to iPhone users.

I just don't think a mms is worth 25p for payg and 40p for pay monthly.

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

I have changed payment dates before without trouble I know this doesn't help you but just saying it can be done properly mine wasn't so close to the original date please don't let one advisor put you off a whole network it may be worth making the complaint if you feel strongly enough about it

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

Hope all goes well from here @Anonymous

Take care

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

Just to clarify the process re collection by direct debit.

When companies process the direct debit payment run, in order for the payment to come out of your bank on the agreed date the file of payments for all customers on that date has to be sent a minimum of 2 working days BEFORE the date payment is due from your account. Many companies actually send the files up to a week or more before.

It may be the case (of course it may not be in this case to but I am thinking of others seeking advice) that the request to change payment date was made to o2 AFTER o2 had sent the files to BACS even though in the OP's eyes he/she had asked before payment was due. If that happened here then once the file has been sent it CANNOT be stopped unless the company (in this case o2) cancels the whole batch. For o2 that could be hundreds of thousands of customers. It will not happen.

Hopefully this explanation will help customers to understand that payments must be requested by o2 days before to ensure payment comes out on the due date

MI5 · ‎11-05-2014

Except that in this case it was O2 who didn't collect the payment....?

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎11-05-2014

I did state that the post may or may not have been applicable to this particular query but I had put it up to also help those searching for answers.

Usually when a DD is due to be taken and the payment date falls on a Bank holiday or weekend then payment is taken the next working day. I don't know what has happened for this particular op but it clearly isn't customer wide otherwise we would have heard about it by now.