Barclaycard and dodgy tricks

[Zirax]

Now Barclaycard have been sneaky in the past, but I am seriously considering switching banks over this.

As you all know I brought my house in June, and the mortgage payments started in July. Take a look at these payment dates for Barclaycard (mortgage is coming out of my Barclays account).
all dates pre July 07 - between 13th to 15th of the month
July 07 - 9th
August 07 - 6th
September 07 - 3rd
October 07 - 3rd
October 07 - 30th

What they have done is move november's payment into October, so yep there will be another payment in November around 25-30th. So in the space of a few months, my payment date has moved back 15 days. Coincidence? I think not. I checked with Barclays as two payments in a month is just stupid, their reply "that's when the computer did it"

erm, no in banking everything happens for a reason, this being that they are trying to deliberately put me in difficulties thereby stinging for late payment / interest. Now I manage my money well enough that this little tactic of theirs will have no impact, however you can clearly see what they are upto.

Just check your payment dates if you are with Barclays as this really stinks. I'll go back to Natwest as its really not on. At least they could stick to a payment date of the 9th month in, month out.
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edit: Just remembered something else. I tried to pay with my debit card while I was on the phone to them, it declined. A few mins later I get a call from the fraud department.
"Mr Zirax, your visa card number X was used in an attempted payment for Visa credit card number X, under the name of Zirax"
"Yes, that was me"
"So you are saying that the card in the name of Zirax, was correctly used to pay off credit card in the name of Zirax"
"Well the two accounts are directly linked, aren't they"
"Well no they aren't"
"Check your computer screen, think about what you just said to me"
"You used your debit card, to pay off your credit card?"
"Yep, just like I do every month"

*sigh*

[Mark]

If personal experience is anything to go by (see below), then all the banks seem to be wanting to screw people over credit cards now. It all started with the overdue fees ruling though I'm sure they were just looking for an excuse, and boy did they get one. All this credit malarky over the summer has just given them an excuse to turn the screw some more.

After having Egg raise my APR from 15.9 to 21.9 for no obvious reason (I cut that card up as I had a second Egg card with the original 15.9 APR), my own bank recently did the same after all the time I've been with them (and I pay fees for my banking too). It was around the date my account went 32p overdrawn so it's possible the two were related, but I have/had the highest possible credit rating before that.

Well Meh to them, I now do my very best to avoid interest payments on the CCs. I'll keep the Lloyds one as an emergency card, but I've moved over to the Post Office as my primary card. I think I have the grand total of £100 across all four cards I still have (I'm minded to close two as they're just sitting in a drawer unused and I know at least one now has a habit of charging fees for unused cards).

I'll be glad when all my non-mortgage debts are repaid. I do weekly calculations of how soon I can get them paid off now.

[Zirax]

I should add that I clear the balance fully each month, but certainly in October they are thinking that I might forgot the new date or be tipped over the edge :/

Just checked my APR if I was to miss a payment 31.3% Yikes that would seriously sting if you missed the date.

[Desmo]

Never trust banks. It's another reason I check my account daily.

[BBx]

Banks and CCs are rubbish sometimes.

My mortgage comes out on the same day every month.

BB x

[Mark]

My mortgage is paid by standing order. It has to come out on the same day. It's the law. Or something.

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Mark

My mortgage is paid by standing order. It has to come out on the same day. It's the law. Or something.

That's just the difference between a standing order and a direct debit. A standing order is you/your bank giving money out to another account. You say when and how much. A direct debit basically allows a company to take what they want, when they want.

[Rich_L]

Aye I don't like Direct debits at all (despite paying for nearly all bills by DD..), if somethnig goes wrong with your Bill you're in a far stronger negotiating position if you withold payment rather than trying to get the money back!