Tesco credit card, payment dates and direct debit

[Mike]

I'd be interested in any comments on this:

I have a Tesco credit card and the monthly statements are arriving
closer and closer to the payment date. This month's statement arrived
today and the payment date is next Tuesday. That's a very tight
timescale if one sends a cheque in the post and impossible to meet if
one happens to be away for a few days.

As it happens, I pay the full balance each month by direct debit so
arranging payment on time isn't a problem but there's still the issue
of making sure there's enough in the current account to meet the
payment. The direct debit rules say that suppliers "should" provide
10 working days' notice of the payment amount but this doesn't seem to
be an absolute requirement. But providing 2 working days' notice
strikes me as inadequate. Any comments?

I may give their call centre a ring about this but I'm always aware
that call centre agents don't make the policy and it seems very
difficult these days to make contact with anyone in a large
origanisation who has the power to do anything (other than writing the
the Chairman or MD).

Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just cancel the card? As
a point of comparison, I have a Nationwide credit card on the same
arrangement (full payment by direct debit) and they give almost a
whole month's notice of the amount due.

Mike.

[Robin T Cox]

Post by Mike
I have a Tesco credit card and the monthly statements are arriving
closer and closer to the payment date. This month's statement arrived
today and the payment date is next Tuesday. That's a very tight
timescale if one sends a cheque in the post and impossible to meet if
one happens to be away for a few days.
As it happens, I pay the full balance each month by direct debit so
arranging payment on time isn't a problem but there's still the issue
of making sure there's enough in the current account to meet the
payment. The direct debit rules say that suppliers "should" provide
10 working days' notice of the payment amount but this doesn't seem to
be an absolute requirement. But providing 2 working days' notice
strikes me as inadequate. Any comments?
I may give their call centre a ring about this but I'm always aware
that call centre agents don't make the policy and it seems very
difficult these days to make contact with anyone in a large
origanisation who has the power to do anything (other than writing the
the Chairman or MD).
Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just cancel the card? As
a point of comparison, I have a Nationwide credit card on the same
arrangement (full payment by direct debit) and they give almost a
whole month's notice of the amount due.
Mike.

I've written stiff letters to MDs before, and they work rather well.

It's worth a try, especially as so many MDs are surrounded by people who
protect them from the reality of what's happening to their business. They
are sometimes quite shocked to discover what has been going on, and their
follow-up action can produce very effective results.

Mark the letter personal, and send it recorded delivery.

Maybe too the following web site will give you some ideas:

http://www.howtocomplain.com/cgi-php/forums.php3

[Mark]

Post by Robin T Cox

Post by Mike
I have a Tesco credit card and the monthly statements are arriving
closer and closer to the payment date. This month's statement arrived
today and the payment date is next Tuesday. That's a very tight
timescale if one sends a cheque in the post and impossible to meet if
one happens to be away for a few days.
As it happens, I pay the full balance each month by direct debit so
arranging payment on time isn't a problem but there's still the issue
of making sure there's enough in the current account to meet the
payment. The direct debit rules say that suppliers "should" provide
10 working days' notice of the payment amount but this doesn't seem to
be an absolute requirement. But providing 2 working days' notice
strikes me as inadequate. Any comments?
I may give their call centre a ring about this but I'm always aware
that call centre agents don't make the policy and it seems very
difficult these days to make contact with anyone in a large
origanisation who has the power to do anything (other than writing the
the Chairman or MD).
Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just cancel the card? As
a point of comparison, I have a Nationwide credit card on the same
arrangement (full payment by direct debit) and they give almost a
whole month's notice of the amount due.
Mike.

I've written stiff letters to MDs before, and they work rather well.

Only sometimes IME.

Post by Robin T Cox
It's worth a try, especially as so many MDs are surrounded by people who
protect them from the reality of what's happening to their business.

and who also protect them from your letters....

Post by Robin T Cox
They
are sometimes quite shocked to discover what has been going on, and their
follow-up action can produce very effective results.

If they ever even read your letter.

Post by Robin T Cox
Mark the letter personal, and send it recorded delivery.

Makes little difference IME.

[Alex]

Post by Mike
I have a Tesco credit card and the monthly statements are arriving
closer and closer to the payment date. This month's statement arrived
today and the payment date is next Tuesday. That's a very tight
timescale if one sends a cheque in the post and impossible to meet if
one happens to be away for a few days.
As it happens, I pay the full balance each month by direct debit so
arranging payment on time isn't a problem but there's still the issue
of making sure there's enough in the current account to meet the
payment. The direct debit rules say that suppliers "should" provide
10 working days' notice of the payment amount but this doesn't seem to
be an absolute requirement. But providing 2 working days' notice
strikes me as inadequate. Any comments?
I may give their call centre a ring about this but I'm always aware
that call centre agents don't make the policy and it seems very
difficult these days to make contact with anyone in a large
origanisation who has the power to do anything (other than writing the
the Chairman or MD).
Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just cancel the card? As
a point of comparison, I have a Nationwide credit card on the same
arrangement (full payment by direct debit) and they give almost a
whole month's notice of the amount due.

It may (or may not) be interesting to see what happens when Tesco bring
it in house now they've bought out RBS. FWIW, my statements regularly
arrive at least 2 weeks before the payment date. The latest arrived on
Saturday (statement date is 27th), with the DD due on the 15th.

[Mike]

Post by Alex
It may (or may not) be interesting to see what happens when Tesco bring
it in house now they've bought out RBS. FWIW, my statements regularly
arrive at least 2 weeks before the payment date. The latest arrived on
Saturday (statement date is 27th), with the DD due on the 15th.

I had an interesting conversation with one of their call centre
agents, who was well-informed. Apparently, some Tesco credit cards
have reasonable statement-to-payment intervals and some don't. Those
that don't are the type they apparently have difficulty making a
profit on, such as their "Clubcard" credit card that effectively
provides a cashback on purchases. However, there have been so many
complaints that they're adding a week to the interval from next month.

It also transpired that direct debits are collected six working days
before the last date for cash settlement "to make sure the payment
arrives in time". I thought that a little odd.

Mike.

[Ronald Raygun]

Post by Alex
It may (or may not) be interesting to see what happens when Tesco bring
it in house now they've bought out RBS.

Er, what? Tesco have bought out RBS?
Tesco are pretty big, but not *that* big, surely.

[Alex]

At 08:35:09 on 04/09/2008, Ronald Raygun delighted uk.finance by

Post by Ronald Raygun

Post by Alex
It may (or may not) be interesting to see what happens when Tesco
bring it in house now they've bought out RBS.

Er, what? Tesco have bought out RBS?

Quite.

Post by Ronald Raygun
Tesco are pretty big, but not that big, surely.

Well they're about halfway there.