Bill payment date changed

[suzieblooz]

Just got my Virgin bill in and it says the payment has to reach them by 8 April. It's always been the 15th and I've received no communication to say they are changing the date, apart from on the bill. I don't pay by D/D, but have always paid on time.
Has anyone else had the date changed? Or are they hoping no - one notices and they can rake up a fortune in late payment charges.
Oh, haven't phoned their ''customer service'' to ask why,as last time I phoned with a problem I was passed through so many different people with so many different accents I just about lost the will to live!!

[tiglet]

I know they are updating their billing procedures, so this may explain it.

[suzieblooz]

Thanks for reply Tiglet. Even if they are updating their billing procedures should they not have to give advance notice of a month if the payment date is changing?
I now have to find this money for Tuesday, which is before pay day - rather than a week on Tuesday (which is after pay day).

[tiglet]

Have you tried calling them and saying this is inconvenient and you haven't had any notice?

[suzieblooz]

No, not yet. I detest phoning them, but I suppose I could find a spare 2 hours tomorrow to hang on the phone waiting for an answer! I wondered if maybe it's because I don't pay by D/D that they changed the date, but it shouldn't really make any difference.

[tiglet]

It shouldn't - but .... come on, you know the song

[suzieblooz]

yep sure do... - and for the fiver I pay for not using D/D, I should get to chose the date I pay!

[tiglet]

They should be phoning you to ask when it's convenient!!!

[suzieblooz]

Good idea wonder if they'd agree!!
I am going to phone them though, because a lot of people could get caught out with this and land up with a £10 late payment charge. I'm thinking of just donating my entire wages to British businesses every pay day - they obviously need them more than me.

[tiglet]

I already am.

[suzieblooz]

Phoned them to ask why my payment date had changed. She said it was because the bill was produced on the 19th March, whereas it's normally produced about the 22nd. I told her the 8th was inconvient as it was before pay day and basically my choice was buy a weeks shopping or pay Virgin. She said I could wait and pay on the 15th. ''Fine'' says I, ''Does that mean I would get a £10 late payment charge?''
''Yes'' says she. So I said that wasn't very fair as they'd changed the date and had given no advance notification. So she put me on hold, then came back and said I could pay on the 15th and that I shouldn't get a late payment charge. If I do I can phone up and get it refunded, as she has put a note on my account. So sorted for this month - will need to see what happens next month. All I can say is Thank God I cancelled the D/D, cos I wouldn't have checked the payment date.
So all you D/D payers out there - CHECK THE DATE ON YOUR BILL IN CASE THEY TAKE IT OUT EARLY.