payment query - o2/carphone warehouse

[csc2ya]

Just a quick query on whether what carphone warehouse are doing is legal or not.

 

I'm in an 18 month contract with them on o2 at the moment.

 

I've had problems in the past with regards to payment meaning the account was suspended, but they've been resolved, and i'm now making regular payments.

 

However, what CPW have started doing, is producing the bills at the beginning of the month, but not sending them out until towards the end of the month (I assume they're sending all customers bills out on the same date, regardless of the date they are actually generated).

 

I am currently unemployed, and have been for about 2 years now, mainly through no fault of my own (everything I apply for turns me down at the moment + transport problems, blah blah blah)

 

The way i'm paying the bills, is going into town, and getting the money out of my savings account (payments of JSA go in once every two weeks), then giving that to my father. He then writes a cheque to CPW on my behalf.

 

Usually, I would have about 25 days to make payment to CPW, if they were sending the bills on time. At the moment, I'm getting the bills each month with about 5 days to pay it, and the payment is usually getting to them late as a result (I even had a message from them asking me to contact them regarding payment the day after it was due this month, despite the payment being sent a few days before...they hadn't recieved it yet though).

 

What i'm wondering, is whether this is legal. It's my belief, that companies have to give you a certain amount of time to pay bills (that's logical obviously).

 

Like most poeple, I only send payment, once I recieve the bill (mainly in case there are any additional charges, and also through principle).

 

I haven't contacted them regarding it yet, as it hasn't affected anything yet (phone hasn't been barred due to it, and it hasn't affected my credit rating...as far as i'm aware...haven't bothered checking as I don't care at the moment, and that's well and truly shafted anyway I believe).

[buzby]

It's 'legal' but it's unfair - and part of a grand plan by ALL firms to have their bills treated as being payable on receipt, and not giving customers any chance to have it sitting on the mantlepiece awaiting some future date to pay.

 

Both BT and VM can take up to 2 weeks to deliver a bill, and I guarantee these are printed and left until passing to TNT for delivery. Eventually.

 

They will soon be charging more - actually charging you for sending a bill, but the way eound this is to view your bill online, so you have the knowledge of the bill amount on the day it is calculated, which does much to restore the time between knowing and paying.

[csc2ya]

Unfortunately, i'm not able to view my bill online, as I don't have an account I can use for the direct debit (CPW insist on payments by direct debit to get an online account so you can view bills online)

 

I have got an account I could use, but due to previous problems with the bank that provided it (having JSA wrongly taken from the account to cover charges....now resolved), i'm no longer using that account at all.

 

I have a savings account with another bank that i'm using for everything, but they won't give me a debit card, or the ability to pay via direct debit from the account.

[buzby]

Your savings account should allow you to pay by Direct Credit (BACS). Where you give the payee details Sort and Account number, and the payers reference - and the money transfers electronically. This is not a Direct Debit, which is usually blocked from Savings Accounts - and rightly so.

Edited July 28, 2009 by buzby