Urgent Warning for JD williams and Jacamo Customers!

[robd4567]

Hey all,

 

Got an urgent warning for JD Williams and Jacamo customers.

 

it seems the company in a crafty attempt to get customers to agree to set up a Direct Debit

and give them total control of when and where and how much they take out of your account

have decided that as of the 7th of February 2014

customers who pay by debit or credit card will have to pay 37.68% interest

where as customers who pay by direct debit will be able to continue to enjoy interest rates at 34.1%.

 

This change means that if you want to be in control of where when and how much you want to pay

you will now have to pay 3.58% more than those paying by direct debit.

 

Surely this should be in breach of the Unfair terms and conditions in consumer contract regulations

but what a way to treat loyal customers

 

to me this is a kin to bullying either you give them control of where when and how much they take from your bank account

or you pay them more for choosing where when and how much to pay.

 

What a way to treat loyal customers JD and Jacamo just trample all over them.

 

I say we should all write to them and protest about this tactic.

 

Not very amused with them at all.

 

Robert

[renegadeimp]

Personally, at interest rates that high, i wouldn't go near them in the first place. By the way, the whole thing about Direct Debit? It's why we have the direct debit guarantee, plus i doubt they'd risk losing their licence to operate over a DD.

 

Whats more likely is they dont want to incur all the hassle with admin costs with manual payments, when a DD can be totally automated.

[robd4567]

Yes but the problem is why should you have to pay more in interest for paying them by debit card.

 

As for Direct Debit even if you cancel them it gives them the right to go back in and set them up

so for example if you were disputing an amount you owed them and you cancelled the Direct debit

all they need to do is resend instructions to the bank and they can get their money.

 

My point is that you should not have to pay more in interest for paying by debit card than you do via direct debit

after all most payment systems for paying by card are actually automated now anyway.

Personally as a former CAB advisor I think this is a pathetic excuse to cash in on people that prefer to control what they pay and when they pay it and by how they pay it.

 

I have always paid by debit card and prefer this as it gives me full control of how much I want to pay

and I always pay them on time so again is it fair to treat loyal good paying customers in this unequal way

baring in mind it creates and unequal relationship as those that want to pay by debit card will have to pay an extra 3.58% per annum

some people who only have basic bank account can't even get direct debits so because their bank is not providing a direct debit facility for their account they will have to pay more.

 

As a former CAB Advisor I would be in favour of capping interest rates anyway as they are way to high but to increase the rates just because a customer

wants to pay by debit card is bizarre they seem to be the only creditor I know who is doing that?

 

If it is about a processing fee for making a payment why don't they just do what shops do and charge a small transaction fee of 50P or something.

[renegadeimp]

Probably to discourage you from paying by debit card as they incur costs. Like i said, the norm for pretty much everything now is DD. This can be completely automated so they can cut right down on admin costs and therefore increase their profit.