Direct Debit

[#1]

I applied to switch banks on my direct debit on January 11th.    Everything is set up as far as my new bank is concerned and they are just waiting to hear from Plusnet to claim my payment.    I have received two emails from Plusnet, one on Saturday and one this morning saying: .

'The next payment for your Plusnet broadband service is due to be taken on 2017-01-21. However, the card details saved on your account still aren't valid, or may have expired'

I have spoken to my bank both on Saturday and again this morning and they assure me everything is set up and ready to go.    However I have also spoken to Plusnet and apparently it can take up to 14 days for the direct debit to be set up, so it may not be set up in time for my next payment and will not be active until January 25th.

Other direct debits I have set up or moved are active within 5 to 10 days maximum so I fail to understand why Plusnet's system should take so long.   Is there anyone that can hurry this along so that when my next bill is produced on the 21st January it can be collected by direct debit?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately we can't hurry this along, however what I can do is refund the £1.50 non direct debit surcharge as a gesture of goodwill if the new direct debit instruction is not active in time for your next bill. At that point we'd just need to take a manual card payment for that particular invoice and then I would imagine the new direct debit instruction would be active well in advance of the next bill a month later.

I hope this helps.

[#3]

Many thanks, Harry for your speedy reply.    I hadn't realised that there would be a charge for a non direct debit payment so I'm glad i raised this query.         I'll post back next week once the payment has been taken, either by direct debit or manual payment to let you know if I require the £1.50 credit.   Thanks once again.

[#4]

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): I have changed the fix to @HarryB as per message #2.

[#5]

If you used the Current Account Switch Service, is there not an overlap during which your old bank will pass on any DD demands for payment to your new bank?

[#6]

I didn't switch bank accounts, only moved this direct debit over to an account that pays cashback on direct debits.  

[#7]

I believe that at the root of this problem is the old (very old!) billing system that Plusnet use.  Many of the interfaces to Banking services are in dire need of an upgrade to take advantage of things like the Faster Payments and Direct Debit changes.  New system in gestation for 7 years - birth predicted for later this year.

M

[#8]

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@Jonpe wrote:

If you used the Current Account Switch Service, is there not an overlap during which your old bank will pass on any DD demands for payment to your new bank?

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Unfortunately our accounts can't have more than 1 active direct debit instruction at the same time.

[#9]

@MauriceC  Have they done an ultrasound to check that the new billing system is actually in gestation?

@HarryB  If a customer switches accounts via the Current Account Switch Service and PN requests payment from his/her old bank, the old bank will pass this on to the new bank and the payment will be paid (at least for a period).  If PN have been informed of the new bank details and a new DD is set up, PN will get the payment in the normal way from the new bank.  There should never be any need for PN to keep two sets of DD instructions simultaneously.  This is of course assuming the banking industry does what it promises, and is irrelevant in this specific case since the customer, coastergrotto, already had the second account.

[#10]

I have received an email from Plusnet this morning saying:

We'll soon be taking a payment of £xxx for your service. This will leave
your account on or after 25/01/2017.

Does this mean that my direct debit is set up and the payment will go through and that I do not have to make a manual payment after all?

[#11]

I got an email from PN the same day I signed up with them saying my DD has been submitted to my bank, presumably they'd do the same when setting up a DD with your other bank; it is after all a new DD.

[#12]

Yes, I received the same email on January 11th the date that I switched my direct debit.

Hopefully Harry will get back to me on Monday morning in reply to my post No. 10.

[#13]

In the end my direct debit was collected from my bank this morning, so all was well in the end.

[#14]

Glad to hear that. Thanks for letting us know