Direct Debit not taken, received an 'overdue payment' text

[Waps]

I was having financial problems at the start of the month due to a late salary payment and arranged to have my regular DD payment (usually due around the 16th) deferred until the 28th when I was certain enough money would be available to pay it. Doing this was an adventure in itself with TalkTalk's labyrinthine navigation system, but all seemed to have gone through OK. The payment didn't go out on the 16th as usual and so I naturally assumed it would go out by the 28th as arranged.

It didn't go on the 28th apparently, even though there were (more than) sufficient funds in my account to cover it by then.

I have now received a 'payment overdue' text instructing me to pay by credit card. I have no objection in principle to doing so, so long as TalkTalk don't then seek to draw out this Direct Debit payment again so that I am in effect charged twice.

What guarantee can TalkTalk offer that this will not happen?

I've attempted to sort this out via Live Chat, but that was a totally hopeless exercise of deciphering which exact access codes and email addresses the agent required before they would even look at the issue.

If I'd known that it was going to be such a rigmarole asking for a one-off deferred payment, I would gladly have lived on bread and water for a few weeks and just paid as usual instead.

All I need to know is, if I make this single payment by card, are TalkTalk going to try and take it out again as a DD payment?

It's not a lot to ask.

[ferguson]

That's what i meant, yes!  

[Waps]

Oh sorry, I get what you meant now - insufficient funds on the 16th. Yes possibly that's it. 🙂

[ferguson]

OK, keep us posted and I do hope you get it sorted soon. 

[Waps]

I'm more than £500 in credit so it can't be insufficient funds. I have just checked with my bank however, and there's a notice about a problem with DDs and Standing Orders going out, apparently at their end. So problem 'solved' I assume.

I'll contact them to see what's going on and if they intend to honour the DD or not.

Thanks 🙂

[ferguson]

I can only imagine it didn't go out because of insufficient funds and they usually try again 7 days later. It is probably best to pay by card now if you can. 

[Waps]

Yes, I changed the payment date from 16th to 28th, but it described it as an option to 'defer payment' and offered me the option to do it for April, so I did.

That's odd, then. Why didn't it go out on the 16th if in theory it wouldn't let me change it until a month later? 🤔

Frustratingly I can't even remember how I finally managed to navigate my way there.

(Thanks your help, by the way)

[ferguson]

Do you mean a change in payment date? If so that will no take effect until your next bill. You cannot defer via My Account as far as I am aware. 

[Waps]

I arranged it through My Account, but it seemed to be accepted, and the fact the DD didn't go out as usual on the 16th led me to assume that it was all in hand. I didn't get any kind of email confirmation of it though, to be fair.

[ferguson]

How did you arrange this deferment?

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