# MBNA via EBS Late Fees & Customer Service



## AngryPerson (23 Aug 2010)

Hi,

I took out a credit card with EBS, who use MBNA - balance last month e2K.

My statement came from EBS asking that my min payment be paid by the 15th August- which is a Sunday.  I went into an EBS branch on the 12th August and paid money off my account, in cash - e250.

My statement for this month came and it had a 'transaction' and 'posting' date both for the 17th August, not the 12th.   I had been charged a e15 late fee plus my 0% interest had been turned off and e22 worth of interest applied. My new balance is e1787 not e1750.

I rang customer service and said I had paid my bill 3 days early, in an EBS branch in cash and that if the latest I could pay my bill in EBS was the 10th then the bill from EBS should have asked for the money on the 10th.  

The woman I spoke to agreed to refund the e37 and get the 0% turned back on, however she told me 'in future I would need to learn to take responsibilty for my own actions'.

I told her EBS asked for the money on the 15th, I paid it in cash on the 12th, in their list of payment methods it only states that if you pay by cheque or in a post office that it takes 5 days to process and that I didnt accept that I was late - the statement makes no mention of how long a cash payment in an EBS branch will take.  I would assume paying cash in an EBS branch on a credit card issued to me from EBS would be a same day transaction, or nect day at least.

She kept telling me I needed to 'take responsibilty for my actions in future' and I kept saying that I wouldnt admit to anything as I didnt feel I was late paying.

She told me then that as I had 'continued to talk across her' that although she had removed the e37 worth of charges from my account she was now going to *reapply* them.  

I pointed out that this amounted to her charging me e37 for not agreeing with her, but she wouldnt budge has refused to remove them again (though they had previously been removed).  I asked to speak to her supervisor.  She went off the line for ages, came back on and said that they had agreed to turn back on the 0% interest but would not remove the late fee as I had talked across her.  Ive asked for a manager to call me back and am still waiting.

1) How can paying in Cash in an EBS branch, on an EBS card need 5 days to be applied to my account?  Why do they not say in the statements from EBS that cash payments in their own branches will take 5 days to process?  The money was due on a Sunday, theres no way of getting it applied to my account on a Sunday. - and with 5 days to get the money on to my account then really the latest I could pay is more like Friday the 6th.

2)  Can they remove charges from my bill and then reapply them if I wont agree with them that I was in the wrong?

3) If I pay EBS in time and EBS take 5 days to get the money to MBNA why am I charged the late fee?


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## Brussels (23 Aug 2010)

Is the Credit Card and EBS branded card or an MBNA branded card?. If it is an ebs cc and you lodged cash to it in an EBS branch they are obliged under legislation to value date and make that money available immediately.


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## SlurrySlump (23 Aug 2010)

You have been treated disgracefully. Get on to EBS and lift them out of it. I would also look for an apology from the MBNA spokesperson. I hope you got her name?

I was debiting my current account in the Ulster Bank last week to pay my Ulster Bank credit card. The cashier went out of her way to make sure that the payment was sent *same day value* rather than remitting the credit transfer portion of my credit card bill.

If the Ulster Bank can do this I do not know why the EBS cannot do this aren't you being charged enough by them?


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## AngryPerson (23 Aug 2010)

The card says is branded both EBS and Visa - though the statements say that if you want to pay by post to send the money to MBNA, and when you ring the EBS credit card line (which says welcome to the EBS credit card line) the staff you deal with are employees of MBNA.

I do have the name of the girl I dealt with.  To say I am angry is an understatement - My choices were agree that I was wrong and confirm like a child that I wouldnt do it again in future, or have e37 applied to my account.


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## Mpsox (23 Aug 2010)

Brussels said:


> Is the Credit Card and EBS branded card or an MBNA branded card?. If it is an ebs cc and you lodged cash to it in an EBS branch they are obliged under legislation to value date and make that money available immediately.


 
The legislation is the Payments Services Directive.

I Suggest you make a formal complaint to both EBS and MBNA, pointing out the errors they have made, that their policy is in breech of the Payments services directive, name the staff member involved and request that all relevant charges be reversed, all interest payments charged for the 3 day delay be reversed and that they offer you a suitable sum in compensation for you inconvenience. State in your complaint that unless you receive an appropriate response you will have no choice but to raise a complaint with the Financial Services Ombudsman


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## AngryPerson (23 Aug 2010)

Thanks a million for the replies, I will do exactly that.


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## Towger (23 Aug 2010)

mpsox said:


> the legislation is the payments services directive.


 
+ 1
BTW This is who you shoud be writing to in MBNA: 
Will Curley,
MBNA Europe Bank Limited,
Dublin Road,
Carrick on Shannon,
Co. Leitrim.


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## AngryPerson (23 Aug 2010)

Hi again,

I just checked my credit card statement - its on EBS headed paper and refers to the credit card as 'Your EBS credit card'.  As stated previously its branded EBS and Visa on the actual card. 

I rang EBS complaint line just now though and asked if they were in breech of the PSD for not transferring my payment made on the 12th on time to MBNA.  Again, I was told no _I_ was in the wrong not them, as the money has to get from them to the 'service provider' MBNA and that can take 3-5 days. Thats not stated under the list of ways to pay - it says nothing aout paying in cash in the branch.

I dont have a current account with EBS, I only have an 'EBS credit card' and I paid cash - is it my fault or EBS's fault that the money didnt get to MBNA on time?  I paid EBS on time based om the date given to me on the statement. and I paid cash - its an electronic system surely?


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## Blackberry (23 Aug 2010)

Definite breach of PSD as the payment was made in cash.


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## AngryPerson (23 Aug 2010)

Great to know, thanks everyone who took the time to reply.  fingers crossed I get a result!


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## AngryPerson (24 Aug 2010)

Sorry, its me again - does anyone have a link to or an excerpt from the part of the PSD that deals with cash payments?  just if they bother to ring me today, and to help me draw up by complaint letter I would like to be able to quote it!

Thanks.


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## Brussels (24 Aug 2010)

_The relevant regulation is below. Its quiet simple, if a consumer lodges cash to his payment account (a CC is a payment account) the payment service provider must value date thye amount and make it immediately available to the consumer. Immediately is taken to mean on the same day. 
 the full text is available here http://www.finance.gov.ie/documents/publications/statutoryinstruments/2009/si38309.pdf
Cash placed on a payment account.​_87. (1) Where a consumer places cash on a payment account with a payment service provider in the currency of that account, the payment service provider shall ensure that the amount is made available and value-dated immediately after the time of receipt of the funds.​


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## SoylentGreen (24 Aug 2010)

I must say it is typical of the EBS to have people answering the phone who don't know what they are talking about. It's ann EBS Visa card and they should deal with your complaint.


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## Luckycharm (25 Aug 2010)

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago with Ulster bank and ulster bank visa card. I transferred the money online from my bank a/c to clear the balance on my Ulster bank visa card 2 days prior to cutoff date- it took 3 days to get to them both part of the same bank. I got charged late fees etc- they were not sympathetic so ended up closing Visa card and Ironically have an MBNA one now!!


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## Joe Q Public (26 Aug 2010)

They are way worse.


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## Bronco Lane (26 Aug 2010)

SlurrySlump said:


> I was debiting my current account in the Ulster Bank last week to pay my Ulster Bank credit card. The cashier went out of her way to make sure that the payment was sent *same day value* rather than remitting the credit transfer portion of my credit card bill.


 
Depends on the cashier that you get. It has never been done for me in Stillorgan branch. It has been only done for me by one cashier in Blackrock branch. (Ulster Bank). The others couldn't be bothered. They don't even bother to put the right code on the transaction so that it will appear on my statement as a credit card payment. They just key in the sorting code.


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