Changing Direct Debits

Why is it so difficult to change payment dates on DD? We have about 15 DD which come out over the course of the month and when I asked my bank could I change them to the first of every month, he told me that i would have to contact each company and get them to agree to change the dates. This is going to take me forever to do. Changing all of these to the first would help me and my husband as he is paid monthly and I am paid weekly and at the moment we have living by each paycheque. I asked a few people and they said it was easy to change but judging my by bank its not. Has anyone else had any problems? I am with PTSB. Thanks

Moved from Money Makeover. Please read the posting guidelines before posting again.

DD's are variable payments "pulled" from your account by the payee. Unlike standing orders which are fixed payments "pushed" by you/your bank from your account to the payee. The former need the involvement of the payee to be altered. That's just the way it is. It's not the bank's fault.

Point taken but I just wanted a bit of advice as I heard it was easy enough to do.

Just contact each payee and inform them of the required changes to the DDs. What's complicated about that?

SuserJ said:

I now realise I have to go to each company which was the answer I was looking for

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The answer was already there in your own first post:

SuserJ said:

I asked my bank could I change them to the first of every month, he told me that i would have to contact each company and get them to agree to change the dates.

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This is going to take me forever to do.

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Altering 15 DDs should not take "forever". You could write one template letter and then modify it for each payee in a few hours max.

And there is no guarantee that the payees will comply with the request.

After the fact so probably not much use as previous comments but Direct Debits give a lot of power to the payee.
Perhaps consider canceling some to regain some control over your outgoings.
Eircom for one can be initially setup and paid using existing utility option on your open24 account. You don't have to give them DD control.
Companies are not going to withdraw service if payments are a few days later than the bill issue date.