Is it legal to charge customers who don't pay by direct debit more?

I got my annual renewal form just before Christmas. On the section where it says that you can pay over the phone there was no mention of a €3 charge. I decided to pay by phone and I was told that there was no charge for the phone call. It is an automated system and you never actually speak to anyone. At the conclusion of the phone call I was told that there was a €3 charge for paying this way.
I really feel that this should be mentioned before the call or on the invoice but not after you have made the payment.

Is there some consumer body that might take my complaint about this?
 
iceman said:
I have noticed in a few utility bills that there is a 2-3 euro charge if you do not use direct debit.
I was wondering if this is legal ?
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It probably is, another way of looking at it is if you say, is it legal to offer a discount to customers who pay by DD?,
 
Mpsox said:
It probably is, another way of looking at it is if you say, is it legal to offer a discount to customers who pay by DD?,
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but it's not a discount, technically.
i also disagree with this charge but set up the DD to avoid the charge. i still get my bills so i don't see where the paper saving is. and time wise, most times you have a week to complain if there is an error = certainly not enough time! thank god nothing was wrong with my bills yet...
 
Mpsox said:
It probably is, another way of looking at it is if you say, is it legal to offer a discount to customers who pay by DD?,
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Its legal to charge whatever you want for whatever service you are offering (with certain caveats). If a company decides to 'reward' those who pay by DD, or 'penalise' those that don't its up to them, and its up to the customer to make a choice.
 
PetrolHead said:
Its legal to charge whatever you want for whatever service you are offering (with certain caveats). If a company decides to 'reward' those who pay by DD, or 'penalise' those that don't its up to them, and its up to the customer to make a choice.
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But I was only told of the €3 charge after I paid my bill.
 
What about cases where companies like BT fine you with a 'late payment charge'?

I wonder if there are any companies that do both - charge you extra if you don't pay by direct debit and still fine you with late payment charges if you don't pay on their requested time.
 
My solution to UPC's demand for open access to my account (DD) so that they could do anything they felt like to it was to leave them and go Freesat. They sent many letters looking for 18 Euro ie. 6 non payments of 3 Euro, my reply was that I had paid for the service I received.
I bought a freesat pack from Sound Store for 90 euro,the instalation was simple, I now have all channels, except RTE, and I hear that they are going free to air soon, no monthly fee, no levys no charges other than the usual license
Would you give your local supermarket free access to your bank account.
 
PetrolHead said:
Its legal to charge whatever you want for whatever service you are offering (with certain caveats). If a company decides to 'reward' those who pay by DD, or 'penalise' those that don't its up to them, and its up to the customer to make a choice.
Click to expand...

It depends on what is considered legal tender. For example, a company can't charge different prices if you pay by bank note, or coins.


The use of language is important ... A discount to DD payers can also be called a punative charge on non-DD payers. Neither description is inherently more valid than the other... both are equally valid.


(This applies to the fact too that the Irish State can't offer inducments to people to plead guilty to a crime... yet the Road Traffic act does exactly that.. reduced fines if you plead guilty. This is not fair in my view... and describing this not as an inducement, but instead as an increased penalty is unfair, and is a play on words.. it is an inducement to plead guilty... and people should never be blackmailed or coerced into pleading guilty.. they should be allowed remain silent with no threats of increased penalties until the State proves the case. But the state would rather blackmail people.. this isn't justice, although I can see how it'd be expensive for every driving offence to be in the courts.. but that's not an individuals fault)
 
Topic Reminder: Is it legal to charge customers who don't pay by direct debit more?

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