Automatice Bill Pay FTL

[MotionMan]

I have automatic bill pay set up with The Gas Company and have had it since we moved in six months ago. Yesterday I receive by snailmail a bright red 'Past Due Payment Notice' from The Gas Co. talking about disconnection, fees and other such things. It was dated March 4, 2008.

I go on The Gas Co. website and, wouldn't you know it, it shows an automatic payment on March 4, 2008 and a balance of zero.

I called the Gas Co. today and learned that the automatic bill payments are processed two days before the due date unless it falls on a weekend or holiday, in which case it is processed the next business day.

My payment was due on March 3rd, a Monday. Two days before that is a Saturday, so the payment did not get processed until March 3rd and did not post to my Gas Co. account until March 4th - too late to stop the computer from sending me a NastyGram.

Imagine how many of these "error" Past Due notices were sent out in all of Southern California!

That is not the worst part. I asked that all references to my alleged failure to pay on time be removed from my account and not reported on my credit. The CSR said she would make a note of it on my account and, hopefully, the removal will be approved. Unfortunately, I had to end the call at that time.

I am planning on calling back in a week or two to make sure the mark is removed.

Man, the main reason I set up automatic payments is to make sure I never pay anything late. Ridikulous!!!

/rant

MotionMan

 

[Zenmervolt]

They only send information to credit reporting bureaus if you are 30 days or more overdue.

ZV

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
They only send information to credit reporting bureaus if you are 30 days or more overdue.

ZV

.

 

[HappyPuppy]

Are you always such a whiney little retard?

Just asking.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

MM :

Are you by chance using "CheckFree" and their e-Bill system ? If so, I feel your pain, had many problems with them myself.

 

[Special K]

My student loans are like that. I have autopay set up, but if the due date falls on a weekend, they don't process the payment until the next business day. It freaked me out one day when I logged in and I got a big warning saying my loans were delinquent. The CSR said that was normal and I shouldn't worry about it.

 

[redgtxdi]

Hmmm..........I've used autopay w/ So Cal Gas and never had a problem.


I wish Edison would set that up. I always have to remember to check for Edison, American Express and Discover.

EVERYTHING ELSE can be handled w/ autopay. Pisses me off!

 

[dartworth]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Are you always such a whiney little retard?

Just asking.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Are you always such a whiney little retard?

Just asking.

Thanks for the bump.

:roll:

MotionMan

 

[abaez]

Ever since the dsl company charged me $800 instead of $80 for a month I have stopped using autopay. Email message noting that your bill is due is the same, minus you having to manually initiate the payment, but you don't have to worry about stupid crap like this.

 

[Coolone]

Autopay is a crock. I've heard of and seen too many things go wrong with it. I just manually pay everything, which helps me keep tabs on my spending too.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: MotionMan
I have automatic bill pay set up with The Gas Company and have had it since we moved in six months ago. Yesterday I receive by snailmail a bright red 'Past Due Payment Notice' from The Gas Co. talking about disconnection, fees and other such things. It was dated March 4, 2008.

I go on The Gas Co. website and, wouldn't you know it, it shows an automatic payment on March 4, 2008 and a balance of zero.

I called the Gas Co. today and learned that the automatic bill payments are processed two days before the due date unless it falls on a weekend or holiday, in which case it is processed the next business day.

My payment was due on March 3rd, a Monday. Two days before that is a Saturday, so the payment did not get processed until March 3rd and did not post to my Gas Co. account until March 4th - too late to stop the computer from sending me a NastyGram.

Imagine how many of these "error" Past Due notices were sent out in all of Southern California!

That is not the worst part. I asked that all references to my alleged failure to pay on time be removed from my account and not reported on my credit. The CSR said she would make a note of it on my account and, hopefully, the removal will be approved. Unfortunately, I had to end the call at that time.

I am planning on calling back in a week or two to make sure the mark is removed.

Man, the main reason I set up automatic payments is to make sure I never pay anything late. Ridikulous!!!

/rant

MotionMan

Since when do utilities affect, let alone report to, the credit bureaus?

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: MotionMan
That is not the worst part. I asked that all references to my alleged failure to pay on time be removed from my account and not reported on my credit. The CSR said she would make a note of it on my account and, hopefully, the removal will be approved. Unfortunately, I had to end the call at that time.

Since when do utilities affect, let alone report to, the credit bureaus?

One example (PDF)

Another story.

More.

Last one.

These are not the end-all-be-all answers, but the issue does seem to be out there.

For me, the bottom line is that I do not want to have a "history" of paying late with ANYONE (especially when I signed up for a system specifically to avoid that problem).

I am always looking to refinance my mortgage (I have done it a few times recently as interest rates continued to drop) and I do not want to possibility of a ding showing up on my credit report that may end up costing me money in the future.

Then there is the principle of the thing...

Whiny Little Retard MotionMan

 

[Kelemvor]

THat's the most retarded setup of that I've ever heard. If the due date is a weekend common sense would tell you they'd take it out BEFORE the due date, not after. THat just doesn't make any sense unless they specifically did it that way to scam customers out late fees and such.

I'd consider taking that to someone for investigation. Contact your local TV station and maybe they'd start an investigation for you about how many people they do that to.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: MotionMan
That is not the worst part. I asked that all references to my alleged failure to pay on time be removed from my account and not reported on my credit. The CSR said she would make a note of it on my account and, hopefully, the removal will be approved. Unfortunately, I had to end the call at that time.

Since when do utilities affect, let alone report to, the credit bureaus?

One example (PDF)

Another story.

More.

Last one.

These are not the end-all-be-all answers, but the issue does seem to be out there.

For me, the bottom line is that I do not want to have a "history" of paying late with ANYONE (especially when I signed up for a system specifically to avoid that problem).

I am always looking to refinance my mortgage (I have done it a few times recently as interest rates continued to drop) and I do not want to possibility of a ding showing up on my credit report that may end up costing me money in the future.

Then there is the principle of the thing...

Whiny Little Retard MotionMan

Hmm.. interesting.

I've been paying my electric bill late for the last like 2 years.. :laugh:

Never even thought about it.

 

[JasonK]

I has the same exact thing happen to me. I think their autopay/website suxors. Worked fine for a few months, all of a sudden it didnt autopay anymore

 

[FoBoT]

i use online bill pay, but i never set anything to automagical , i am just to much of a control freak or too chicken

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i use online bill pay, but i never set anything to automagical , i am just to much of a control freak or too chicken

I was like that for years.

For those places that have their own autopay, I use them so that the bank cannot say it is the vender's problem and the vender cannot say it is the bank's problem. One time I actually had to conference a vender and the bank CSRs and made them argue with each other. Never again.

MotionMan