Help, late payment and credit card interest

[Wholelottalove]

Before Christmas we took out credit card with 0% on balance transfers for 15 months and transferred our existing debts over with the idea we will be able to pay off within the 15 months interest free period. Checking it online today I realised we have been charged interest. When the card was set up, we also set up a DD to pay the monthly minimum balance which kicked in in December, but that left the minimum payment in November to pay, which DH did via debit card. However it seems it was 3 days late. We are now in position where this has breached the T&Cs of the credit card so the 0% interest for 15 months has been cancelled.

This totally negates the reason for getting the card - we were trying to tackle the debt we had sensibly by not incurring interest on separate cards, as previously we were only paying minimum balance and nothing from the capital.

I know this is DH's our fault for paying a couple of days late. It's been a really busy time, I was heavily pg at the time and we had sorted out the DD so just didn't realise until too late about this payment. TBH didn't even know it had been late until today.

Where do we stand? What can we do? I don't want to keep paying interest on this. If I phone them and argue my case any chance they will resintate the 0% offer?

Please help before my blood pressure explodes altogether.

Its always worth calling them to explain the situation. It MAY help. I've had fees repaid when I've explained extenuating circumstance. You may just have to find another card and transfer again, if this doesn't work

Some companies are better than others. I made a mistake with the payroll once which led to someone going overdrawn. His bank refused to refund his charges, even when I explained.

This happened to me.

You MUST ring them up and explain. They reinstated the 0% rate but don't leave it too late.

You have no right to have it reinstated it was good will but I did drop in the conversation that if it wasn't reinstated I would be moving the balance elsewhere!

That sounds a bit harsh.

We have a 0% deal and have had a late payment. We were charged the late payment fee - fair enough - but the interest stayed at 0%.

It's worth phoning and explaing the situation. Some companies are more flexible than others and willing to waive charges etc as a goodwill gesture in some circumstances.

Thank you, I will call them tomorrow and hope they will reinstate it.

Update - called them and they were fine about reinstating the rate. Phew. :)

I had a situation similar to this, where I was just paying the minimum each month, and planning to pay it off (or transfer to another card) at the last minute. Each month the statement said "0% until 10/11/2010" which I took to mean 10th of November. Turns out they were using American dates, so they meant the 11th of October, and banged a huge interest charge on the November statement.
I rang them up and complained and argued, (threatened to write to newspapers) and they did eventually refund the interest.