Should they apologise for adding charges to my mortgage?

[Crimebusterofthesea]

Back in August, I phoned my mortgage provider to change the date of our mortgage direct debit as the date DH got paid changed from the 24th to the 28th. I was told I could not change the date to the 29th or the 30th, as they only allow specific dates for dd's and that I could set up a standing order instead. I set up the standing order for the 30th of each month, and think it is all sorted.

Get a letter from mortgage company yesterday saying that they are charging me £23 as they did not receive September's payment. Ring them up, they say it is a problem with the bank, not them. Ring the bank. They say the 30th Sep was a Sunday, so the money won't have left until the 1st October. They say it is not their problem. Ring mortgage company again and they will not do anything. All I want to do is pay the bloody mortgage - we haven't missed a payment since we took the mortgage out and I'm furious that they won't budge in any way. AIBU to ring them back and not hang up until they sort it? I know this is really boring, but I need to know what you would do!!

I would challenge the bank on the 'certain dates for direct debits' - although perhaps it is to do with the number of days in a month. Can you not change the date to 'the last working day of each month' - I know Nat West allows this, in fact they sugested it.

I'm on hold with them now - it is beyond ridiculous. The latest date they can set up a direct debit is the 28th, because of February. They have to have a set date for a direct debit and are saying that they only way to sort it is for us to essentially make 2 mortgage payments in one month, in order for the direct debit to change to the 1st or 2nd of every month - we can't just do that. Got someone from their resolution team phoning me back. So angry.

Why can't you do the 2 payments? If the payment didn't come out do you still have the money in your account? Yes it's their fault but mortgage is one thing you don't take risks with.

Would it be possible to move it to the 1st of the month? Obviously you'd have a month with 2 payments, but they may be able to work around that somehow?

Can they not just have your card details and take the payment from your card on payday?

It is standard practise for direct debits to be unavailable on 29/30/31 of the month because of the calendar.

I would offer to pay 1 weeks mortgage (which would cover liabilities from 24th till the first of the next month) and then set dd for 1st of the month. I not sure you need to pay a full month to bring it around though.

bmw2010 - we can't find 2 mortgage payments in one month as that would mean finding an extra £750 from somewhere. They were the ones that advised me to set up the standing order on the 30th - they did not say that this would have an impact if the 30th fell on a weekend. I feel that they should allow us to miss a month in order for us to get the direct debit set up for the 1st of every month - they can just add it on to the end of our mortgage term, can't they?

Hi there, we've moved this into Money Matters. Hope you get the advice you need.

They won't allow you to miss a month, no - don't be daft!

Haunted makes a great point - could you pay from the 24th to the end of the month, and then ask them to move the payment to the 1st?

I think this is just one of those things really - I don't think they should charge you, but if you ask them to just let you miss a month you're going to come across as really cheeky.