Late payment fee for a store card - I never got the statement to know I was paying late

[Reastie]

. Just opened a Laura Ashley store card to buy some home bits. Have been waiting for the bill for the items I bought but it hadn't materialised (I had bought a few home bits some using store card, some not, and returned some items so had started to think I had returned the items I paid for using the store card rather than my card).

Bill came today for items but with a £20 late payment fee . I always pay things off immediately in full and had never received the initial payment due letter.

Do I just have to pay the £20 late payment fee (I will if I have to but feel grating to do so given I never received the initial letter requiring payment) or do I have any right to dispute it and how would I go about doing this? What would happen if I just paid the cost of the goods minus the £20 fee and wrote to them explaining why I have refused to pay the fee?

I think they are likely to say that it is your responsibility to monitor when your bills come in etc etc but there is no harm in calling them and seeing if they can waive it on this occasion. If you have a long term account with them and a good payment history then they may refund it as a goodwill gesture. I don't think there is any point writing a letter as it could go to the wrong person and you could end up with another penalty. Give them a call and be pleasant on the phone, it will get you further then ranting! Good luck :)

Funny enough this happened to me a few years ago with a Laura Ashley store card....can't possibly be a scam can it?

I was buying a coat, at Laura Ashley's in Yeovil, and the sales assistant told me that if I took out a store card, I'd get some money off.

When I got the first statement, I had been charged for late payment. I rang the bank controlling the account (the offices were somewhere in Yorkshire), and complained. I had looked closely at the terms and conditions first before I rang them, so that I could argue that they had made a mistake, and they waived the late payment charge. I repaid all the rest and closed the account - and I've not shopped at Laura Ashley since.

Good luck!

Just an update. Telephoned them and they said they would waiver the fee as a one off as I hadn't received the bill and I've paid it all off in full. for the comments and hooked let's hope it's just coincidence our issues have both been with LA.