While the rest of the world seems to be operating 24 hrs a day, banks and your service providers still operate on “business” days even when it comes to internet banking.
As I found out yet again, it is impossible to pay a bill, through your on-line banking service, on a weekend or holiday.
For some strange reason, a certain wireless company continues to send me the odd bill that is due on a Saturday. When I attempt to pay this bill on the date specified on my statement, my on-line bank will choose to move it to the following business day. The problem is, if I do so, I will be in default. My payment will not be processed on the Saturday because the on-line bank will not post it until the following Monday. So if I proceed they [the cell company] will charge me interest for not paying my balance on time.
Sure, you can say, “Why don’t you just pay it on the Friday”? Why should I? Don’t cell companies make enough money from me every month? Why should I pay them one day early? You can be sure their are probably tens of thousands of other subscribers doing the same thing and the company gets the benefit of earning interest on those early payments from subscribers that also can’t pay their bill on a Saturday.
You may ask, pay it at your branch? You will be surprised to hear that your branch will not post it until the following day as well.
So what can I do? Well, if I pull out my pen, write a post-dated cheque (whatever they are), stick the cheque in the mail with sufficient time to reach the companies receivable department by the Saturday, I would be fine.
How ridiculous is it that an old fashion, out-dated, environmentally deficient way of processing payments can work for weekends and holidays but I can use my computer at home?
Do the computers get shut-off on the weekends? No, they just want you to pay early so they can make an extra buck. Oh, they will tell you that its not them its their billing software. Well, I am in the software business and I can tell you that its pretty easy to see what date a bill is due, find out if it falls on a weekend or holiday, and set it to the next business day.
Just own up to your collection of extra cash and make your due date on a date that I can pay.
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On February 6, 2009 @ 7:28 pm bills bills said
same thing .always get some charge along the way ranging from interest to O/D service fees to one time charges. alot of money. not to mention further implications for credit rating and status.
On February 9, 2009 @ 11:34 am Neil said
The banks are amoral, unencumbered by a desire to be beneficial to humanity they will always seek to exploit us any way possible.
Send your complaint to some newspapers.
The government will always serve their rich masters by turning a blind eye unless publicly shamed.