STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I SET up a direct debit to cover my Virgin credit card payments each month. At the start of July, I checked my online statement and noticed a £9 late payment fee and £116 in interest charges had been added to my balance because my direct debit had been cancelled. I didn’t do this but both my bank and Virgin Money claim they didn’t either. Meanwhile, the fees continue to accrue more interest. T. T., by email. WHen I contacted Virgin Money, it denied liability. But after closer inspection it admitted it had cancelled your direct debit in error. It has contacted you to apologise and agreed to refund the late payment fee and interest charges and pay you £300 in compensation for the inconvenience caused. It will also reinstate the 0pc interest offer removed following the missed payment. RECENTLY I found a three-year-old email from the National Lottery saying I had won a prize. I play online and the money automatically leaves my account — but at 90, I don’t check my emails often. Are prizes paid into my account automatically, or do I need to claim it? G. B., Telford. A spokesMAn for Camelot, which runs the national Lottery, says that prizes of up to £500 are paid into a player’s online account automatically. For anything over that, you need to confirm where you want the prize money to be paid. The spokesman adds that if they do not hear from the winner after 60 days, they will try to contact them using the details they have on file. The onus is on the player to make sure these are up to date. WHEN I taxed my vehicle via the DVLA website, I was charged for paying by credit card. I thought this practice was now banned. H. T., by email. A spokesMAn for DVLA says that it has not charged motorists to pay with a regular credit card since January 2018, when — as you point out — credit and debit card surcharges were banned.

However, if you use a commercial or business credit card, you will be charged a £2.50 processing fee — which is in line with the new legislation. There is no charge for debit cards.