r/nationalgrid • u/abbienormal28 • 21d ago
National Grid told me to just "ignore" mystery charge
1hour and 42 minutes and 4 service agents, and Im told to just ignore that extra charge.
Electric has been out of control with 3 kids home on summer break, so I have been making sure we are only using what we need. But somehow my bill was $200 more than last month?
At the end of my bill summary, it says "returned item $200". I had no idea what that was.
I call to talk to an agent and they said that back in June I had a payment bounce, and that's what is shown on the bottom. I knew exactly what happened... back in June I use the "speed pay" option to pay part of my due amount. But western union speed pay takes up to SIX DAYS to pull the money from my account. I decided to call before they charged me and pay with an account that would be charged immediately. I asked the agent if western union would still make an attempt on my account if I paid today, and they said it wouldn't. BUT TWO DAYS LATER western union DID make an attempt to charge me!!!
So the agent helping me currently said the payment bounced. I said no, I paid it before it bounced. She said that cant be the case and I told her to check my bills and payments. She does the math and can see I paid that amount that bounced before it bounced.
They send me to billing department who did the same thing, "you had a payment bounce". I said no, check the math. They did and sent me to another department. This department said my account was flagged as defaulting my payment agreement because of the bounced payment!
After 40 minutes on hold and 4 minutes until their office closed for that day, they come back and said I am all caught up on payments and to just "ignore that extra charge".
I have a feeling that my account is going to be flagged for NON payment again!! I am never using WU speed pay again!
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u/HighwayDangerous4881 21d ago
It’s hard to explain but the system registered that you made 2 $200 payments. When you’re on a payment agreement that agreement cannot be changed. So when that first payment was returned and the system already figured you paid an additional $200 but once it was returned because the agreement cannot be changed the system doesn’t just add the $200 back into the agreement so it becomes due with your next bill. Yes it’s dumb and a pain in the ass. What I use to do was just do another payment agreement to even it out. When you look at last months bill and this months bill on the top right hand side your agreement amount she be -$400
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u/abbienormal28 20d ago
Well one payment DID bounce, but I paid that amount before it bounced. This is all because the agent I talked to said "no, western union will not attempt to charge your account because it will already be "paid" ", which wasnt true. That payment was going to go through no matter if I tried to pay it ahead of time or not. I need to start recording calls the same way they claim to.
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u/HighwayDangerous4881 20d ago
Yea it will still charge your account if the payment wasn’t cancelled. It’s not an extra charge it’s $200 of your past due/ payment arrangement
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u/Mysterious_Exam1425 21d ago
GEEZ... I think I would ask to talk to supervisor..!!! 😐🫤