Supplier has changed payment method with no notice

A question about : Supplier has changed payment method with no notice

Hi I wonder if you can help. My daughters nursery used to be owned by the local council and I paid monthly, by credit card, online via the council's website.

In July I received a letter stating that the current manager of the nursery was in the process of buying the nursery and that the manager would notify us when complete and we wouldn't notice any changes etc etc.

Today I was informed by nursery staff that this had now happened and was given an invoice for payment due immediately. When I enquired if I could pay by credit card, as usual I was told no. Their new payment terms are cheque or online banking only. As a one off I could pay by cash this month.

Obviously having paid by credit card (for years) I gain nearly a months grace and have only just paid my credit card bill. If I pay with cheque or cash then I am paying for two months nurseries fees (approx Ј1000) within one week!!!!

Anyhow, my question is really related to whether they should have given me more notice so I could prepare for this?

Many thanks.

Best answers:

• Not for payment changes - only for the facility and your 'slot' within it. Basically, the Council has outsourced the facility to a third party (rather than closing it). The change has been beneficial for those who were placed there as they have not lost their places.
  As to accepting CC's - whether to do so is a management decision, and there is nothing requiring the new owner to take payments by any method they don't want to. They may like to, but if a new business th facility may not be available to them, or cost them too much.
  Afraid there is nothing you can do to insist on it, apart from enquiring if they plan to offer CC payments in future.
• Thank you for your reply. I appreciate that they do not wish to accept Cc payments but my query is more to do with notification. I was only informed today and the invoice is due immediately.
  Courtesy imo would have been to give advance warning of this change, I just wondered if there was a legal aspect?
• Not from the angle you want - agreed it would be courteous to make arrangements to accommodate those who paid by other means, however the greater priority (for the owner) was to take on an ongoing business with minimal disruption. As you have no right to pay by CC, nothing else an be done - apart from giving notice to leave.
• TBH the best bet might be just to be honest with the new owner and explain the situation. Offer to pay as much as you can now and the rest in the next few weeks. Then you can start afresh next month?
  Or use money that you would have used for say food and petrol in the month for this and use your card for the everyday spending over the month.
  Good luck
  Ali x
• Thank you both. I am visiting another nursery.