{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/48817.json"},"data":{"type":"archived-petition","id":48817,"parliament":{"period":"2010-2015","government":"Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition","dissolution_at":"2015-03-30T23:59:59.000+01:00","response_threshold":10000,"debate_threshold":100000},"attributes":{"action":"British Telecom Payment Processing Fee and the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012","background":null,"additional_details":"On April 6th, 2013 the government introduced the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012. Item 4 of the act states:\r\n\r\n“A trader must not charge consumers, in respect of the use of a given means of payment, fees that exceed the cost borne by the trader for the use of that means.”\r\n\r\nIrrespective of this British Telecom still insist on charging its customers a £6 “Payment Processing Fee” per quarter (£24 per year) for the privilege of paying their bill on time and in full by any other means than Direct Debit.\r\n\r\nI contest that £6 is far in excess of the actual bank charges incurred by British Telecom and government should step in to prove that the new Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations actually has teeth and force this fee down to a realistic level.\r\n","committee_note":null,"state":"closed","signature_count":29,"created_at":"2013-04-14T11:52:39.000Z","updated_at":"2017-06-21T15:12:54.975Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2013-04-18T07:39:25.000Z","closed_at":"2014-04-18T07:39:25.000Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2013-04-14T11:52:39.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[],"signatures_by_constituency":[],"signatures_by_region":[],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}