Held Hostage

Some weeks ago the new owner of the agency responsible for the management of the flat we are renting advised us, with written notice, that the payment method that had been previously available to us was to be no more and enclosed with this notice an application form and a new card for us to use instead.
However, this new option we have been offered incurs a fee of $2.10(incl gst) per month whereas the old system cost me nothing (due to the kind of personal account I have with my bank). Furthermore, under the new system I am expected to sign a document allowing a 3rd party to withdraw money from my bank account at appointed times of course, but I’m very cautious when giving this kind of access… paticularly when you see their fee schedule for statements or missed payments etc.
I understand that things come and go, businesses change hands and system efficiencies ebb and flow. I am, after all, not an unreasonable girl. However, I’m not happy to pay for the privilege of paying money to my landlord. I’m not happy to give direct debit access to a company I know nothing of. What I would like to do is pay direct from my bank account into the account of my property manager.
And they won’t do it. It’s ‘not available’… so the only alternate options I now have consist of paying by bank cheque or by money order both of which incure fees that are ridiculous… so… I have, in effect, been hamstrung to this Advantage Card*, which is, in my mind, not advantageous at all.
I have called the Tenancy Tribunal (lovely, lovely people) and apparently my agent is obligated to offer the options in my rental agreement. Options that include direct payment to a bank account…
And so I am waiting with bated breath for a response to my letter indicating that I wish to pay direct or to take up the card and have the agent pay the fees if they’re not prepared to honour my rental agreement…
Hah… take that… and rent’s due on Monday… If you don’t hear from me next week it may be because I’ve been evicted…
*and quite frankly their website looks very low end… hardly inspiring confidence in this web savvy girl…