More Tiscali Fiascos

[bordercollie]

I've had Broadband from Tiscali for the last 19 months, but early last month, (April), their DSL signal from our local phone exchange failed, and after 3 hours phone conversations with their 'tech' dept, (in India) they promised to restore the service 'within 2 days'.
3 days later, no service, no promised return calls from their 'technical engineers?' so more phone calls, then on the 4th day, Broadband back on, but went off again after just 2 hours !!
Back to more long phone calls @ 10p minute, eventually had it restored again after another 4 days, so was off for over a week.

Spoke to their Customer Diservices dept in Milton Keynes, on April 12th, who promised me that 'as compensation for the inconvenience and phone call costs, we have immediately credited £30.00p to your Tiscali Broadband Account, so you won't have anything to pay for the next 2 monthly bills...'
I normally pay £14.99p monthly on the 6th of each month, and at this time was up to date with payments.

So when May 6th came, as I knew I had £30.00p credit in my Tiscali Account, I didn't bother to ensure I had enough in my Bank account to cover the due £14.99p as I had been told it wouldn't be collected.

Except Tiscali tried to take £14.99p out of my Bank Account- I got charged a Penalty Fee {Halifax) of £35.00p for non-payment, and Tiscali are now threatening to cut off my Broadband service as I didn't pay them the £14.99p on May 6th. !!

I phoned up Milton Keynes 3-4 more times to complain, and was told an explanation which both I didn't understand, nor could the telephonist who spoke to me.

They say my Bill which is made up around the 20th of each month, to be collected from my Bank on the 6th of the following month, covers all the days in that specific month, and all payments, etc made to the account up to the 20th day of that month.
So the Payment which was returned 'unpaid' on May 6th, covered Broadband service from April 1st through to April 30th, and Payments/credits received between March 20th through to April 20th.
Get it ????? difficult, eh ??

When I explained that the £30.00p Credit was made to my Tiscali account on April 12th, which meant it went through by April 20th deadline so no £14.99p should have been taken from my Bank Account on May 6th, as I was in credit, the telephonist agreed, but said that I had still to pay the May 6th £14.99p 'so that your Tiscali account can show that you are in £30.00p Credit, even though you have had a £30.00p Credit Balance showing since April 13th..."
Confused ??? ..not as much as I am...

I wrote a Formal Complaint to Tiscali at Milton Keynes on May 10th- sent it by Registered Post and give them 10 days to respond else I told them I would sue them. They didn't reply, so I phoned them again, to be told they had no trace of receiving this Complaint. Royal Mail Tracking Service shows it was delivered to Tiscali, at 09.13hrs, on 12th May.

Had enough of Tiscali messing me about, so I went to our local Sheriff Court- Small Claims section yesterday { I live in Scotland) , and took out
a summons for the £30.00 credit, £14.99p they wrongly claimed, the £35.00p Bank Penalty Charge caused by their incompetence, £44.00 Court Costs, plus another £30.00 for the costs involved with all the useless phone calls and letters.
I'll post an update when the Summons is served on Tiscali.

By the way, Tiscali has now 3 addresses - their registered offices in Soho, London, - a Customer Services section in Milton Keynes, and another Billing and Account section up in Inverness, Scotland, so it makes life difficult.

[Conniff]

Nice one bordercollie - at last someone taking no nonsense. You just make sure you do keep us updated.