Hi al new here, CSL power2contact and vodafone

[beemerboy]

Hi all

I had a one year contract with Vodafone at 52 pounds per month for a 3g card for my laptop. I faithfully paid it every month even though were I was I could never get a 3g signal and had to drive a 7 mile round trip to park up and use 3g. The crunch came when I went to the Vodafone shop after getting a new laptop and they would not change the card for a newer type one (all new laptops wont fit the sstandard 3g card) They tried to charge me nearly 200 pounds for a USB version. I told them they were taking the pi** and that was extortion. Well after putting up with paying 52 quid a month for something I never really got I told them I would cancel the contract, they arrogantly said well you cannot do that, I said f*** you! and did. They are after me for 220 quid which i am sure is more than what was left to run?

So CSL have been phoneing me at all hours with some weird robotic sounding recorded message whihc I refuse to listen to, my attitude being that with all the scams these days it could be one

I have had a 2nd leter this time from power2contact saying someone is coming to the house to collect my debt, am I to presume they are baliffs.

This is the thing,

it is not my house it is my parents house and my mailing address, I stay here occasionally...what is the position wit that?

second my car is around can they just take it away without prior warning or do I have to get the 4x2 out? The car is worth around 4500 the deb is 220


I have tried to contact CSL but only have a mobile and I cannot get through..always on bloody hold for ages. I will try again tomorrow but I do not see why I have to pay these buggers when it is me who was ripped off in the first place! Up until now my credit i good and I always pay my debts but I am sick to the gills with the attitude and crap service of (edit) like Vodafone.

[rory32]

I have had a 2nd leter this time from power2contact saying someone is coming to the house to collect my debt, am I to presume they are baliffs.

In the unlikely event that someone does pop round they will not be a bailiff they will be a debt collector. Debt collectors have no more legal powers than the pizza delivery boy. Even bailiffs can not take possession of any goods without a court order. The goods have to be yours - they can not be someone elses. I would send them the following letter recorded delivery re their home visit:

Dear Sirs,
Please be advised that I am only prepared to communicate with you in writing. OFT rules and regulations clearly state that you can only visit me at my home if you make an appointment and I have no wish to make an appointment with you. There is only an implied license under English Common Law for people to be able to visit me on my property without express permission; the postman and people asking for directions etc (Armstrong v. Sheppard and Short Ltd [1959] 2 Q.B. per Lord Evershed M.R.).Therefore take note that I revoke license under Common Law for you, or your representatives, to visit me at my property and if you persist in sending "doorstep callers" to my home, you will be reported for harassment and be liable for damages for a tort of trespass. You would also be liable for conspiring in a tort of trespass by acting in defiance of my instructions and sending someone to visit me nevertheless.Should it be necessary, I will obtain an injunction.Yours sincerely,

[beemerboy]

Thank you Rory , thanks for the moderation, sorry I am used to saying it how it is

I will send them the letter and add that this has come about because thier client did not provide me with the service I paid for. Will Bailiffs have to contact me before getting a court order to seize property or will they eventually just turn up I am not sure wether just to pay it to get rid of them or waste my time arguing it in court? I know what I would like to do

cheers.

[rory32]

It would be a good idea to ask for a copy of the contract, if you don't have one, as there are probably some unfair terms in there.

[beemerboy]

Unfair as in tough on me what a shame or unfair as in wrongful?

No doubt thier main argument would be radio signal in this area and how it cannot be guaranteed!

[rory32]

Unfair as in tough on me what a shame or unfair as in wrongful?

Unfair as in The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations which would make the unfair term non binding on the consumer.

[sillygirl1]

power2contact's letter should be taken to Trading Standards pronto. They are NOT bailiffs and have no legal powers to collect money from you. They basically act as a tracing/confirming company and I believe their name is bordering on illegal as well, they have NO powers2contact anyone other than an instruction (usually a name and address on a spreadsheet) from their clients, DCAs.

[beemerboy]

The letter went like this, i have seen others like it on these forums...which are excellent by the way.

--------------------------------------------------------------

regarding: Vodafone Ltd
CSL ref: *******
Balance ******

We have beben instructed by our client to VIST YOUR ADDRESS TO COLLECT THE ABOVE DEBT

You have made this action necassery as you have ignored all thier requests to contact them and you have failed to pay your account.

Our visits take place within the following hours:

Monday-Friday: 9am - 8pm
Saturday: 9am -12noon

Should you wish to avoid this course of action, you must contact our instructing agent WITHIN 72 HOURS of receipt of this notice.

Credit Solutinos Ltd
Capella Court
Brighton ROad
Purley
Surrey
CR8 2PG
020-8763 4553

Failure to comply to this request may lead to the above action without further warning or notice.

-----------------------------------------------

At the end of the day this situation ONLY come about because I was paying over the odds for a service I was not getting, it's not that I cannot pay it is that I will not pay on principal as I am sick of being ripped off like everyone else in theis Country. Can you belive that when I do my work in France to send ONE PICTURE back from my camera gear it would have cost nearly 700 POUNDS (nearly 10 quid per MB in the VERY small print found later) ! They might as well legalise robbery really?


Hey ho there you go.

[beemerboy]

Further to this....

I took out the contract in Sept 06 cancelled in appx July 07


Just been throught he paperwork see if you can work this out..

I terminated conract and vodafone sent me a letter saying 85. 39 outstanding plus 31.50 (potential termination fee) equals 116.89

Next thing I get a CSL letter in December asking for 227. 91 stating that legal action would result in further charges being added those being

Solicitors costs: 50.00
Court fee: 30.00

Now if I owed Vodafone 116:89 at time of termination at what point did it suddenly become 227.91 between them and going to CSL, even allowing for the solicitors and courts fee they said MAY be incurred this does not add up?


Can CSL add this much to the total before anything has been done at all? what can they add to what I owe Vodafone as they are not bailiffs. It seems to me like they have suddemly slapped on 111.02 themselves?

Ideas?

[firstwithit]

Easiest thing todo if you have the funds is to go into a vodaphone shop or call them and pay the outstanding that Voda wanted and just ignore CSL
that way Voda get what they want.

[beemerboy]

Yeah I know but that's okay if you like paying for something you did not get, I am more concerned how this amount has added up though?

[beemerboy]

Just an update, I just got a letter from CLS saying how wonderful Vodafone are allowing me 20% off my debt!, this is after I sent them a letter questioning why the 227 quid that CLS is asking for is only 116 quid in the letter from Vodafone?

I will now be sending them a letter charging them a 35 pound administration charge for having to ask them again for a copy of the terms and an answer to why the amount is different from vodafones letter.

[Wizard of ID]

What do you do? Well, first of all, you have a good read of this:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/bus...dit/oft664.pdf
You'll find lots of goodies to help you deal with both Power2contact and Vodafone.

Second, you make a formal complaint to Vodafone, who will be required to call off Power2Contact while they sort it out. Ultimately, they promised that in return for your money, they would provide you with a service. They haven't done that, so ask them to explain exactly why they think they're even entitled to your money. They may try to ignore you or fob you off with a non-answer. Just keep re-asking the question -- you're highly unlikely to get a response, but the longer you keep on at them, the more mistakes they'll make that you can report to the regulators when you eventually take your complaint higher.

Third, log onto Register of Data Controllers & their roles - Information Commissioner's Office - Information Commissioners Office). and check whether the DCA is a registered data controller. A lot of them aren't. If they're not, they're committing a criminal offence processing your personal information, and you can report them to the Information Commissioner.

[beemerboy]

Thank for all that good info I will start ploughing through it this afternoon. I have had a response to my letter asking CSL why the two amounts are different and for a copy of the full terms of contract by Vodafone. I also told them that the debt is a matter of dispute with Vodafone and explained that I never had the service I paid for. I advised them that they should send it back to vodafone and get them to contact me. Vodafone have contacted me once after a phone call I made to them but it was some guy from India who I could barely understand and he could not understand me. I therefore told them that any further contact would have to be someone from England directly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was CSL's response.

Further to your recent request for information please find above the current outstanding balance on this account.

Credit solutions LTd does not hold specific account information (eg insurance details) on our systems.

If you have already done so please forward payment of your proposals for settling the above account.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see they have refused to answer the question about the two differing amounts and claim they have no data on file, funny how did they know my mobile number and address then?


I will now send them another recorded letter asking again for an answer to the amounts and charge a 35 pound admin fee as I have had to repeat my request and waste time, this matter has now also cost me a loan with my bank and put me in a very difficult position financially.

[Wizard of ID]

Don't waste your time arguing with the debt collector -- they don't exist to provide YOU with a service. Make a formal complaint to Vodafone, and Vodafone should retract the account from the DCA.

[beemerboy]

I will do both I think, can't hurt.

cheers

Ian

[beemerboy]

Actually Wizard I just noticed this bit straight away...

2.2 Examples of unfair practices are as follows:
a. use of official looking documents intended or likely to mislead
debtors as to their status, for example, documents made to resemble court
claims.


That letter from Power2contact was just that, I though as soon as I opened it that it was a Bailiffs company as it had a different name and mentioned coming to the house, that's what made me come on this forum in the first place!

also there is a bit about

c. using more than one debt collection business at the same time
resulting in repetitive and/or frequent contact by different parties

Surely having Power2contact AND CSL at the same time is just that?

Ian