UK Online Won't Close Account!

[weegirl]

I will apologise now about the length of this. I had my broadband with UK Online for over a year. I paid via Worldpay as there was no option for direct debit at that time. All payments were made on time, until my debit card was renewed. Due to a computer crash, I did not have my Worldpay account details (I don't use them for anything else so did not have it memorised). Worldpay said that they needed my Futurepay agreement details that UK Online would have before Worldpay could release any security details. I duly contacted UK Online, and was told it was nothing to do with them. I offered to set up a direct debit, but was informed they still did not accept them, I then offered to pay the month in advance over the phone with my card, but was told no, and they would not accept a cheque either.

I received an email from UK Online's customer service team saying that my account was to be stopped, to which I sent an email of complaint (which is on record on my account). I did not receive any reply to this.

I then tried to contact their customer service department several times. This was around Christmas, I was put on hold for up to 40 minutes at a time, only to find that the customer service team were short staffed and calls had been directed to the technical services department, who could not help with accounts. When I did get through to the customer care team (after the phone was cut off twice), I was informed that my account would be stopped and there was nothing could be done unless I paid. Even though I explained that I wanted to pay, but couldn’t get help from Worldpay I was brushed off, so I again offered to send a cheque, this was refused.

Due to the neglectful attitude of the customer care team, and the inability to be able to pay my account, I felt that I had not alternative but to take my business elsewhere. I then requested a MAC code. I duly received the code, only to find that I could not use it with Tiscali as it was not compatible. I then, out of curiosity, tried this code with 5 other major broadband providers, only to find the same problem. I telephoned the customer service team to request another code that would be compatible, and was told it would be sent out. I did not receive a compatible code, so I sent this request via email (on record also). I did not get a response to this either. I telephoned again, where I was told that the MAC code could not be changed. I then made it quite clear to the representative that I wanted this account cancelled (I won't repeat the language that I used, but believe me, there could not have been any confusion about the matter). I also sent a letter, but my partner posted it first class and not recorded like I asked, so of course they have said they didn't receive it.

In April I received a letter from UK Online saying that I had been billed to date, at a price of £29.99 per month and owed nearly £200. My emails of complaint were still not acknowledged, even though they have been logged to my account. As far as I was concerned, I cancelled this contract in December and will not be making any payments for the period after that time. I wrote a recorded delivery letter back stating my full complaint. I also said that I did not have a problem making any payments for any outstanding bills before my cancellation, but I will not be held responsible for the period after.

I did not get any response, so contacted Ofcom. They said that they would contact UK Online direct. I received a response within a few days after that, a snotty letter that had adressed none of my issues. Someone had just looked at a computer and decided that I still owed £99, which is still more than I agree to pay.

They have not chased me for this, but the problem is that there is a tag on the line preventing me from using other broadband providers. I obtained a telephone number to get the tag removed (apparently they aren't allowed to tag lines indefinitely anymore) but I was informed that to get the tag removed the account had to be closed, and this is between the customer and the company. UK Online has refused to close this account until it is paid. Can they do this?

[buzby]

Not officially - but they're using some rule bending. OFCOM remain the folk to deal with this.

[weegirl]

This was a new thread and has been moved here! I will leave the rest of it unedited anyway.

I won't bore you with the details of my issue again, I have another post on it but to cut a long story short, 3 months arrears run up on my account with UK Online as they, basically, are a bunch of numpties that wouldn't return my emails, calls or letters when I tried to update my card details. I decided to leave but they kept giving me incompatable MAC codes. I then requested my account to be closed, which they didn't do for a further 3 months and then tried to charge me for their mistake.

During a lenghty dispute over how much I actually owed, they had kept their tag on my line. I was advised by a friend who owns a computer shop that companies cannot do this anymore, and gave me a number for BT Wholesale. I duly phoned, only to find out that they could not remove the tag as the account was not closed - and every time I contacted UK Online, they blantantly told me that they would not be closing my account until they received their money!!

After contacting OFCOM, I was informed they cannot refuse to close an account. I telephoned again and recorded of their staff recorded telling me my account would not be closed. When I informed her that I had her recorded and would be sending the recording to Otelo I suddenly got a very different attitude, they started acting reasonably and reduced my bill to a third of what is was.

Just shows how these people are prepared to work. Without that recording I would still be fighting as UK Online refused to track down their own recorded calls with me because of 'time issues'.

[weegirl]

Have moved this post, it was originally a new thread and has been moved here for some reason - it has nothing to do with UK Online specifically though.