Talking of DCA's, has anyone else seen this?

http://www.imfs.co.uk/downloads/sp-jan08.pdf

It's a cheerily written brochure from one firm proudly proclaiming to have won the 2007 DCA of the Year award!! That's right, they all have a gala dinner together and pat each other on the back!

There's even a cartoon funny about a struggle with debt, to cheer you up of course.

One quote that might make your blood boil even further, is the one in the orange box about the Credit Crunch, actually hoping it is financial meltdown as they'll all be super busy then.

I think someone, or rather some firm, is beginning to extract the urine slightly:

Thank you for your E-mail dated 9/9/08 about the compensation.

I am sorry to know that the compensation given to you is up to your expectation. However, we tried best to provide you the maximum compensation as we can provide £10.00 for the missed appointment by an engineer.

I can understand that you want the written confirmation for the same. You can see the adjustment in the next bill. This is the only confirmation I can send you in written.

For further queries please do not hesitate to contact us again via e-mail.

Thank you for contacting BT.

The poor grammar and sentence structure in their response above, indicates quite forcefully that my complaint is not being taken seriously whatsoever. Considering that BT have been in the wrong from day one, and could have resolved this easily, means that I shall now be taking the issue further, starting with special delivery and simultaneous complaints to both the registered BT office and OTELO, as kindly advised by Legalpickle.

I shall keep updating the thread as and when news is received.

They can do anything they want retrospectively. Obviously if they don't want to do it, they won't, but anything is possible. They only need to add some credits on the bill, it isn't anything major. If they can add £20 credit they can add £500 credit!

 

I agree that if you, Hullabaloo, are satisfied with such a result, then great for you, but advise you not to offer this and to actually say you are no longer willing to accept this in full and final settlement due to the added charges you are incurring by taking the matter further [special delivery will total £9.20 (2x£4.60)] as well as the added aggravation incurred.

 

I ask you to do this both for your benefit and to hit British Trouble [whilst it won't hurt them and they'll continue to deal unfairly with other customers] on behalf of everybody else - including myself - who has suffered because of their incompetence. Please take it all the way!

If I had the time, or more importantly the money I would indeed screw them for as much as possible, but not this time unfortunately!

1. Yes. If you want post the letter here and I will try and proof it for you.

2. No.

 

I would say that if you have to write a letter because the latest e-mail has not helped you should not offer to waive anything.

I'm not waiving anything? I'm merely accepting their comensation, subject to their own standard discount being applied.

My latest (and now final) email to them has suggested something new in that I'm willing to forget the compensation subject to the connex charge discount being applied (as it should have been anyway!!) I shall read their final response by email, and follow up with said letters to both the registered and complaints address.

Couple of questions:

1. Should they basically be a summary of the whole affair (including actual copies of email correspondence)?

2. Should I be quoting any consumer or telecom law within them as the basis of my claim?

Many thanks for such a prompt response.

I repeat my recommendations to write a complaint and send it special delivery to the complaints address and the registered office and then to consider if to take the complaint to Otelo or to issue court proceedings.

 

E-mailing back and forth will just make them think you aren't serious and they won't give you what you want. Also, the e-mail team is most likely a bunch of low-level incompetent nincampoops that have no idea how to deal with anything even if it bit them in the bums!

I understand, but my view is that I'm giving them as much opportunity to resolve the issue as is possible, before escalating it as this should hopefully not then look like a hasty action. Do you have said Complaints Address to hand?

p.s. FAO Locotus - As per my original posts, the line was connected on the 22nd July, so I'm unfortunately well past my cancellation period.

Hi there, I've been posting quite happily on this site for a while now but does anyone know why I can't open the link under my own avatar that says 'Challenge Your Credit File?'

I keep getting this message:

Message from The Consumer Action Group Hullabaloo27, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
   
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.
   

Many thanks in advance.

Their latest response was much along the similar lines as before, in that the level of compensation is a standard across the company and therefore cannot be changed, although no mention of the connex discount (which I'm actually entitled to). I have emailed back, stating that although I don't agree with it, I'd be willing to accept it subject to confirmation that the BT connection discount will be applied within the next bill. Which is what I was hoping for to begin with.

Finally got my response from Information Commissioners Office today, seems they recon the CRAs don't have to do much to confirm the accuracy of what they hold, Information Commissioners Office seems to place the responsibility squarely on the lender:

 

 

 

Seems they sing from the same hymn sheet as the CRAs, "we can't correct it, it must be the lender". *sigh*

Oh dear. What a mess! Does the above complete lack of accountability not mean therefore (in very simplistic terms) that I could set up a company, target someone that I have a grudge with, send them some fictional account statements and then send a notice to the CRA's for non payment?

If they're not going to validate what I send them before recording them, surely this opens up a real Pandora's box? I'd obviously face the wrath of the fraud squad eventually, but not before doing some real damage to said target's credit worthiness for some considerable time whilst they argue their case. There's probably even ways to avoid the Fraud Squad via company law loopholes.

this is just my opinion,but as this is getting so big,and has serious implications for the whole financial services industry,that a "proper" court case,brought by a barrister who knows the area we're dealing in might be a way forward.....

 

this would cost money-but a fund might be able to be set up,or could it be fought on a no win no fee basis?

 

just a thought,so don't go down my throat!! LOL

Agreed with this, I'd be willing to donate as it is so important to get it right. To offer some context, a favourable result could save thousands of people thousands of pounds.

Subbing with interest. Good luck to all.

Many thanks, but it is actually a new line i.e. new as in a new development, phone sockets in but line had never been connected.

p.s. I'm well past the cancellation period if its the standard 14 days, will have to check

Update: Just checked and you can only cancel the order PRIOR to your activation.

BT response:

Dear Hullabaloo27,

Thank you for your E-mail dated 3/9/08 about the refund.

I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you have experienced with BT regarding the refund due to no engineer visit.

I can understand your concerns regarding this matter as you were promised that the refund will be given to you for the problems you have faced while activation of BT line but after repeated contact no action is taken to resolve your matter.

I can confirm you that the refund of £20.00 is already approved on your account and I assure you that it will be adjusted in your next bill. I assure you that you will get the best services available in the telecom industry in future. If you have any other concerns please revert to me at the earliest.

Once again please accept my apologies for the problems you have experienced with BT recently.

Thank you for contacting BT.

Firstly, this email does not make any physical or grammatical sense. Secondly, there is no mention of their own discount for the connection.

A startling amount of views and opinions posted in reply to my OP, so thanks to all that contributed. To try to clarify my position somewhat, my major issue concerns BT's obvious lack of concern that one of their customers has now lost 2 additional half days of leave, as their engineer has not turned up, despite two forms of notification on each occasion. It was the contempt with which they treated my initial complaint that concerned me most as it shows an inherent lack of understanding of their customer, or indeed of their own procedures.

I shall look at the info provided in more depth shortly, which should also give BT enough time to reply to my latest correspondence. I'm not trying to bring the company down!!! Simply to highlight that their behaviour on this occasion has been wholly unacceptable.

Cheers!

Understood.

How many half days/days did you miss off work?

Can you prove how much you earn per hour [after taxes] and did you lose this when you took off, or did the company waive it?

 

Yes, I can prove this if and when required.

 

Always go to the relevant website first, before assuming they exist and you can complain to them. This isn't really relevant because they don't deal with consumer complaints anyway!

 

Agreed. Judging by the grammar and spelling however, I'm not sure they even read the complaints themselves.

 

So what are you doing next? I think that if you can prove your income and did lose income for taking the days off, you claim that against them. You can only claim for the additional days, as you had agreed to take one half day, so anything above that you can claim, claiming that too will be seen as unreasonable.

 

I am now awaiting their response to the last email in the thread, which included the new BT pricing structure. As said previously, I'd be happy with the deduction of the connex charge as this should have already been offered, plus say a month 's free line rental / calls as a gesture for the time off.

 

Oh, by the way, writing to India that you're unaware of any job that legally pays £10 or £20 for half a day's work, isn't too smart. They get paid that in a month if they're lucky!

That was an assumption on my part, based on all of the correspondence via email and phone. It could just as easily be that they were all in London.

p.s. This site might be of use to others in BT cases:

BT Price List - Homepage

Many thanks for a very quick response and your input LP!! Firstly, yes, I have now printed that to Primo pdf.

Secondly, the BT line was operational as of the 22nd July and lastly, my profession is not in the legal field, although I can see from where you might have assumed that. Perhaps it could have been worded slightly better, but i meant that I wasn't aware of a job that could 'legally' pay only £20 per day, assuming an 8 hour day!!

As for OFTEL, I originally typed OFCOM, but saw OFTEL on here somewhere and immediately assumed I must have it wrong!! Don't believe everything you read eh??

People often ask 'where does money come from?' Most people think they know the answer, but the truth is surprisingly not taught at any school or college. See video here for the age old, and mainly hidden answer:

Money As Debt

Its surprisingly called Money As Debt, and is 47 minutes long, but will be the most important 47 minutes you've ever spent.

See video here for the age old, and mainly hidden answer:

Money As Debt

Its surprisingly called Money As Debt, and is 47 minutes long, but will be the most important 47 minutes you've ever spent.

 

So...

 

I LOST!

 

There be no order as to costs.

 

I'm not reeling from this, as it's been a massive learning curve - along with my other thread.

 

I'll post my thoughts up over the weekend, but I want to get your views first.

Having read through this whole thread with great admiration for your effort, guile and determination, I am sickened that the judge has seemingly completely ignored their own 'rules' for the Defendant to acknowledge / file / return correspondence by the court's own deadlines. I'm no banana, but its a complete fabrication of our supposed justice, that allows someone to flagrantly ignore the rules and be rewarded for it. Had that been you (or any of us), the courts would be so heavy on us it would be unbearable. (Exactly as in the cases that started the whole Bank Charges reclaiming i.e. small companies charging £10 to send a letter out a la the banks, and getting quickly stamped out)

I truly, truly hope and pray that you do appeal and that this travesty is overturned.

Good luck, your efforts have been appreciated. I also point out that this travesty will backfire on the system in one small way at least, in that it has actually galvanised my own efforts, and will shortly be pursuing my own claims along similar lines.

Ok, ok last one for now!!!

Dear ********

I write to you to offer you a final opportunity to reimburse me with an appropriate amount for my 1.5 days of annual leave used to get my BT line connected, despite the first two half days being completely unnecessary as your engineer did not bother to turn up, nor did I receive prior notification of this (as laid out in my previous email correspondence attached below).

I also point your attention to the following BT connection charge offer, which you have not yet applied to my account:

Notices 2008 25/08 Calling Plans - Line Connection Special Offer

Can you please attend to both of the issue above immediately, or I will have no option but to escalate this to OFTEL and a higher level within your own organisation.

Sent yesterday. I'd be happy with the connection charge refunded and a few other titbits if I'm honest. The refund of the connection charge should be ok, as it now forms a part of their new campaign, which was unfortunately not explained to me at the time

Dear Hulla,

Thank you for your E-mail dated 24/7/08 about your BT Account.

I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you with BT.

I have checked your account and would like to confirm you that as per our records line has been activated on 17/07/2008. I am sorry if the engineer missed your appointment and connected your lines later.

Furthermore, I would like to confirm you that you have been provided with the compensation of £20 on 21/07/2008 for the inconvenience caused to you. This compensation of £20 is going to reflect in next bill which is going to generate on 22/10/2008.

Once again, I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you and for the incorrect information given to you in the previous mail regarding the compensation.

If you have further queries please do not hesitate to contact me again via E-mail.

Thank you for contacting BT.

Yours sincerely,

Dear Miss ******,

I'm afraid to say that your records are clearly incorrect as I have your own letters in front of me (and the two associated texts on mobile phone and emailed to myself for storage) stating that the first appointment was 11th July 2008 between 8am-1pm, and this was the first half day I booked off.

The second was the 17th July 2008 between 1pm and 6pm, and finally the 3rd appointment, which was attended by your engineer, was 22nd July 2008 between 1pm-6pm. The fact that your records do not even reflect the most basic of information does not instill great confidence in me, that you actually know what has happened. You also contradict yourself by stating that the max amount of commission is £10, when you've already offered me a paltry £20. It is with this in mind, that I urge you to reconsider your offer of compensation.

Should this not be acceptable, then I will have no option but to escalate this matter still further to your regulatory body, OFTEL.

Regards

Hulla