Hotchilli Internet - Serious Harrassment?

[illonavamp]

Hello,

 

I bought some internet domain names and hosting plans from Hotchilli several years ago, I bought them online, never signed anything.

 

When these came around for renewal (and we are going back to end 2006) I received renewal notice in post. The renewal notice says nothing about 'automatic renewal' and at the bottom it says 'if you do not renew you risk losing your domain name'.

 

This, I thought was fine, as I didn't want the domain names anymore I'd let them expire.

 

Since the end of 2006 they've been sending me monthly invoices for the daomains I didn't want. I emailed them saying that I wish to cancel them and they responded saying that I had to log in to my account at their site and cancel them from the control panel thinmgamy. When I couldn't remember the password, I ask them for it and never heard anything back.

 

For the majority of 2007., but much worse last four or five months, Hotchilli have been calling my mobile phone between once and ten times every other day, either leaving a message about 'the outstanding invoices' or leaving blank, four-minute messages.

 

I sent another email to them Jan 10th (last week) saying this:

 

================

I have asked on several occasions after receiving renewal notices in 2006 for these domains that they are not to be renewed.

 

Since then you have harrassed me with phonecalls and letters and repeatedly attempted to charge a credit card which I did not authorise you to do.

 

I have asked repeatedly you to stop contacting me by telephone, yet still I am receiving messages and blank four-minute messages from your company.

 

I have told you repeatedly that these domains and any product associated with them is not to be renewed.

 

I no longer authorise you to:

 

1. Contact me in any way, shape or form

2. Attempt to charge any card details which you have.

3. Retain or keep private and personal information as I have had no contract or agreement with you for over a year, if ever.

 

If you feel that I owe you money, please feel free to issue proceedings against me in the small claims court providing evidence that I requested you to renew any products you claim I owe money against including copies of agreements signed by me.

 

If you continue to attempt to contact me or charge my cards I will be taking advice as to how to proceed legally for harrassment, you holding details without my authority, and the relevant authorities regarding your attempts to charge cards I no longer own without authorisation. I will also be taking advice in relation to my Human Rights, as your treatment in this respect including repeated disregard of my written requests constitutes harrassment and has forced me to take remedial action, including considering changing my personal details to stop the harrassment.

 

Yours sincerely.

 

================

 

Since Jan 10th, I have received a further 10 phonecalls from them - again they are either blank or from someone 'regarding outstanding invoices'.

 

I really dont want to change my mobile number since I've had it for 11 years - how can I definitively make it stop? These calls are making me ill - I feel quite literally sick every time my mobile rings and have more than enough to deal with on my plate at the moment.

 

Appreciate any advice you might be able to give.

 

 

Sam

[Guest louis wu]

Hello.

 

Harassment by telephone is a horrible thing. Try this letter, if the calls do not stop, then be prepared to escalate matters, but hopefully this will stop it.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/bank-templates-library/37006-harassment-telephone-response-letter.html

 

Best of luck

 

louis

[illonavamp]

Oooh thanks, I'll try that. No calls today but I'll still send in - they come in flurries.

 

Morgan Stanley are worse, one day I got 32 calls from them.

 

I'll let you know what happens

 

Sam

[illonavamp]

A year on and I am still getting phone calls from these muppets every day or so, sometimes they leave a message and sometimes they just leave a blank message that is exactly four minutes long.

 

I've warned them twice in writing to take me to court or 'go away' and once over the phone (recorded, and I told them I was recording the call).

 

So I'm back and I'm p***ed off (to coin a phrase), I'm here to look for harassment cases I can clone.

 

I will keep you posted.

 

 

This was my written notice, sent to them 10th Jan 2008:

 

I have asked on several occasions after receiving renewal notices in 2006 for these domains that they are not to be renewed.

 

Since then you have harrassed me with phonecalls and letters and repeatedly attempted to charge a credit card which I did not authorise you to do.

 

I have asked you repeatedly to stop contacting me by telephone, yet still I am receiving messages and blank four-minute messages from your company.

 

I have told you repeatedly that these domains and any product associated with them is not to be renewed.

 

I no longer authorise you to:

 

1. Contact me in any way, shape or form

2. Attempt to charge any card details which you have.

3. Retain or keep private and personal information as I have had no contract or agreement with you for over a year, if ever.

 

If you feel that I owe you money, please feel free to issue proceedings against me in the small claims court providing evidence that I requested you to renew any products you claim I owe money against including copies of agreements signed by me.

 

If you continue to attempt to contact me or charge my cards I will be taking advice as to how to proceed legally for harrassment, you holding details without my authority, and the relevant authorities regarding your attempts to charge cards I no longer own without authorisation. I will also be taking advice in relation to my Human Rights, as your treatment in this respect including repeated disregard of my written requests constitutes harrassment and has forced me to take remedial action, including considering changing my personal details to stop the harrassment.

 

Yours sincerely.

[Conniff]

Send them a letter before action stating that any further calls will result in a summons for harrassement.

Print the Letter Before Action in bold and larger print across the top.

[steven4064]

Are you keping records of all these calls. You should also meka arranegments to start recording them

[dpick]

Hi don't know if this will help but my mobile phone has option to barr in comming calls from upto ten numbers. I do know that this is phone dependent as my wife and I are both with the same service provider on the same plan but different phones, my phone will barr calls my wifes does not have this option. This worked a treat when I was getting calls from a prat.

 

dpick

[illonavamp]

The act of receiving the phonecalls is one, but not the main, point of this whole problem.

 

When a Company outright ignores you, despite repeated requests for cessation of contact, promises of legal action, and continues to call you on a regular basis, thats what gets on my last nerve and that's what I think should be acted upon.

 

The point is, if I've asked repeatedly not to be called in no uncertain terms, the dumbasses that are ignoring that request need a slap upside the head, frankly (and financially seems to be the only way they will take the slightest bit of notice).

[illonavamp]

Started getting bills from these clowns again two days ago - now three years after I told them not to renew anything.

 

I've reported them to the Information Commissioners Office and plan to stick a harrassment claim in since they've been contacting me for three years after an event.

 

Can anyone point me to some good harrassment PoC's please?

 

Thanks much

 

Sam