Agro - Mobile Phone Company 3

[Theadmiral]

Hi all, As I'm new to site, thought some of you may be interested in my dealings with Phone provider 3, I originally posted a thread in the welcome area, but no-one would have found it there so I have copied it here:-

 

"Also got a gripe about those call centres that employ foreign staff who can't understand English. Got an arguement with mobile phone company 3 at present. Told their customer care person that I wanted to terminate contract after the 12 months up. Had the phone unblocked - which they charged me for and I couldn't do untill the contract had ended. When I got the unblock code, I asked the person if he could confirm that the contract had been terminated - which he did. Now have agro with phone company saying that my request to terminate the contract was not logged by their staff so they are now chasing me for 3 months rental, the time it has taken them to formally close the account. Just sent them a letter - and copy to their debt chasing agency, to reiterate previous letters to them and have threatened them with legal action for harrassment if they don'y apologise and compensate me."

 

Update on situation: The amount in question £95.75

 

They replied to my letter stating the situation as they understood it from their records. Confirmed that they had an overseas cusomer care centre to reflect their "global" operations. They concluded that as far as they were concerned, I still owed them the money.

 

I replied stating the same things I had said in my previous letter including their customer services chap not understanding what I asked or told him. I stated that I had asked him a direct question on whether the account had been terminated to which he had answered positively, although I was sure he didn't seem to understand what I was getting at. I said as far as I was concerned, from his answer, the account had been closed and that I had paid up to that time. I again threatned them with legal action.

 

I then got a phone call from their scottish centre, from a nice lass, to whom I explained the situation nicely. She said she would have to speak to her supervisor over the matter and come back to me the next day. Phone back she did and told me that they had managed to sort things out and credit the account by what I supposedly owed. Following this I received an adjusted account statement with everything cancelled and my outstanding amount ZERO!

 

In my past dealings with other mobile phone companies, I have never had any problem cancelling accounts over the phone. I think what one needs to do in any situation like this is to request confirmation from the company in writing, although I've no doubt if things had been registered properly by their advisor, it would have been done anyway. In phone contracts, it normally does say that contracts must be cancelled in writing - so again, whilst it is easy to pick up the phone and ask for a contract to be cancelled, it is safer to do it in writing so it is recorded.

 

It is very easy for us all to fall into the trap of doing what's easiest - we are all to busy to put pen to paper, and do things by phone. In the majority of cases this will work out ok, but these days you cannot be too sure. Always follow up things in writing.Email whatever so you have a firm copy of what has happened.

 

I hope anyone else having a similar problem will find this helpful. Cheers

[Guest ian cognito]

I can't believe this shower are still in business, we had contracts with them when they first started, got about 1500 inclusive minutes per month between us but never a month we nt by where they got theings right, either took payments twice or didn't take them at all then cut the phones off, spoke more to their call centre than I did to my mum! Never has 12 months passed quite so slowly, funnily enough forgotten they existed until I read this post!

 

Yes, sorry I agree qith you, do everything in writing, snail mail, with receipt, that way no-one can argue.