Please help - list of common failures

[dave]

Hi all,

 

We all know that all companies cock up - some more than most.

 

I am trying to collate the most common cockups.

 

Please add to this sticky, preferably in a one line statement, the cockups that you have experienced over the years.

 

e.g.

 

DVLA ignored SORN declaration and I was fined.

Company XXX refused to refund me when good were faulty from outset.

 

etc....

 

All will become apparent soon....

 

Thank you.

[buzby]

Phantom (spurious) debits from Virgin Media that average 10 per annum. Making NOT paying by DD a no-brainer.

[stephenhayes]

offering you a term and contract at a price on the phone. Only for this ot be wrong. They then deny what they have said on the phone. Your word against theres? Wheres the law?, will the law support you? You get the bill after the 14 day call of period so thats another thing the tell you.

 

ive been a customer of 3 for a few years and have not previously xperienced this.

 

Many thanks

stephen

 

ps, suppsoe you cn call that misleading customers on the phone and trying to claim more money than your expecting.

[AnimalMagic]

AON has not sent me an insurance certifiacte for my car after 7 months!

 

AvRabbit has not refunded my money on return of an unsuitable item.

 

BT 'restricted' my phone line while debt was in dispute. Then charged me £10 reconnection fee.

 

IR are confused over whether I should be filing returns. I have a letter saying I no longer have to file a return (despite my doing so anyway) followed by a threat of dire consequences if I don't...

 

CAG offered to help with harrassment, then didn't respond to my postings or emails...

[Darren]

IR - I had 2 letters yesterday, 1 saying I have not sent in my tax return for 2001/2002 and the other a bill for £3000 for that year.

 

I rang them to ask why they had taken six years to write to me, when it was them who lost it in the first place. now I have to fill in another for that year but I no longer have records for that period - Totally useless b*&^%$£ds

[Sev]

Hutchinson 3G, made an old cancelled account live so that they can still keep you as a customer and send you bills years later for call that you did not make. Natuarally this is followed up by debt collectors.

[brindles]

sighned 1 year contract with vodaphone. still billed me after the term was up. told them to stop but they continued and then added on the charge for the phone. all now on my credit report. great.

[Bazooka Boo]

Virgin Media failed to connect me onto phone line, still sent me a bill for the £30 connection fee!

Complained using their own complaints email system, all 16 complaints ignored.

Sent three letters 14 days apart, 1st to customer service department, no reply, 2nd to customer service manager, no reply, third to MD of customers services department, no reply.

Currently in the hands of CISAS to investigate.

[bordercollie]

B.T. Automated Texts and Phone Calls

 

Over a 6-7 month period, BT kept sending automated texts and phone calls about 'non-payment of our last bill'- up to 4 or 5 times every day, and sometimes starting on the actual day we received our monthly phone bill by post.

 

What was most annoying was that we received these texts and phone calls, anything up to 2 1/2 weeks before the 'Payment is due by xxxx' date shown on the actual bill.

 

Despite making 2 Formal Complaints in writing to the Correspondence Centre at BT, Durham, and demanding that they respond in writing to these, BT ignored everything and didn't even acknowledge receiving the Complaints.

 

As we have NEVER been in arrears with any of our monthly bills, in the many years we have been with BT, eventually I had to complain to 'Otelo' who accepted we had a valid Complaint.

 

Currently 'Otelo' has been investigating our Complaint for 8 weeks, but they say BT has been 'difficult' in responding to their enquiries.

 

'Otelo' tells me that they intend to ask for compensation on my behalf.

 

I will keep you all informed as to the final outcome.

 

BT - "It's good to talk......" ???? :lol:

 

Border Collie of Scotland.

[buzby]

I'm surprised at this, as I have no idea what the compensation would be for. I complained about BT supposedly printing/posting bills that took 2 weeks to arrive - as you found, these annoying calls coming even before the bills arrived. There is no mechanism to opt out (I asked). In the end, I left BT.

[Jan4a]

A lot of people seem to be having problems with dongles/mobile internet not working as expected - they're signing up to contracts and being stuck with them because of the small print.

[Yellow160]

Kwik Fit insurance keep sending my renewal notice with only 1 years no claims when it should be 2. They even tell me on the phone that its 2 years and on the new schedule from them it says 2yrs, But the part that says this is proof of your no claims if you opt to go with another insurer it only says 1 yrs.. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

[Jan4a]

British Gas Customer Services - what did they do right? Moved from them in the end.

[buzby]

A lot of people seem to be having problems with dongles/mobile internet not working as expected - they're signing up to contracts and being stuck with them because of the small print.

 

Which makes you ask yourself, 'Why?'

 

They can BUY the dongle and get servce on PAYG totry out and assess for £40 or so, giving them the opportunity to verify it does what it is supposed to do.... yet they would rather get the dongle 'free' and commit themselves for 18 months or two years.

 

Madness, utter madness.

[locutus]

Which makes you ask yourself, 'Why?'

 

They can BUY the dongle and get servce on PAYG totry out and assess for £40 or so, giving them the opportunity to verify it does what it is supposed to do.... yet they would rather get the dongle 'free' and commit themselves for 18 months or two years.

 

Madness, utter madness.

Even a PAYG I'd buy online to return it if not satisfactory!

[buzby]

Agreed - But would you commit yourself needlessly to an 18 month commitment when you didn't need to?

[locutus]

I (personally) never commit myself if I can help it. My mobile PAYG ('cos I only use about a fiver a month) Missus is a £10 Sim only. Broadband and home phone are both in contract, and at the end of the min term I'll be leaving for Sky (as the kids are harassing for the TV and the broadband comes at a very cheep price!) so will get locked into another minimum term there I guess :/

 

I can almost understand the attraction of a mobile contract where you get a shiny new phone, but a dongle? I don't see why anyone would commit themselves.

[bordercollie]

Posted by 'Buzby'

I'm surprised at this, as I have no idea what the compensation would be for. I complained about BT supposedly printing/posting bills that took 2 weeks to arrive - as you found, these annoying calls coming even before the bills arrived. There is no mechanism to opt out (I asked). In the end, I left BT.

 

"Otelo" have sent me a provisional decision, upholding my Complaint, and suggesting that I accept an apology plus £100 Compensation from BT, to cover "my out-of-pocket expenses involved with making my complaint, an estimated 4 hours involved with trying to get BT to resolve my Complaint over the 6-7 month period"

 

PLUS formal directive advice to BT to ensure monthly bills are received by customers at least 12 days prior to the 'Payment Due by..' date shown on the bill, and that BT's computer system is adjusted to make sure no automated texts or phone calls are sent out until at least 5 days have elapsed since the red "Reminder" late payment bill has been sent.

 

By the way, BT has admitted in their Response to "Otelo" that every customer's computer account stored on their main system, HAS a check box which can be ticked by Supervisors in order that the customer does not receive any automated texts or phone calls in respect of late payments.

 

Apparently, my customer account had a glitch that meant that although every time I phoned BT to complain, and the advisor ticked this box, as soon as the window was closed by the advisor, the ticked box cleared itself... Hhmmm...yeah, right !!

 

This is the "Otelo" rule that allows compensation to be made -

 

When the Ombudsman makes a decision which requires your company to do something to put things right for you, your company will abide by this decision. We may ask your company to offer you:

A product, service or some practical action that will benefit you

An apology or explanation

Up to £5000.00 including VAT.

The Ombudsman may also make a recommendation to your company that they change their policies or procedures. If, after investigation, we decide that your company is not at fault, we will clearly explain our reasons for this in writing.

 

Will keep you informed,

 

Border Collie of Scotland.

Edited October 7, 2009 by bordercollie

[buzby]

Good to know. Well done!

[bordercollie]

Thanx Buzby,

 

New Executive Complaints Contact details for B.T.

 

Everyone might like to know of a change to the contact details thread for BT Executive Complaints.

 

I did try to P.M. Martin3030 direct, so he could change the 'sticky topic' thread himself, but his private messages Inbox isn't accepting new PM's until he empties it! perhaps he will read this post and change it himself.

 

All emails for John Williams, CEO Executive, are now being dealt with the person listed below, a Mr Pip Nicholls.

 

Pip Nicholls (Mr)

Assistant to the Chairman

& Chief Executive

( 01277 326107/ 0800 023 2067

* [email protected]

Fax 01925 712 853

*[email protected]

+ PP8, BT Contact Centre, 110 Europa Boulevard, Warrington WA5 7FZ

 

He seemed quite helpful with my contact with him, although he does take a few days to get back to you.

 

Border Collie of Scotland

[Jan4a]

Which makes you ask yourself, 'Why?'

 

They can BUY the dongle and get servce on PAYG totry out and assess for £40 or so, giving them the opportunity to verify it does what it is supposed to do.... yet they would rather get the dongle 'free' and commit themselves for 18 months or two years.

 

Madness, utter madness.

 

Totally agree with you and I wouldn't do it. I do have a dongle but on PAYG and the signal is brilliant but I wouldn't sign up in case it changed in the future. But a lot do without doing any research whatsoever and from what I've seen it seems to be people who either don't know anything at all about the internet or youngsters who manage to talk their parents into it.

 

And I know that T Mobile for one are giving them "free" laptops which is probably the big attraction for a lot of people.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Jan4a
added a bit