Mobile phone contract cancelled but still being billed.
Discussion
I cancelled a 12 month contract just over 12 months in (the way it was arranged, the month end was a couple of days before month end of contract ie the contract 12th month ended a couple of days before 12 month since i signed meaning you essentially need to have a 13 month contract.
The money is taken 10-12 days or so into the month, so i cancelled in month 13 on the 19th of August and was told the phone would be converted to PAYG on the Monday as when i called (Friday) the team that handles that had gone home.
I just received a text message saying my next bill is ready and the money will be taken on the 10th of October. So i just logged into online banking and they have taken money out of my account about 2 weeks ago, so my bank account has been in the overdraft for the last 2 weeks or so because of the money they have taken out without my permission.
What is the best way to deal with this, online no charges have been shown on online banking but is there likely to be a charge for going into my overdraft?
The money is taken 10-12 days or so into the month, so i cancelled in month 13 on the 19th of August and was told the phone would be converted to PAYG on the Monday as when i called (Friday) the team that handles that had gone home.
I just received a text message saying my next bill is ready and the money will be taken on the 10th of October. So i just logged into online banking and they have taken money out of my account about 2 weeks ago, so my bank account has been in the overdraft for the last 2 weeks or so because of the money they have taken out without my permission.
What is the best way to deal with this, online no charges have been shown on online banking but is there likely to be a charge for going into my overdraft?
Naming no names, but was this a certain citrus fruit themed phone company? Because exactly the same thing happened to me with them...
I called them and cancelled a contract as it came to the end of the minimum period. I was asked if I wanted to keep the number on PAYG - I said I wasn't bothered but that it couldn't do any harm. PAYG SIM turned up a week or so later, which I stuck in a drawer and forgot about - until the next bill arrived. I called to ask what they were playing at and they said that I had to activate the SIM to terminate the monthly contract but still had to pay the bill. Well, that was news to me and I told them as much. They just point-blank refused to believe I hadn't been told and would not terminate the contract unless I agreed to a 30-day cancellation period, during which I would continue to be billed. I told them to go stuff themselves and that I would be reporting them to OFCOM - to which I got what amounted to a 'yeah, whatever' from the alleged supervisor.
By this point I'd already cancelled the direct debit. After the second bill I started getting calls from their accounts department hassling me to pay. I told them as far as I was concerned I'd cancelled the contract, was disputing the bill and that I wanted an address to write to complain. Again, they refused to give me an address and said I could only call to talk to the customer services department.
I even had a PH mate who works for the company try to sort things out only to hit a brick wall. It took three months and a fair few phone calls to eventually get to speak to someone with a brain and for them to admit they should have cancelled the contract when I first called and credit my account back.
My advice would be to call them asap and find out what the hell they're up to. If you don't get an immediate apology and rectification, cancel the DD immediately with your bank and write to OFCOM, copying in their complaints department - the address will be somewhere on their website.
I have it on good authority that this is a fairly common trick they pull and they should be crucified for it.
I called them and cancelled a contract as it came to the end of the minimum period. I was asked if I wanted to keep the number on PAYG - I said I wasn't bothered but that it couldn't do any harm. PAYG SIM turned up a week or so later, which I stuck in a drawer and forgot about - until the next bill arrived. I called to ask what they were playing at and they said that I had to activate the SIM to terminate the monthly contract but still had to pay the bill. Well, that was news to me and I told them as much. They just point-blank refused to believe I hadn't been told and would not terminate the contract unless I agreed to a 30-day cancellation period, during which I would continue to be billed. I told them to go stuff themselves and that I would be reporting them to OFCOM - to which I got what amounted to a 'yeah, whatever' from the alleged supervisor.
By this point I'd already cancelled the direct debit. After the second bill I started getting calls from their accounts department hassling me to pay. I told them as far as I was concerned I'd cancelled the contract, was disputing the bill and that I wanted an address to write to complain. Again, they refused to give me an address and said I could only call to talk to the customer services department.
I even had a PH mate who works for the company try to sort things out only to hit a brick wall. It took three months and a fair few phone calls to eventually get to speak to someone with a brain and for them to admit they should have cancelled the contract when I first called and credit my account back.
My advice would be to call them asap and find out what the hell they're up to. If you don't get an immediate apology and rectification, cancel the DD immediately with your bank and write to OFCOM, copying in their complaints department - the address will be somewhere on their website.
I have it on good authority that this is a fairly common trick they pull and they should be crucified for it.
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