done got scammed FFS
done got scammed FFS
Author
Discussion

hairyben

Original Poster:

8,516 posts

214 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
Just checked my online bill for *** (unnamed) my combined TV/phone/broaband services while I decide what to do about my ropey internet to find I've been paying a £4/month surcharge for an inclusive calls package for the last 6 months.

Apparently, according to the CS gimp they did a "survey" (presumably designed to) show that lots of their customer wanted a service like this, so they did an advertising campaign to tell everyone they were applying this charge but they could opt out. And this is definitely not bad practice because they told ofcom and ofcom said it was okay and they'd never do anything ofcom said not to do and as ofcom said it's okay it's definately a good thing because ofcom said so and oh it's to save me money, it's them being nice to me and caring for me don't you know.

Honestly this insolent fathead must have mentioned ofcom seventyfkingtimes if he mentioned it once, well guess what you stinking ham flap, I don't give a fk what fking ofcom said I never asked for an inclusive calls package for a line I like presumably MILLIONS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS DON'T fkING USE to make calls ever we just have it for broadband. I've not spent FOUR fkING QUID on calls since I took my package with you 7 or 8 fkING YEARS AGO so take your mealy mouthed "saving me money" horsest, wrap it in barbed wire and stuff it up your fart clapper you utter truncheon. You could have looked at my bill and SEEN FOR YOURSELF in one second flat and SAVED ME THE MONEY BY NOT CHARGING ME.

But most of all, where the fk do you get off deciding you HAVE THE fkING RIGHT to charge ANY product to my account without positive ASSENT you duplicious underhand pilfering middle legs.

NOW GO FIND A TREE AND fkING APOLOGISE TO IT FOR THE fkING OXYGEN YOU USE YOU fkING BROWN FUDGE SURPRISE.

Seriously was looking and thinking about taking up fibre now I'm thinking I'll just can the service. These companies all want direct debits rather than billing/SO's etc but theres a certain amount of fking TRUST you have little choice but to place in them when you do this and while I'm out of pocket £20 or 30 or whatever (not even worth the worry money for powerfully built etc etc etc) I mean I'm still paying £40 for a phone that went out of contract half a year ago when I could have a shiny new one or pay a third but I'm seriously pissed at the sheer temerity of this sneaky little charge-more-without-increasing-headline-charges scam

Is there still such thing as companies that just want and value a long term profitable customers and won't to gouge them for short term cash rewards glibly spouting condescending horsest when you ask what they think they're playing at? Is there?

TL:DR check your phone bill more often

RizzoTheRat

29,063 posts

223 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
8/10.

Good use of the expression "Stinking Ham Flap"

morgs_

1,681 posts

218 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
hairyben said:
Just checked my online bill for *** (unnamed) my combined TV/phone/broaband services while I decide what to do about my ropey internet to find I've been paying a £4/month surcharge for an inclusive calls package for the last 6 months.

Apparently, according to the CS gimp they did a "survey" (presumably designed to) show that lots of their customer wanted a service like this, so they did an advertising campaign to tell everyone they were applying this charge but they could opt out. And this is definitely not bad practice because they told ofcom and ofcom said it was okay and they'd never do anything ofcom said not to do and as ofcom said it's okay it's definately a good thing because ofcom said so and oh it's to save me money, it's them being nice to me and caring for me don't you know.

Honestly this insolent fathead must have mentioned ofcom seventyfkingtimes if he mentioned it once, well guess what you stinking ham flap, I don't give a fk what fking ofcom said I never asked for an inclusive calls package for a line I like presumably MILLIONS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS DON'T fkING USE to make calls ever we just have it for broadband. I've not spent FOUR fkING QUID on calls since I took my package with you 7 or 8 fkING YEARS AGO so take your mealy mouthed "saving me money" horsest, wrap it in barbed wire and stuff it up your fart clapper you utter truncheon. You could have looked at my bill and SEEN FOR YOURSELF in one second flat and SAVED ME THE MONEY BY NOT CHARGING ME.

But most of all, where the fk do you get off deciding you HAVE THE fkING RIGHT to charge ANY product to my account without positive ASSENT you duplicious underhand pilfering middle legs.

NOW GO FIND A TREE AND fkING APOLOGISE TO IT FOR THE fkING OXYGEN YOU USE YOU fkING BROWN FUDGE SURPRISE.

Seriously was looking and thinking about taking up fibre now I'm thinking I'll just can the service. These companies all want direct debits rather than billing/SO's etc but theres a certain amount of fking TRUST you have little choice but to place in them when you do this and while I'm out of pocket £20 or 30 or whatever (not even worth the worry money for powerfully built etc etc etc) I mean I'm still paying £40 for a phone that went out of contract half a year ago when I could have a shiny new one or pay a third but I'm seriously pissed at the sheer temerity of this sneaky little charge-more-without-increasing-headline-charges scam

Is there still such thing as companies that just want and value a long term profitable customers and won't to gouge them for short term cash rewards glibly spouting condescending horsest when you ask what they think they're playing at? Is there?

TL:DR check your phone bill more often
6/10

Some inventive name calling, but too many fu.., there are so many more curses out there.

While I agree with the sentiment, I saw the letter and went online straight away to opt out. Took me 30 seconds.

TheLuke

2,218 posts

172 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
You havent been scammed.


You just dont pay attention to your mail.


V8A*ndy

3,703 posts

222 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all

They are total s!!!!!

My elderly Mother has just found out the same when I checked her outgoings just last week.

Apparently they wrote to her.


No chance of a refund it would seem.


toasty

8,415 posts

251 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
What a mong you must feel. You have my sympathonies.

Ali Chappussy

876 posts

176 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
Name and shame or it aint so!"

MrBarry123

6,108 posts

152 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
Scammed?

Give over.

You're only angry as a result of your own incompetence.


soad

34,724 posts

207 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
fkity fking fknuts. I fking love a bit of swearing a few fk-bombs.

In other words, smart people are more creative and varied in their profanity.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

201 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
coffee

DonkeyApple

70,626 posts

200 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
MrBarry123 said:
Scammed?

Give over.

You're only angry as a result of your own incompetence.
Absolutely not. It is a dubious business practice. OP should catagorically take this further and obtain a full refund plus recompense. It is utterly unacceptable for a 'utility' to act in such a borderline manner.

This is a standard tactic we've delightfully adopted from the US of using T&Cs and the cost of a stamp to see what you can get away with. Automatic opting in of paid services is fundamentally wrong and a disgraceful business practice. Such services should always be opt in, not out.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

149 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
It's hardly his own incompetence if the company where the clouds go, decided to add a 4 quid bundled calls package without either explicitly writing to him to inform him of this and waiting for a call back to confirm his go-ahead.

It's like your phone company deciding you want the "international travelling package" at an extra fiver without so much as asking you about it.

Good rant, 7/10.

anonymous-user

85 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
8/10.

Actually 9/10,for the use of "brown fudge surprise".

creampuff

6,511 posts

174 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
8/10.

Good use of the expression "Stinking Ham Flap"
OP was too long so I didn't read it, but I do like "stinking ham flap".

Although I like ham and I think piggies are quite cute, infact I think it would be nice to have a pet piggie.

MrBarry123

6,108 posts

152 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
After a bit of research it seems this company consolidated their legacy product portfolio to include fewer products, with these new products being effectively bundles of legacy products. It also seems that all existing customers were able to leave without penalty if they wished and all were communicated with to advise them of the change.

All we hear at the moment regarding ISPs is people asking for simplicity in what they pay - hence the plan to consolidate the line rental charge into the monthly figure - so I can absolutely believe that, when asked, the majority of this company's customers said that they'd prefer a plan which includes "everything" for a fixed fee rather than the individual component plans offered previously.

The company has responded to their customers with the change and given customers adequate notice so they can leave if they do not like the new terms offered. I'm unable to see what else they [the company] could do so it's hardly bad business practice?

Incompetence is perhaps harsh however the OP has used the word "scammed" in an incompetent manner.

hairyben

Original Poster:

8,516 posts

214 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
MrBarry123 said:
After a bit of research it seems this company consolidated their legacy product portfolio to include fewer products, with these new products being effectively bundles of legacy products. It also seems that all existing customers were able to leave without penalty if they wished and all were communicated with to advise them of the change.

All we hear at the moment regarding ISPs is people asking for simplicity in what they pay - hence the plan to consolidate the line rental charge into the monthly figure - so I can absolutely believe that, when asked, the majority of this company's customers said that they'd prefer a plan which includes "everything" for a fixed fee rather than the individual component plans offered previously.

The company has responded to their customers with the change and given customers adequate notice so they can leave if they do not like the new terms offered. I'm unable to see what else they [the company] could do so it's hardly bad business practice?

Incompetence is perhaps harsh however the OP has used the word "scammed" in an incompetent manner.
scam
/skæm/
noun
1.
a stratagem for gain; a swindle
verb scams, scamming, scammed
2.
(transitive) to swindle (someone) by means of a trick

seems to fit the definition to my mind.

~
anyway some of you can pop at me all you want about keeping a closer eye on every bill and change of T&C, I wouldn't dispute that I could, but you've missed the point of what the rant is about. If you didn't check your doors were locked it doesn't mean you deserve to be robbed, or be annoyed about it, does it?

FWIW

3,947 posts

128 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
I can relate to your predicament OP. Their methods are very wrong.

(I opted out tongue out )

Hilts

4,684 posts

313 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
hairyben said:
anyway some of you can pop at me all you want about keeping a closer eye on every bill and change of T&C, I wouldn't dispute that I could, but you've missed the point of what the rant is about. If you didn't check your doors were locked it doesn't mean you deserve to be robbed, or be annoyed about it, does it?
OK thanks for the heads up.

Never mind that last bit, I think I know now.

Looket

688 posts

152 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
7/10.

Strong effort displaying some evidence of expletive creativity, but ultimately unsatisfactory in its entirety. Needs a compelling conclusion.




So, what are you doing about it OP? I would suggest you bin the bds and put them on your little black list in perpetuity. Every man should have, and religiously adhere to, a black list.

StottyEvo

6,860 posts

194 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
MrBarry123 said:
Scammed?

Give over.

You're only angry as a result of your own incompetence.
I'm firmly with the OP on this one.

If someone takes money from your account without your authorisation and without taking measures to ensure that you are informed, its fundamentally theft. You can paint it anyway that you like, a civil matter, a company following "process" or in this instance say that Ofcom authorised it...

I've just invented an oxymoron to describe the practice smile Legal theft. Quite a lucrative business I imagine.