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AIBU?

To expect a cheque from my mobile phone provider?

9 replies

Brankolium · 30/06/2016 13:48

Slightly long story but it's driving me up the wall.

Back in November 2015 I was trying to upgrade my contract. I made a few calls and agreed a good deal with the call handler. They had some details to check with the manager so arranged a call back time. They never bothered to call back. This happened twice so I decided in the end to end the contract and go elsewhere.

When I called to cancel the contract my phone was broken and I was calling from a borrowed phone. I said this to the person I spoke to and they gave me a PAC code in case I wanted to transfer my phone number (I wasn't sure at that point). The PAC code would normally be texted through with the T&C, but they knew I wouldn't have access to that so read the code out to me over the phone.

A very busy time followed and it was a whole 4 months later (March 2016) that I realised the bill was still being paid every month by direct debit . I phoned up and queried it. The person I spoke to explained that I hadn't used the PAC code, and that according to their T&C if it is not used within 30 days then your contract isn't cancelled after all. Apparently I should have received a text message and a letter detailing this. Of course I hadn't received a text message and had also not received any post from them. I said that the person I originally spoke to knew that I wouldn't get the text and really should have told me the terms of the PAC over the phone. They agreed and said that if I re-cancelled now, then in 30 days (the obligatory notice period) I would be sent a cheque to reimburse me for the extra billing (£80). Perfect.

Except the cheque didn't come after 30 days. This time when I phoned them the call centre was based somewhere that caused a bit of a language barrier (possibly Bangladesh based on accents). No-one could understand my problem and I was passed from pillar to post. In the end (and after stupid conversations along the lines of 'we can't talk to you you're not a customer any more' I know and 'we don't send cheques, you pay us' arghhh) they decided there was no record of the promise of a cheque and I must be making it all up . I asked them to listen to the call record to see that I wasn't lying. Several calls later (and much more fluffing around pretending they didn't understand me) and they admitted they didn't actually record calls and could I please just drop it. I asked to speak to that person's line manager. They weren't available but booked me a call back time. They never called back.

Is this a lost cause? I'm so cross about it and can't really afford to write it off. But I'm short on time too and don't want to spend hours chasing it up if they won't budge.

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Brankolium · 30/06/2016 13:50

Oh, AIBU to expect them to honour what the first person said to me and to bloody well believe me? It's not my fault that whoever it was forgot to properly document their call!

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LurkingHusband · 30/06/2016 13:53

If they have no recording, they can hardly back up their version of events can they ?

Not sure about general consumer disputes, but in financial services disputes the customers version is taken as read unless the organisation can refute it. Which is why you can guarantee it's not "may" record calls. It's definitely record calls.

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JuxtapositionRecords · 30/06/2016 13:56

Is this Vodafone by any chance? Sounds like their level of exceptionally bad service!

I would stop phoning them and detail everything in a letter - everything you have written here but with specific dates. For some reason letters get taken more seriously!

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Brankolium · 30/06/2016 13:57

Yes I can see that they can't verify it Lurking. Although they said for ages that they did record the call and it was only when I pushed them to listen to it that they back pedalled and said they hadn't. But it was that person's job to, not mine. And now it's me out of pocket.

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Brankolium · 30/06/2016 13:58

Writing a letter is a goof idea I hadn't thought of. I'll have to see if I can find the exact dates...

Not Vodafone, it's EE.

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Brankolium · 30/06/2016 14:00

good idea, not goof!

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RubbishMantra · 30/06/2016 14:27

I was convinced your provider was TalkTalk when I clicked on your thread.

And YANBU, why should you pay for a service you didn't receive?

I get The Dread when I have to ring my provider. I know I'll be on the phone for a good few hours, getting shorter and shorter of temper.

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londonrach · 30/06/2016 14:29

Was it ee. I had a similar problem. Complain on their fb page as they very active there.