CoolNewMobile (CNM) "pages missing" scam

gromituk · 24 July 2007 at 12:34PM

I've started this thread as the result of worrying things being reported in the CoolNewMobile thread. CNM have started to claim that people have not sent in the relevant page of the bill necessary to validate a claim, or one bill is missing when two are required. This is much harder to disprove than claiming that recorded delivery was not received. As always, an invalid claim invalidates all subsequent claims too.

I'm keeping a list of the people affected here, updating as necessary. Note that (see later in the thread) Phonebox Direct customers are also affected, whom I have also listed, as I presume they are part of Mobile Affiliates too. If people appear in the list more than once it's because they have suffered more than once.

So far, the following MoneySavers have been affected, (in chronological order of it happening, if known, or posting about it, if not):

bogger: 02/07 (fourth claim - from Phonebox Direct)
bogger: 02/07 (fifth claim)
Zulfib + 1: 06/07
chicarg: 06/07
Asiya: 07/07 (second claim)
hueybluey: 16/07 (second claim)
fareastangel: 21/07 (first claim)
bobstheboy: 21/07 (first claim) CNM capitulated when court action was initiated
yoursminelunch: 21/07 (last - fifth - claim)
bogger: 23/07 (third claim)
yabbas: 24/07 (first claim)
trevorh: 25/07 (second claim) CNM capitulated when court action was initiated
bogger: 25/07 (fifth claim)
Wahm: 13/07 (second claim)
emailgen: 02/08 (second claim)
leigh2512: 04/08 (third claim)
itchycoo: 17/08
kevs179: 20/08 (Phonebox Direct)
paulfoel (claimed missing dispatch note)
agentsmith (second claim) CNM capitulated and refunded ALL SUBSEQUENT CLAIMS when court action was initiated
jason710 (second claim)

That's 22 and counting.

Lynsey · 24 July 2007 at 1:15PM

Excellent, thank's on behalf of all for your effort.
It's SAD that this has to happen, but alarm bells have been ringing for quite a while now.

Lynsey

trevorh · 25 July 2007 at 9:16AM

My father has just suffered this rejection! It is his second claim with the first having just been paid (late as always).

As on the main thread we will be taking this matter further!

I have just got my last cashback cheque from my first 12 month contract and have just submitted the first claim for another 12 month contract which I hope is as successful.
Good luck to all

AP · 25 July 2007 at 1:45PM

I think the best way to go forward from now on is to send them all pages of the bill (if there are 30 pages, then send them all 30!), staple all pages together in page number order and attach the claim form to the front with a paper clip.

In this way, they cannot claim:

1. any single page is missing unless they physically remove the staple and pull it out themselves;
2. any specific information regarding tariff details is missing as that's all that is shown on the bill. If any information they want is not shown on any page of the bill, whether itemised or not, then it is not your problem as you have already sent them everything you've got.

trevorh · 25 July 2007 at 2:57PM

AP
My father did send them all pages of the bill (and I always send them all pages also).

I agree stapling will help prevent them losing a page but it make no difference if this is not the cause of the problem.

hueybluey · 25 July 2007 at 4:46PM

Hi Gromituk and other fellow sufferers,

I was ultra-careful, stapled the completed claim form to the relevant bill, posted recorded delivery etc., etc.

My first claim was paid after approx 2 months, the second I got an 'incomplete claim return' letter from Mobile Affiliates (Cool New Mobile) saying the cash back claim form had not been recieved, claim invalidated etc.

My local Consumer Direct (Trading Standards?) have been very helpfull. I've just written a second letter to Mobile Affiliates giving them a last chance to pay up before I issue a claim in the County Courts (which I will most certainly do).

This is a really annoying scam.

The thing that worries me is that you can be as careful as you like but it ends up being your word against theirs. So if it gets to Court how can a Judge (or who ever decides) rule one way or the other?

Gromituk, can you add my name to your list please, it was my second claim, letter recieved 16th July approx.

A bit of additonal info, I have another seperate mobile claim to which I've received the first e-mail from CNM / MA saying 'claim received', I should really have got the second e-mail saying 'claim being assessed' by now. It's hard not to expect the worst with that claim as well.

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep everyone up-to-date with what happens.

mobilejunkie · 25 July 2007 at 5:38PM

I very much doubt you'll have much to worry about in any court provided you present things effectively. I rather hope I end up there!

gromituk · 25 July 2007 at 6:16PM

hueybluey wrote: »

The thing that worries me is that you can be as careful as you like but it ends up being your word against theirs. So if it gets to Court how can a Judge (or who ever decides) rule one way or the other?

Because it's your word, plus a load of independent people who will swear they suffered the same fate, against theirs. I'd say that would tip the balance of probability firmly in your favour (even though each refusal was a separate incident).

I've not suffered personally yet - but I do still have two claims to go.

bogger · 28 July 2007 at 9:30PM

mine and my housemates' experience(the letter which we complain to cnm and pbd):

Order No: PBD 166115 Mrs Wang
Order No: CNM212727 Mr Chen
Order No: CNM228298 Mr Chen
Order No: CNM214984 Mrs Gao

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am Mrs Gao. I started to buy mobile phone pay monthly contracts from Phoneboxdirect and Coolnewmobile since last August. At first the service and credits of these two companys were good, therefore I recommended my housemates and other friends including Mr Chen and Mrs Wang to buy mobile phone pay monthly contracts from you. But since this June there is something wrong with our cash back claims and we began to doubt the credits of your companys. I will tell you what happened to us as follows.

(1) Order No: PBD 166115 Mrs Wang / Order No: CNM212727 Mr Chen

On 2 July both Mrs Wang and Mr Chen received letters at the same time from Phoneboxdirect and Coolnewmobile and they were told that their cash back claims were not complete because some page was missing. The first page of the bill statement (Bill date: 28 May, 2007, O2) from Mrs Wang was missing while the second page of the bill statement (Bill date: 3 June, 2007, O2) from Mr Chen was missing again. They assured me that they posted all the necessary documents and their cash back claims were complete and valid.

Mr Chen photocopied the original bill (Bill date: 3 June 2007, O2) before he send the original bill to Coolnewmobile. Mr Chen was surprised to see that you missed his second page of original bill statement. After called the customer service of Coolnewmobile, Mr Chen send the second page of the photocopied version to Coolnewmobile. However, today Mr Chen received a reply from Coolnewmobile that his fifth cash back claim of the order (CNM 212727) has been refused as they do not accept photocopied bills.

While Mrs Wang did not photocopy her original bill (Bill date: 28 May 2007, O2) before she send them to Phoneboxdirect. She was surprised so much that she was definitely sure that she had include all the pages in the envelope. After contacted with Phoneboxdirect and O2 shop staff, Mrs Wang ordered a copied bill from O2 on 3rd July 2007. Once she received this copied bill from O2 on 11th July, 2007, she posted them to Phoneboxdirect with a cover letter immediately at the same day.

(2) Order No: CNM228298 Mr Chen

On 23 July 2007, the same thing happened again on Mr Chen. He received a letter from Coolnewmobile and he was told that his cash back claim of order CNM228298 missed the first page of the bill. Mr Chen was shocked. He said that was impossible to happen because he stabled all the documents together this time after he experienced the missing page accident last time. Fortunately he photocopied his original bill (Bill date: 27 June 2007, T-mobile). After discussed with customer service of Coolnewmobile, he had no choice but to send the photocopied bill to Coolnewmobile.

(3) Order No: CNM214984 Mrs Gao

Same thing happened to me today!!! I received a letter from Coolnewmobile and I was told that I failed to send the tariff page of my 24 June bill. I am DEFINITLY sure that I stabled all the pages together and put them in an envelop. After I learned the lesson from Mrs Wang and Mr Chen, how can I be so careless to miss any page for such an important cash back claim?

Three of us felt very angry and doubted that this is a dirty trick of your company make money by refuse our cash back claims. It is possilbe to miss a page in one time, but it is definitely impossible to miss a page in four times. Therefore we demand that your company must accept our cash back claims and no excuse is allowed. We need our cash back cheques as soon as possible. If our claims are refused, we will file a lawsuit and tell everyone about what happened to us three to judges and your current and potenial customers (by posting what happened to us to online mobile phone community). We just tell them the truth and we do not claim the responsibility that would cause any loss to your companys.

Signature:

bogger · 28 July 2007 at 9:35PM

gromituk,hello.

i am bogger(mrs gao).my fifth cashback claim was refused by cnm on 25/07

my husband's(mr chen) fifth cashback claim was refused by cnm on 02/07
another one third cashback claim was refused by cnm on 23/07

my housemate's(mrs wang) forth cashback claim was refused by pbd on 02/07.

please list our names on.

thanks.

mouseclick · 29 July 2007 at 8:36PM

bogger wrote: »

i am going to my city advice centre to try to get help from them next week.i am in sheffield.

if any body need share some informations from me,

Just found this article dated 2 days ago at Sandwell Trading Standards.

The last para says:
"We are obviously keen to hear from consumers who feel they have been mislead. Any consumer experiencing problems with a phone cash back offer should contact Consumer Direct for advice on 08454 04 05 06."

Consumer Direct is a national organisation that co-ordinates all complaints, so please complain to them so they can get the full picture, and tell others to complain too.

I am about to complain on the website that my terms and conditions appear to have been unilaterally changed without them even bothering to tell me.

CoolNewMobile (CNM) "pages missing" scam

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