I am taking Setanta Sports to the small claims court!

Farnesy

I have finally lost the plot with Setanta and would rather stick hot needles in my big blue eyes than speak with this lot again!

Long story short - In Dec 2007 I set up a Freeview signal account with them and couldn't receive the picture. Phoned back, set up the signal through Sky and asked the call handler to cancel the freeview and collect the dd for the sky.

I discovered in June this year (yes I know, I should have detected it earlier!!) that they have continued to collect £9.99 for seven months for the freeview in addition to the sky signal.

Now, two months later, I am still no further forward after having been told by Kircaldy customer service I can have my money back, and Newry telling me I can't as it's 'my fault'.

Their customer service is appalling. I have exhausted all avenues with them and despite the fact that they are aware of the complaint, they still continue to bombard me with texts demanding that I ring them straight away about my account. On the two occasions I have been stupid enough to try and ring back on the 0871 number they provide, I have never been able to get through and told to call back later.

I have actually asked the refunds section 'How about this for a novel idea, why don't you ring my number if you want to speak to me?' But it is just met with an 'hhhhhmmmmmmm' and nothing more!

I have never met such a shower of idiots in my life and 40 hours a week of my precious life are spent dealing with insurers for a living, so that's saying something let me tell you! :mad:

So, today, I am walking round to the county court to obtain forms to issue a summons. Yes, it will cost me more money but I will not let these people get away with riding rough shod over people! I have also informed the Consumer Direct people (an arm of Trading Standards) who have noted the complaint. They have also notified Trading Standards.

I will let you know the outcome for anyone else unfortunate enough to be owed money by these d*ckheads!

Farnesy

bulldog14

Good on you! I've too had a very bad experience with Setanta and will never ever give them any buisness again.

Good luck with your claim, let us know how you get on!

DreamerV

Ah, we're having major probs with them too. We signed up for a 3 month minimum contract, they never provided the picture, which they know....they wouldn't refund the money, we've spent time and money arguing with them...all we wanted was to cancel it as it doesn't work.....anyhow they finally admitted they didn't live up to their side of the contract (providing the service) and agreed to give the money back (although none of the money we spent contacting them), but a few weeks later contacted us and said it's not possible to give the money back as they've done nothing wrong and so finance dept won't authorise it. This is all with trading standards involved...you think they'd have the authority to just authorise the payment back. They're being idiots.

Rab19

We cancelled with Setanta after our special rate finished & were told that the cancellation policy changed at the start of July to 60 days, so we'd have to pay for August (I called at the start of July).

I disputed this and it was agreed that as long as I cancelled by post, we could get out of the contract at the start of August.

Funnily enough, they didn't receive either the first OR the second letter I sent and it was only when I phoned AGAIN and complained that they put a note against my account to say i'd cancelled. I send a 3rd letter by Recorded Delivery and informed our Bank that we had not authorised the Card Payment, so they're trying to reclaim our money for us!

Good luck with the Court Case - Setanta need a good kick up the butt!!!

Rab x x

Networkguy

Farnesy wrote: »

So, today, I am walking round to the county court to obtain forms to issue a summons.
Farnesy

Save yourself the journey and do it online at http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/

It is quicker and easier and it will only take you about 10 minutes :T

Wonderful service.

mum2one

Networkguy wrote: »

Save yourself the journey and do it online at http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/

It is quicker and easier and it will only take you about 10 minutes :T

Wonderful service.

I can highly recommend the moneyclaim gov link, I used it for for my claim against Barclays and it was a god send, if you make an error (I made a few), the site wont let you go ahead, where as with a tradational court, its back and forth, re fill in, back again.....

Good luck x

Farnesy

Hi guys

I know I'm not the only one - if you google setanta complaints there are pages of forums with most people saying the same thing about them!

Thanks for the link Networkguy, however, I can't file online as the refund section is in Newry in NI and the customer service dept. is in Kirkcaldy, Scotland - the address has to be in England or Wales. I got the papers anyway so am doing it manually!

One good point to note is that they might have stopped texting me - haven't had anything for 48 hours! Now I'm nervous..........:eek: wondering what's coming next!?!?!

What do we need to do to get this highlighted on TV by, say, Watchdog?!?!

EDIT: Have just emailed the BBC Watchdog team - not sure if it will be taken up and I might be being naiive but short of taking a trip to Newry to nail these b*stards I'm not sure what else to do!

Thanks again

Andrea (Farnesy)
x

higgs

Hi,

Just thought I would let you know. As far as I am aware you don't have to take them to Court. If they have been taking a DD they shouldn't have you can make an indemnity claim with your bank.

They HAVE to refund you the money there and then and the company can then dispute your assertion that they shouldn't have taken it.

I have done this with a DD which was mistakenly taken out for eight months.

The bank were not keen at first and suggested that I take it up with the company, but if you are insistent and explain to them that this is part of the direct debit garuntee they do have to refund the money and then the bank charge the company.

I actually waited in the bank until after they had locked the doors while someone kept checking my balance until the money showed up.

hth

Rab19

Ooops - clicked thanks instead of reply!!!

What I was trying to say was that our money comes out as a Card Charge, rather than a Direct Debit - it's a hell of a lot harder to stop. . . . That's why we've issued a charge back with the bank.

Good luck!


Rab x x

bijgouder

Just a note of support for Farnsey and anyone else who takes this lot on. Their customer service and underhand ways are appalling and deserve exposure in any way possible. I suggest people should also write to the FA Premier League as well, to voice disapproval of their selling rights to them.

MothballsWallet

Didn't think the FA would care: it's just money numbers to them.