Getting overcharged on a mobile tariff

ti1980

Looking back on some old bills it would appear that I have been overcharged on a couple of months bills. I noticed this before but when I called them up about it they refunded £25 off my next bill. This has happened twice now but looking at the bill it seems I was charged over £35 for an 'extras' pack that was supposed to be free so even though they have refunded me, it wasn't the right amount.

I would like to send an email/letter of complaint as I phoned them up about this and I swear they hung up on me twice.
Before this I have had really good service but it seems to have gone downhill in the last 6 months. I have been with them for over 6 years now.

Anyone else had a similar problem and got a decent result out of a complaint? The least I expect is the money refunded that I have been overcharged but it would be nice if I could get a bank charge refunded as one time it happened it took me over my overdraft as my bill comes out by direct debit.
Or has any letter templates that I can use?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

iceburn

Good luck , direct debit, and why you should avoid them. when will people learn :-). But anyway it does help if you say what network you are on. cause if it is orange for example you can write a letter to orange executive office. IF it is O2 need to write to customre retention I think, etc..

iceburn

NB: you know under the direct debit guaranteed you sign your bank is obilged to give you a refund of all charges and the overpayment amount straight away. No need for you to contact the mobile company and sort it out with them, get a refund etc.

http://www.bacs.co.uk/BPSL/directdebit/generalpublic/yourrights/

But I know this is a worthless from my own and other ppl experience.

utilitybroker

What network are we talking about here ti1980.

2ax

iceburn, why don't you read the direct debit guarantee, and speak to your bank about your understanding of it, before giving this questionable advice?

The link you quote says that you will be notified in advance of a forthcoming payment, then if there is an error ... [in other words that you are charged a different amount to that notified on the bill ...]

As I just said on another thread, the bank cannot take any position on disputed amounts. These are two different situations.

After that post, I spoke to someone in customer care at head office to make sure that I was not saying something that was untrue. He supports my opinion.

iceburn wrote:

No need for you to contact the mobile company and sort it out with them, get a refund etc

Rather than believing me or iceburn, anybody thinking of this action should think very carefully and ensure they answer these questions to their own satisfaction before proceeding.

iceburn

2AX, before you reply you read what a person said. I have read the guaranteed and you just said you spoke to head office (you work for a bank) which prove how crap it is!

"If an error is made by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch of the amount paid."

Notice it say "ERROR MADE BY THE ORGANISATION or BANK." That mean if he got overcharge = error he can get a refund. And lot of ppl have got a refund for that reason cause that is what the Direct debit guaranteed states.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/27/27-directdebit-guarantee.htm
http://www.financevictims.co.uk/direct-debits/
http://www.brent.gov.uk/RevBen.nsf/0/3c5b31c31e4fe89e802567f9005671eb?OpenDocument

now HSBC first direct is very good for Direct debit problems it seem but Nationwide and A&L not very good, nor Lloyds TSB nor RBOS. Than on companies side NTL to name just one is very bad. So can we have the company you work for so we know how you understand D/D to be wrong so to avoid you so everyone do not get into trap into the future. Lastly (this is a more long term increase in price) if everyone went for D/D than local post offices, bank branches, etc will close, and more jobs will goto India. Net result higher unemployment but also (bigger part now) your house value will drop in value cause whereas before you had a local corner shop, bank, post office, etc near you, now you have none. Now before u response back just to tell you 2AX I work in a bank with D/D (dealing with them) companies "SETTING UP them up" and in a post office and experience so many probems with it. and this is one issue I am very passionate about. So you will have a very hard time convining me that direct debit are great as this person above just highlighted. Since if he was paying "cash in hand" he could just "DEDUCT the disputed amount."

2ax

I do not work for a bank.

You can rant about your understanding of direct debit as much as you like. Don't like them - fine. But do not tell the rest of us misleading information. Your advice to instruct the bank and ignore the phone company is irresponsible.

I hoped to have pointed out that there is a difference between an administrative error and a dispute over the amount due.

If you are charged by a bank for a transaction you had not mandated, then you complain.

But you cannot intruct the bank to reclaim money from the supplier merely on the basis that you did not want to pay, for what must be contentious reasons. Thus, if you receive a bill for £35 and are charged £3500, it will be refunded. But if you claim that you only owed £32 of the £35, the bank will tell you to discuss it with your supplier; it is not about to arbitrate the dispute on the bill.

If you read some of the example cases of the Financial Ombudsman, this might become clearer.

There are clear differences between credit cards, debit cards, and direct debits. The credit card company is party to the dispute, as they are ultimately the supplier.

So, if you are in the habit of conducting financial disputes, then a direct debit is not ideal. In this respect you are right. But the reason is different.

tin

Oh yes. See my post in the thread here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=91379&highlight=orange

wasn't good. What is the mobiel phone company involved in this instance?

ti1980

Oops, sorry forgot to mention. The network is Vodafone.

mikewillis

this is happened to me when i went to dublin. I got charged for calls that i didnt make, it took ages to sort out. The call centre staff promise to ring me back but never did.

Best to write a letter or email and copy in the CEO of the company.

iceburn

2ax wrote:

I do not work for a bank.

You can rant about your understanding of direct debit as much as you like. Don't like them - fine. But do not tell the rest of us misleading information. Your advice to instruct the bank and ignore the phone company is irresponsible

I never said ignore the phone company! SO DO NOT PUT WORDS IN PEOPLE MOUTH AND DO NOT GIVE MISLEADING INFORMATION!

2ax wrote:

I hoped to have pointed out that there is a difference between an administrative error and a dispute over the amount due.

If you are charged by a bank for a transaction you had not mandated, then you complain.

Correct

But you cannot intruct the bank to reclaim money from the supplier merely on the basis that you did not want to pay, for what must be contentious reasons. Thus, if you receive a bill for £35 and are charged £3500, it will be refunded. But if you claim that you only owed £32 of the £35, the bank will tell you to discuss it with your supplier; it is not about to arbitrate the dispute on the bill.

But it was not £2 it was £35 but if you take into account it was twice £70. And they admitted to it even, and that is what the D/D guaranteed is for.

If you read some of the example cases of the Financial Ombudsman, this might become clearer.

There are clear differences between credit cards, debit cards, and direct debits. The credit card company is party to the dispute, as they are ultimately the supplier.

No that is wrong DO NOT GIVE INFORMATION WHICH U obivously don't understand and misleading. Credit card are involve cause of the credit act, and only if amount is "OVER £100" and within UK. In this case we can assume it is not!

So, if you are in the habit of conducting financial disputes, then a direct debit is not ideal. In this respect you are right. But the reason is different.

And likewise nor is a credit card. Get your facts straight. The best one is just cancel the D/D and pay by cheque! Also about the example you gave of £35 instead of £32 while most ppl will contac the supplier and they will accept the apology from them and get the £2 credit fo next month. But for example Orange for my friend charge my friend for an upgrade in full not the discount price. They said we will credit your account (orange love to do that) but since it is was over £50 she wanted them to give an updated bill. Couple weeks later they took the amount with the £50 extra, she went straight to Lloyds told them that £50 was in error and they refunded her on the spot! No "contact Orange and sort it out with them." How you understand D/D shows why the guaranteed is worthless! But don't worry you not the only ppl even some bank staff do not realise. But next time you sign up by D/D on the telephone and they say on there if we or the bank make a mistake. Stop them and ask them. I notice you avoid to answer what company you work for so we can avoid payin your company by D/D.

Now to the original person post.

the Vodafone CEO email address if not change is arun.sarin@vodafone.com

Now Tim what you do is this.

CANCEL THE D/D completely.
you tell them you are in dispute of the bill and you pay "WHAT YOU THINK" is correct amount. The other part is stay in dispute. You do everything by writing (recorded.) And if does not get resolve you ask to take it to their next level. If does not get resolve than you go through OFCOM / ADR scheme

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/mobile/company/billing/