Pipex taken money even though the account is cancelled

TrickyDicky

A friend at work cancelled his Pipex account a couple of months ago. He has been with them for 8 years. He pays for 3 months at a time and when he cancelled he was 1 month into a 3 month period. On the phone they said they would cancel the account and refund the difference soon. after a further two phone calls during the next 2 months, he received assurances he would receive the money soon and the account was definitly closed.

It comes to now and they have billed him for the next 3 months. Im just checking on the right course of action. I have advised him to write a threatening letter (sent recorded delivery) giving them 7 days to sort the mess out, detailing all times of phone calls ect, and also to ask for the costs of the phone calls he made where he was assured his refund would be sent soon. Otherwise he will take the matter to the small claims court. I just wanted other people's advice on this.

Quentin

From where are they taking the money? Whilst this is being sorted, make sure they cannot take any more.

If it's by direct debit, cancel it now.

If it's by credit card authorisation, "lose" the card and get a new one issued. (Which will have a new number which they cannot charge to).

JohalaReewi

As Quentin says plus, if it is by Direct Debit, as well as cancelling the DD so they can't take any more, ask the BANK for a full and immediate refund of the amount taken under the direct debit guarantee scheme.

Joe_L

This is a situation that I'm predicting will happen for me. I've been with Pipex for 7 years and have been paying quarterly. Now I want to switch to o2 and am in the process of cancelling. My main reason is that Tiscali, the parent company, have not played it straight and have a even worse reputation than Pipex. I've just had an example of this, I had to renew my details when I got a new debit card and without my knowledge they tried to set up a direct debit and debit my card just days after they had already taken out 3 months payment. They can go whistle for another payment.

I would be very grateful though if somebody could tell me definitively which address one sends a cancellation letter to? If I send my letter recorded I want to know that it is going to the correct address to limit their denial of cancellation (though I fully anticipate that is what they will try to do). I am in the process of leaving Abbey and so will close my account once I've sent my cancellation letter.

rummy

Hi TrickyDicky,

I am in the exact same situation as your friend at the moment and am infuriated at their level of incompetency. I have dealt with them two years ago when I first joined up and had problems then too. I would have left sooner if I wasn't bound to a contract with them.

I've just receieved a letter claiming that I have just opened a new account with them and an email on this too. I have not even bothered wasting my time with their customer services. I have written a letter of complaint to them for this. If I hear anything (highly unlikely) I'll let you know.

From reading around, this seems to be a common problem with Pipex and closing an account takes more than a year for some.


If you friend has better luck, do let me know.

Supercali

I have a similar problem. I phoned them up and they said cancellation could take weeks and I would get any money due back to me automatically! :rolleyes:

I emailed them and got this response

I can confirm that your Pipex Internet service has been cancelled on 22 August 2008.

Please note that Pipex requires 30 days notice to cancel any service. As you are charged for services in advance, if your monthly billing cycle falls before your cancellation date, you will be billed beyond the cancellation date.

If you are outside your minimum term contract you can claim back any charges beyond your cancellation date.

To claim this refund, please call our dedicated Customer Care Team on or after the cancellation date.

If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact Customer Care on 0871 222 5550.

I feel like I am going round and round in circles.

rummy

Ahhhh Pipex are so frustrating. The more I hear of them, the more angry it makes me. I just don't understand why their level of service can be so poor and that everyone is aware of but no one does anything about it.

TonyHa_2

I think the CEO of Pipex is Tony Soprano!

I cancelled with Pipex as I was unable to give them a new credit card number, the member of staff in Lithuania could not understand my voice, I work in a customer facing role and have an easy to understand voice.

Called the cancellation line, told them the score they were not interested in taking my credit card details but more than happy to cancel and issue a MAC
code, I asked if there would be a cancellation fee and was assured there would not be.

The day that my new ISP activated my MAC code I had a phone call from Pipex demanding a cancellation fee and two months subscriptions, which I would not pay, I have had a number of different customer service staff confirm that I owe them no money.

Cut a long story short today a letter from their credit company confirming legal proceedings arrived, I am more than likely to end up on a credit black list because these fools are unable to take ownership of a simple task and action what they have told me verbally and in writing.

If you want to leave Pipex looks like the only way to do it without them hounding you is to leave the county or die!

Joe_L

TonyHa wrote: »

.
Cut a long story short today a letter from their credit company confirming legal proceedings arrived, I am more than likely to end up on a credit black list because these fools are unable to take ownership of a simple task and action what they have told me verbally and in writing.

As I anticipated earlier in the thread, trying to leave the clutches of this rotten company has been an ongoing fiasco. They've made it like a maze: easy to get in, bloody big job to get out and should you get out you be lucky to still have the clothes on you back.

I won't go into detail, but I've telephoned (always using 0203) emailed, sent letter across the country to the 101 addresses they seem to have, to no avail. Every operative gives you a different story. I made a phone call to cancel and ask for my MAC code on 29 Sept, I was online with my new ISP by 30 Oct, and received the code by email 4 Oct, but the either cannot or will not, for nefarious reasons, accept that my notice started on the 29 when I cancelled. They are trying to bill me for 3 months as well, yet I've told them umpteen times that I will only pay them for the month and could they send me the invoice. On my next day off I'm going to Tiscali head offiice in London and demand to see one of the spivs.

This company are as bad as it gets and surely Watchdog should be interested in them by now. I mean the web is full of stories about how bad Pipex/Tiscali are. And to me they are perpetrating a fraud, by ignoring the facts in order to squeeze more money out of people.

windra

I had a problem with sky who charged me after i left, i called my bank and asked for an indemnity claim and they refunded the money within 24 hours, they then claimed the money back from sky themselves.

meggsy

I can sympathise with you all as I left Pipex after 12 years in May 08.
I had paid an annual subscription to March 09 by cheque as I noticed the payment details had disappeared from my account, but they disconnected my line for a month and sent a debt collection letter etc., Three complaints later through ISPA has not produced the refund that high level complaints promised to send :mad:

They didn't send my MAC code either, but now a very happy customer of Zen Internet;)