Adept/Fizz telecom

heleni

I'm trying to cancel an account with Adept telecom who are telling me I joined into a 5year! contract with their previous company fizz telecom, yet I only have 3months left with them, they want to charge a cancellation fee.
Has anyone had any dealings with them or can suggest any way round this fee, still shocked to hear it was a 5year contract.
Thanks

Jemma-T

You signed up with a company called Fizz?

Why would you pay a fee or continue a contract you're not contracted to? That's 2 questions you can ask them.

heleni

I did wonder what their way round it was but Adept took over fizz telecom and they said they therefore took over all existing contracts and accounts aswell.

Jemma-T

If you signed (digitally or otherwise) a 5 year contract then you have a contract.

But have you asked them to prove you signed this contract? Tell them you have no contract.

You'll need to give more info too if you're still stuck. Stuff like are you a business, what is the service, how do you pay etc etc.

heleni

Yes it is a business phone line and I pay by direct debit. I have asked for written proof of the contract which I am still waiting to recieve. I tried telling them i wouldnt join into anything for that long. I never signed anything with either company, they are telling me it was all verbal. I have kept all/most letters from both companies and have every bill for the period in my accounts (self employed)
Appreciate you helping

Jemma-T

Varbal can (is) a digital signature. They'd still need to provide evidence of that if you dispute it. Names of people concerned in selling the service, recorded conversations, paperwork confirmations etc.

If you have genuinely not signed up be prepared to fight it. If you're in a fighting mood you could consider moving away from them immediately and let them do the chasing.

Just don't cancel anything (direct debit etc) before you get a move date and leaving them in the dark as much as possible may be your best bet too. If things were to get messy just get another BT line installed (as a private customer -"free" offers available for this) and move the number over.

I think you'll know the best thing to do up to now by the tone of the company. The names scares me so keep yourself right as these companies can be fly by night and think nothing of a bit of intimidation.

So get your ammunition ready. Include in this a formal complaint to OFCOM and Trading Standards about fraudulent signatures etc etc. You don't actually need to contact those people but there's no harm in dropping the names to "Fizz".

Sit down, work out your plan and stick to it. If you don't want to talk to "Fizz" for whatever reason then don't talk to them.

Good luck!