vodafone stopping me getting a mortgage!

slopemaster

vodafone stopping me getting a mortgage!

In february, I tried to take out a contract with vodafone but quickly realised they are incompetent. WITHIN THE 14-day cancellation period, I returned my telephone unused and with the seal unbroken. (I have proof of posting, and have sent a copy to vodafone.)

Since then, they have sent a stream of escalating bills and demands for fees.
I gave up trying to call or e-mail ‘customer services’ or their ‘collections department’ to sort it out, and wrote to them instead. Eventually I received a reply – a rather bizarre letter which begins in an inappropriately friendly manner “Hope you are doing well”, and concludes by threatening “If you do not make a payment by 17th May [a date which had already passed] your account will be cancelled and transferred to an external Collection Agency”. In between, it completely fails to address the issues raised in my letters.

I wrote again, repeating that I do not have a contract with them and I do not owe them anything. I also attached proof that I returned the phone on 24th February, thus annulling my contract within the 14-day cancellation period. I warned them to take care about passing incorrect information to a debt collection agency, as this could affect my credit rating at a time when I am applying for mortgages, and said that “should this happen, I will seek redress against you”. This letter has not been answered.

Today I put in my mortgage application and, lo and behold, it was declined due to ‘adverse credit’. This MUST be vodafone who have placed a default on my file.
(I will be checking my Experian file, but last time I checked it at the end of January it was fine.)
Of course I will have to write again, but as it is urgent and important I thought I would try phoning. Tried several numbers which I found for complaints, collections, central switchboard etc, but all just put me back in the Q for ‘customer services’. When someone there eventually answered, I asked (very calmly) for his name “so that i know who i am speaking to” – he obviously didnt like the sound of that as he cut me off! So i called their media centre (01635 666777) to say I am going to go to the press with this but will give you one last chance to resolve it if you can put me onto someone who will talk sense.
He promised someone will call back – nothing yet but only half an hour ago.

SORRY thats so long.
I do have some questions after all that.

IF the only way to get the ‘default’ removed from my file in order to get the mortgage is to pay the money they claim I owe, then is it possible to state that i am paying it “under duress” and immediately take them to OTELO, or even the small claims court?
Or would payment be taken as admitting that i owe it, which i definately don’t?

Also, I have 2 e-mail addresses for the vodafone CEO.
[EMAIL="Vittorio.Colao@vodafone.com"]Vittorio.Colao@vodafone.com[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="arun.sarin@vodafone.com"]arun.sarin@vodafone.com[/EMAIL]
Does anyone know which is correct?
I did send a copy of my letters to the second address but had no response whatsoever.
I will sned the next letter to both I suppose.

Any other advice, short of sending them a solicitor’s letter, which i would have to pay for?

Thanks

michaels

I think Arun Sarin has been replaced.

There was another thread a few days ago, I think on this board where a guy (in Scotland) had sued for consequential loss due to an incorrect credit record reference. I will try and find it and post a link.

sugarpants_2

Just wanna add how sorry I am for you. Im sure myself and DH are gonna have these problems when we apply for a mortgage tommorrow. good luck ~i hope you sort vodophone out!

slopemaster

michaels wrote: »

There was another thread a few days ago, I think on this board where a guy (in Scotland) had sued for consequential loss due to an incorrect credit record reference. I will try and find it and post a link.

very grateful if you could
I saw this too, but now I can't find it anywhere!!!

michaels

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=885979

slopemaster

Brilliant, thanks

Conrad

Slope

Something to be aware of here, is that ONLY the terms in the contract with Vodaphone matter. The fact you have proof of postage might help, but the worry is deep in those terms I bet there is something along the lines of "the contract will only be deemed

Conrad

Slope

Something to be aware of here, is that ONLY the terms in the contract with Vodaphone matter. The fact you have proof of postage might help, but the worry is deep in those terms I bet there is something along the lines of "the contract will only be deemed terminated once we have approved any return" - something like that.

Just paying the bill is neither here nor there as the payments have probably already been registered as late.

This then presents a new lender with an applicant with a 'propensity to pay

Conrad

Slope

Something to be aware of here, is that ONLY the terms in the contract with Vodaphone matter. The fact you have proof of postage might help, but the worry is deep in those terms I bet there is something along the lines of "the contract will only be deemed terminated once we have approved any return" - something like that.

Just paying the bill is neither here nor there as the payments have probably already been registered as late.

This then presents a new lender with an applicant with a 'propensity to pay late'.

Your only hope is that Vodaphone see sense and have those late payments removed - not just 'satisfied' or 'now paid' but completely removing all

Conrad

Slope

Something to be aware of here, is that ONLY the terms in the contract with Vodaphone matter. The fact you have proof of postage might help, but the worry is deep in those terms I bet there is something along the lines of "the contract will only be deemed terminated once we have approved any return" - something like that.

Just paying the bill is neither here nor there as the payments have probably already been registered as late.

This then presents a new lender with an applicant with a 'propensity to pay late'.

Your only hope is that Vodaphone see sense and have those late payments removed - not just 'satisfied' or 'now paid' but completely removing all history.

We had a lady that had a faulty car she returned within the grace period, but the late payments were registered and months later she has been unable to get the record

Conrad

Slope

Something to be aware of here, is that ONLY the terms in the contract with Vodaphone matter. The fact you have proof of postage might help, but the worry is deep in those terms I bet there is something along the lines of "the contract will only be deemed terminated once we have approved any return" - something like that.

Just paying the bill is neither here nor there as the payments have probably already been registered as late.

This then presents a new lender with an applicant with a 'propensity to pay late'.

Your only hope is that Vodaphone see sense and have those late payments removed - not just 'satisfied' or 'now paid' but completely removing all history.

We had a lady that had a faulty car she returned within the grace period, but the late payments were registered and months later she has been unable to get the record adjusted.

Good luck, but this could be a bit of a haul.

Something I always go on about on this forum is writing only to the MD using special delivery post. I do this always in my personal life and find such problems are avoided in this way.

Good luck