Legal Deed Poll Service - poor customer service

ballou

Hello there, as this is my first post I will try to keep it brief and hope I am posting in the correct section.

A few weeks ago I paid for my partner to change her surname by deed poll online.
We used the thelegaldeedpollservice.org.uk to do this as they seemed professional and trustworthy (their website is littered with famous names and familiar faces). The first deed poll cost £10 and everything happened as promised on the website and we were quite happy with the service. Less than a week later I received an email offering a "discounted rate" of 5 additional copies for £1.00 each.

This is the part explaining the offer, note the date of expiry, the email was received on Nov 5.

Due to recent customer feedback - the company has decided to extend the closing dates - because you ordered the FULL PRICE copies, you are now entitled to five additional copies of your Deed Poll at the discounted rate (£1.00 each).
You can re-click the link and order as many copies as you need, however, the system will not permit you to order the discounted copies after 23:59 on Sunday 8th October 2009.
To order the additional copies, please click the following link (allow two to three days for delivery):

So thinking that their old template was used to email the same offer I thought it was just a minor mistake on the October date, but looking back now it was the first sign on how unprofessional the company actually is.

After a few days an envelope arrived with just 1 copy enclosed. The next day nothing more arrived, so I checked the site and there was a freephone helpline which I called to find a very rude receptionist (not helpline advisors as the website says) on the other end of the phone who told me I had to ring a premium rate number (090) for help and after I tried explained to her that I would not call this premium rate number for something I have already paid for, she hung up.

Annoyed I then used the support ticket system on the website, which didn't help at all. After a few days I received an email asking what email address was used for the transaction (none because it was an online solo payment) she then asked me to send her the payment receipt for my extra copies. I emailed her the invoice that came with the 1 copy and I received a reply telling me to call the Dispatch Team Manager (0845 this time). I reluctantly called it before 5pm today (as stated) and this time there was an answer machine to talk to! I didn't think I would be able to explain this to a machine so I hung up.

Now I don't know what to do, I am angry enough to write another email but I don't think it will help, there is no point. I am so annoyed at the poor customer service of this "company". Even though it's just a £4.00 loss, we really need the copies so they can be sent out to the relevant places.

Can anyone give me some friendly advice on what to do next please? We would be very grateful. Oh and before someone mentions it, we know there are free deed polls available online, but we used this company and now we are paying the price, literally. Thanks for reading!

Ps. Sorry I cannot post a link as a new user.

4743hudsonj

try saynoto0870

google it

it offers localised numbers to premium rate lines so you may be able to get somewhere

i suspect you will lose out anyways though as you deceptively followed the link whilst being aware it was out of date. therefore trying to take advantage of an error.

ballou

Well there wasn't any alternative number on that site, but thanks for the link!
Just to add when I took advantage of the offer I believe really that it is an old email template that has been re-used. This must be true because my invoice that came with the 1 copy stated the following, word for word:
Qty: 1
Description: 5 x Legal Copy @ 1.00GBP + 15%%
Rate: 5
Total: 5
VAT: 0.75

Lower down the page a big PAID stamp.

So to me that says they have charged me for 5 copies at £1 each but have done the opposite and given me 1 copy for £5.00. How bizarre.

4743hudsonj

ballou wrote: »

Well there wasn't any alternative number on that site, but thanks for the link!
Just to add when I took advantage of the offer I believe really that it is an old email template that has been re-used. This must be true because my invoice that came with the 1 copy stated the following, word for word:
Qty: 1
Description: 5 x Legal Copy @ 1.00GBP + 15%%
Rate: 5
Total: 5
VAT: 0.75

Lower down the page a big PAID stamp.

So to me that says they have charged me for 5 copies at £1 each but have done the opposite and given me 1 copy for £5.00. How bizarre.

i doubt you will get anywhere, if you wan a refund you should be able to get one legally but you cant enforce them to follow through with the offer im afraid.