3 Mobile took my money - help and advice please!

NotAClue_3

Hi there.

In June 2007 I ordered a mobile phone through 'Dial-a-Phone' website. The mobile phone I ordered cost £150. When the money was drawn from my bank account, there was a duplicate amount withdrawn briefly, so £300 was withdrawn. This caused me to go overdrawn with my bank, but £150 was paid back quite quickly. Very strange I thought, so I cancelled the order, but I was never refunded the £150 which was taken. I never had a mobile phone either as of course I had cancelled the order.

I called 'Dial-a-Phone' on many occasion to try and get my money back, but they said it was now the responsibility of 3 mobile phone company. I looked at my bank statement and it did/does say that the money was taken by 3 Hutchison. I have written many letters, made many phone calls and contacted 3 via email and all they do is hand me on to somebody else. I sent a recent letter to them that I will take legal action if they do not refund my money. This, as I have said, has been going on for over two years now. The last letter I sent, has not had a response from them and I sent the letter before Christmas.

I talked to somebody a while back who experienced the same problem and she said she managed, in the end to get her money back plus compensation. I actually just want what is owed me, but I feel I will pursue compensation if I can because I feel I have been messed around.

I am not sure how to go about this, so any advice and help would be appreciated.

Thankyou,

Mark.

Mark_Hewitt

Well I guess the first point is that if you ordered through "Dial-a-phone" it is they who are responsible for refunding your money.
Even if they subcontract to '3', that is not your concern.

NotAClue_3

I'll contact 'Dial-a-phone' again then, but it does appear on my bank statement that 3 mobile took the money.

If this is the responsibility of' 'Dial-a-phone', which I thought it would be at the start, why would they say it would be the responsibility of 3 mobile? Surely, this would be against the law to say this, if it weren't true?

Thanks for the reply btw.

Mark_Hewitt

NotAClue wrote: »

why would they say it would be the responsibility of 3 mobile? .

Like a company has never tried to get out of things by passing the buck?

snugglepet20

I would say you have been messed about for long enough. From my own dealings with 3 I would say they probably get 1000+ letters a week from customers threatening legal action, so take all your information and copies of letters, phonebills etc and report them to Ofcom. If they have delivered this phone to you then they can show Ofcom the signed delivery slip (phones are always sent recorded delivery) if not then they will have to pay your money back.

NotAClue_3

Thankyou Snugglepet for some concrete advice which was what I asked for!

DVardysShadow

NotAClue wrote: »

I'll contact 'Dial-a-phone' again then, but it does appear on my bank statement that 3 mobile took the money.

If this is the responsibility of' 'Dial-a-phone', which I thought it would be at the start, why would they say it would be the responsibility of 3 mobile? Surely, this would be against the law to say this, if it weren't true?

Thanks for the reply btw.

There is no particular law against telling porkies and if they make you go away, then they will regard it as a successful tactic

pmduk

Mark, phone Ofcom and ask for their contact's detail at 3. Then sink to your knees and thank whoever that you didn't end up with a contract with them. They make British Gas look professional.

NotAClue_3

Lol @ some of the comments. I have sent an email to Consumer Direct which I was guided to by Ofcom, so will see what happens there. I have a few emails of proof of contacting them and if need be then I can reference phone calls being made, etc. I am going tyo go for compensation aswell, just for the principle of the whole thing. Would have been happy with just the money which was owed, but these people/companies seem to be just out and out a**holes. It makes me laugh that the average person is strictly persuaded to be law-abiding and moral and preached to by these organisations - just watch the TV with all these ads telling you to be aware if you put a foot wrong, yet all these corporations raking in the money and preaching are criminals themselves. Shame there isn't more 'straight' talking. I think there should be rules in this department. In the jobs I have had since I have been working, I have to abide by rules which protect everybody. I am surprised there hasn't been a civil war regarding all this stuff and all these greedy business draining more than enough out of people.

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now and thankyou very much to everybody for giving me advice!