Is the contract phone company playing me????

samantha87

Hi, i want to know if any1 can help me.. I had a mobile contract with Three in 2009 which i cancels in 2010, for some reason it has just come to my attention that a monthly payment has been going out my bank for this contract since i stopped using the contract in 2010. I rang the company and they told me that i hadn't cancels the contract and there nothing to be done.. So i have payed them £28 for 12months or more for nothing, i am a loyal customer of Three and have always had my phones and broadband with them. Is there anyway any1 knows of that i can do about this. I feel gutted to be out of pocket £300+ for no reason at all (i have 3 young children to support on my own). Please help me X

MissKeith

How did you cancel the contract?

gjchester

Any phone contract not specifically cancelled becmoes a 30 day rolling contract, at the end of the 12/18/24 months thats just the minimum term, not a time the contract ceases.

What proof do you have you cancelled it? How come it took you 12 months to realise you were still paying £30 a month for a service you didn't want.? There is an onus on you to check your bank statements.

sb2_2

did they send you any paperwork or email confirming you had canceled?

if it was just verbally, technically they should cancel it but there wont be any proof you did.

samantha87

When i 1st rang up to cancel contract they told me i had to give 30days notice and gave me a date to ring back from then to cancel, so thats what i done, i rang back when they said and was told nice and polity that my contract account was now cancels so i left it that.. Apparently today when i phoned them, they have no confirmation of this on their system. I know for a fact that i rang them on that day and the man on other end said yes its done!. I don't understand why they haven't got confirmation of this, i don't see what's happened!.

Silk

samantha87 wrote: »

When i 1st rang up to cancel contract they told me i had to give 30days notice and gave me a date to ring back from then to cancel, so thats what i done, i rang back when they said and was told nice and polity that my contract account was now cancels so i left it that.. Apparently today when i phoned them, they have no confirmation of this on their system. I know for a fact that i rang them on that day and the man on other end said yes its done!. I don't understand why they haven't got confirmation of this, i don't see what's happened!.

3 state they don't need written confirmation and that it can be done over the phone.
If you can remember the date that you cancelled ask for them to refer to the phone call on that date ...it will help if you did it by using the 333 number which will show on their log.
You say you are a loyal customer does that mean you are still with them on a different number ...that may help if you can show continuation on another number

samantha87

I cant remember the date, its been a year plus.. But im pretty sure it was January 2010 time, i was on the phone for 56mins today trying to sort this and they just keep saying they have no confirmation of me cancelling this account. Im a loyal customer on the basics i have only had phones from three and i currently have my broadband with them, they tryed offering me a new contract but im not sure to take it or not, i feel i deserve something back.

jenniewb

I found 3 very difficult to deal with and not just with cancelling my contract.

To cancel I called them up several times, they literally would not accept my cancellation until the day I had my contract ended, I called and was told "oh but you already cancelled in December and it was cancelled then"- it was by then the end of February. I can see where the obvious mistake was there but it could have just solved so much if they understood/were able to understand their own terms and conditions!

I asked them for the cancellation in writing, first time resulted in a copy of a new contract being sent out to me. When I called (to by then shout at) them they tried very hard to talk me into accepting this "fantastic new sim only contract" they had signed me up for. A big part of my leaving was the rubbish handset they had sent which they only admitted had faults in after I had returned it to them 5 times.

They will send you a written confirmation if you demand it enough (or maybe I was just 'lucky'?!) so my advice would be to keep on asking, get everything in writing, keep notes of dates, times and names when you call and if they still don't listen, go to consumer direct.

Buzby

You've learned avaluable lesson, because if it wasn;t cancelled back then - have you cancelled it now? Never, ever trust a verbal confirmation without later corroboration, and the fact you let them continue to take payments - and you no challenge it and complain weakens your position, especally as the mobile network AND your bank would be recording the debits/credits, for you not to notice would mean you were happy for the contract to continue, even if you did not make any calls, the handset was still connected to their network and capable of making calls - meaning your charges are reasonable.

Faced with this experience, I suggest you end ALL Direct Debits, if you are unable to monitor them - disaster is just round the corner.

samantha87

I think the only reason this has only just come to my attention is that i have my broadband with Three and i just assumed it was that, im not one for continently checking direct debits because i don't tend to have many at all.. From what most people have replied i think that im fighting losing battle with this and going to have to accept the fact i have nothing to fight for :mad:!. Surly they don't want to lost my custom???