T-mobile laptop deal

lp1978

Hi all in need of help with this one.

I signed up to what i thought was a 24 month contract with T-Mobile getting a laptop and dongle in the price, the contract ended in February (or so i thought). I called T-Mobile in January asking when the last Direct Debit was due and i was given a date of the 17th February - (i'd made all payments on time in full when due may I add).

I cancelled my direct debit as i thought the conversation i had in January with a T-Mobile customer services advisor was clear enough, going through when my last payment was due and the contract ending on the 17th February.............not as the case may be

I received another bill stating i'd cancelled my direct debit and could i make the standard monthly agreed payment of £30. I got straight on the phone to T-Mobile advising them of the error, to which i was told the contract after 24 months becomes a rolling contract only able to be cancelled by writing, i did so also refusing to make any payment or further payments and that i was disgusted at the fact when i called for the final payment date at no point was i advised of the rolling contract, ok i apparently missed the small print but cannot find the contract after 2 years to check, but likewise surely they are also at error when asked when the contract ends would it be wise to advise it becomes a rolling contract.......

I had a response to my email, (of which i have copies), but after not hearing from T-Mobile for a couple of weeks i emailed the same email and got a response that the email address is no longer in use. Again i called and was told the same again to put my query in writing i did again..........still nothing

The next letter came saying i now owed 2 payments..........i again rang T-Mobile to which i was asked to forward all letters and emails again as they were saying they hadn't received (you can see the pattern emerging here)

The next letter i received was from Capquest saying the debt had been passed over from T-Mobile - i called Capquest explaining my predicament saying that i had sent numerous letters, emails and phones calls, they redirected me back to T-Mobile.

I agreed under duress to make a payment of £15 to T-Mobile and a further £15 to Capquest for the 1st month after the "contract" ended if they agreed the letters would stop and the balance cleared - i took the name of the gent at T-Mobile that agreed and he catagorically stated there would be no more letters and the balance was cleared...........you guessed received yet another bill and a letter from Capquest stating i'm still libel for the balances outstanding...........:mad::mad:

Sick to the back teeth now as i've been asked to send in yet another letter to T-Mobile,

Any and all help would be much appreciated..........

Yours Desperate Now....................

macman

Why 'disgusted'? All mobile contracts work on this system and always have done. The contract is not 24 months, it is a minimum term of 24m, after which it becomes a 30 day rolling contract, as you were quite correctly advised.
As you needed to give 30 days notice, your contract continues until 30 days after you gave notice, and any charges up to that date are valid.
If you wished to terminate after 24 m exactly, you needed to give notice 30 days before the end of that period.

lp1978

Sorry macman I was after help with this not a reply stating what I now know..............

I do think when i'm calling them roughly 45 days in advance and asking when the last payment is and stating I want to cancel the contract but not told to put in writing or advised not to cancel the direct debit I discussed is in some part T-Mobiles error.

I did under duress agree to pay the £30 that had built up from me finding out the contract wasn't cancelled, and a nice man, Noel in T-Mobile customer services agreeing to clear the outstanding balances if this was paid.
I did keep my end of this bargain after things were explained to me, T-Mobile didn't and the recording of the conversation is no where to be found which is why i'm disgusted at the way i've been treated.

I spoke to someone in T-Mobiles credit control only last week who was unaware of the issues i was having (even though i have sent in excess of 5 letters and 10 emails) and again told me to write explaining what had happened.........seriously do these companies not keep notes or files.........pretty poor if you ask me.

As for "minimum term" maybe T-Mobile should update the website to read 24 m minimum term contract then at least more people would be aware of the fact they arent taking out 24m contracts but 24m minimum term, (all these sites say 24m contract)

macman

Yes, of course T-Mobile are in error, but this has arisen because you didn't understand the basis on which all mobile contracts are made. They don't just cut off your service after 24 m.If you confirmed the cancellation in writing and sent it by recorded delivery, then they should have no grounds for charging you beyond the 30 day notice period, as long as that was after 17/2.
Did you maybe request a PAC ,in which case your contract would continue until you used that with your new supplier within 30 days?

Buzby

You've still not got the gist of it - it is NOT a '24 month minimum term contract' as this is incorrect. The contract remains a contract until you cancel - it just so happens that there is a minimum term lock-in. Which, if you upgraded, would have been extended for another (unspecified) number of months.

As for people being 'more aware' - it won;t happen, beope do not read the contracts, and even if it was nailed to the forehead of the salesman of the required commint, most folk wouldn't think twice. A rule of thunb is, if you don't want commitment, go PAYG. This resolved all potential issues - but, you won't get a 'free' laptop!