mobile phone contract taken out with my details

hazzbean

ooh thanks nicolax, is it usual for the bank not to have offered this refund when i spoke to them. Because this has never happened to me before this is all interesting news. Presume i ring them back recalling my previous call to them to get the DD stopped and say i want refund re DD indemnity guarantee.

Buzby

The police will not be interested in this - and, as it isn't you (on the face of it) that has been defrauded, then the problem is for Vodafone to resolve. All you are required to do is to reject their assertion that you had anything to do with it. As it stands, you have no right to any information VF may hold, as you are not the person who took out the contract. The fact they have no CCTV footage is their problem, not yours.

The first thing I would do is WRITE to VF by trackable means - as I assume they have written to you? You reject that you have taken out the contract and advise them you have no further information to give, other than your bank card was replaced on XX/XX/XX. After this, you need to check your credit file to see what appears there that you do not recognise. If VF have placed defaults or erroneous information on the file, you need to contact the CRA to dispute this, as if the contract was taken out fraudulently, you have not given permission for your data to be disclosed. If the CRA refuses, you then take it to the Data Protection commissioner.

Mobile companies do not normally take consumers to court these days, they prefer to sell on the debt and wreak havoc with the credit file - so it is important you pursue this angle before all others.

grumbler

Getting the money back from the bank is not a problem.
The main problem is that if you don't pay Voda are likely to report a default to the CRA(s).
It's fine if you don't care about your credit rating. Otherwise you have to keep fighting. In the worst case scenario I don't see other way than paying them the full amount under protest and then suing the !!!!!!!s via the Small Claims Court for this amount plus extra for all troubles. IMO they have no proofs and will settle before the court hearings.

hazzbean

thanks grumbler and buzby. so i will write to them at the address on the demand notice rejecting all knowlege of the account with VF. then check credit file? not done that before but will find out how to do this somewhere....

grumbler - I cannot afford to pay out over £1000 . so its a case of guilty till i can prove otherwise and be out of pocket and have debt collectors chasing me etc etc. shall i get a solicitor as this is stressing me out no end? and making sure i do everything in the right order

hazzbean

sorry again, I can tell you know your stuff and what I am asking is probably annoying, but can I ask is there a template letter to reject the contract or is it a case of putting into own words . do i give a deadline for their response and do i mention in the letter that i have no funds to pay the account as it is not mine and am pursuing it further. the card was lost thursday or friday of the week and i cancelled card on saturday when i next came to look for it ( i dont use it every day) it appears the contract was taken out on the friday - how quick was that to get your id stolen. ggrrr

hazzbean

shall i e mail as well as put in writing to the address on the demand notice or somewhere in VF in authority to try and get the notification put on hold pending further enquries re fraudulent account?

Vodafone

Hi hazzabean,

I can certainly appreciate your concerns and I will be more than happy to look into this for you.

If you drop me an email to the address here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject, I will get in touch to discuss it further.

Please also include a link to your post and a contact number I can reach you on.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK