Unicom Complaints

Sw1n

I signed a 3 year contract with Unicom for my house phone, but that ended in April this year. I am currently transferring to Sky and Unicom are asking for £137 termination fees. They said they automatically renewed my contract in April for another year. I didn't know this. Can they do that? Please can someone help?

Sw1n

Just looked up Unicom complaints on internet. I'm quite worried now. Apparently they're notorious for this. I really don't want to pay £137 to them, but think it might be easy way out. [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

jhp

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3549251

Buzby

Whether they can do this to you depends on what YOU agreed - your contract for service is never finite, unless you agreed otherwise, it should simply continue as before, but with no minimum lock-in UNLESS, this formed part of the T&C. OFCOM is clamping down on this, however, if you agreed to it, your rights to get out of it are seriously diminished.

You appear to say you had a 3 year contract, but they're now saying that as you did not cancel, you now have a minimum term of 12 months, yes? Is this stated in your service contract? If it is, then that will be your ongoing term minimum, but only if this is actually stated (they cannot make this up as they go along).

Always remember, nobody is ever 'out of contract' they mean they are out of their initial minimum term, and the difference is considerable.

Check your paperwork (assuming you kept it) and update the thread.

Lella

Does anyone know of a telephone company called UNICOM? Would really like
some feedback!

Lella

You think you've got problems! My husband joined unicom a long time ago. They actually did us a good deal at the time, but when we wanted to cancel the contract they said we could only do it three months off the anniversary date of the contract. (This is in the original paperwork which we unbeliveably stil have!) So once we knew the date the following year we gave them the three months notice and thought everthing was rosy. However, at the time we changed supplier and got a new line installed for them, because we wanted to receive the new supplier straight away, and Unicoms contract did expire for anogther few months. The new supplier was going to offer a much better deal so we paid for the two lines until the old contract line ended then we'd only pay for the new one. Unicom then [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] invoices for the old line, every month, continuously persisting we owed them line money because the line was still running. We thought because we'd advised them of terminating the contract this actually meant cancelling the line but they said no. You have to actually tell them to stop the line. So is this bullocks or not? we have just paid them £300 odd and are expecting a termination fee for £700 due soon because according to them, theoretically we have breached the conditions of our contract!. I am having panic attacks because of this.

Buzby

No - it isn't bollox, you are giving notice of your intention to terminate. This has to be provided within the retiured timeframe to be valid, THEN it is up to you to state that your service is required to terminate on a particular date. If you don't, it carries on. Yes, it is an additional step, but can be avoided ny putting the complete request in writing, so that the notice of termination your provide, and the date of line cessation are advised. If they don't cease, it's just tough luck on them.

I agree it stinks, but these firms know that very fiew know the tricks and will be hoisted high by their not understanding. By putting it in writing, it proves that you are making the request, and what your wishes are. Doing it by phone, because it is 'easier' is a false economy.

Neil_Jones

Unicom primarily aim at business users, not home.
Best advise is to look elsewhere, unless you work from home and spend £200 or more a quarter on business calls

Lella

I think you hyave got it slightly incorrect. If you read the contract (and I did with a magnifying glass!), and adhere to it, then legally you should be ok. My contract required a three month notice of anniversary date. Nowhere did it ask for a cessation date. It seems like you said Unicom makes it up as it goes along. I have refused to accept that the contract automatically rolls over for another year. [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] I have h ad advice from the citizenz advice bureau, and also from consumer direct.
There is also the ombudsman that is there to protect consumers [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

Lella

Wondered how Sw1n has got on.

Buzby

No, you misunderstand.

By referring to an 'Anniversary' date, it is a given that the contract has no fixed term, but will continue regardless UNTIL you request to cease which, to save money, you will do during the 'anniversary' period. If you do not, then the costs are considerably higher as the scheme is designed to ensure customers are retained. There is no requirement for a cessation date to be stated, as this is what YOU do - after providing them with notification of wishing to cancel (as is your right) on or during the 'notice period'.

Neither did I say Unicom makes it up as they go along, they method they use is tried and tested and is very common for business contracts (less so for consumer, but they are not illegal as the consumer has the right to decline the service under those terms). Your refusal to accept that the contract rolls on would be akin to arguing black is really white - it doesn't matter if you had a (mistaken) belief, but the contract states what you need to do, and any unfamiliarity or confusion will be to your disadvantage. I first came across a contract like this in 1984 (for a Cellnet mobile phone, of all things). Then, I only had a 7 day period in which to notify my intention to go, which didn't affect me as I fully diarised my dates and there was nothing they could do, and this was a rolling commitment, where I had to give 12 months notice of LEAVING during this period.

Lastly, unfair trading has nothing to do with anything. This is Contract Law, and you had the ultimate control in declining to accept those terms, but if you didn't and the contract is confirmed that argument is over. True, there may be better deals, you may not have known what your true liabilites are and the consequences, but as far as Trading Standards and CAB's are concerned, well-meaning, but otherwise have no real idea as all offer opinions only, and have no basius in Law, Your issue is you are trying to repudiate your contract, and the only way you can do that is under the provisions stated within that contract. To be unfair, it would have to be perverse in some way, but what you describe is established business practice, and as such your opportunity to challenge is limited.

Of course, you can simply not pay, but then if you've given them the right to report their trading with you to a Credit Reference Bureau, you probably won't be taken to court for the debt, but your file will be trashed for 6 years.