Unicom Complaints

steve1980

You should be seeking legal advice from a solicitor, not asking for info on a forum.

hugop

I am aware of that steve but other people may have had a similar issue and I was grateful for any advice. The kind people who have messaged me privately were most helpful.

Wraakian

I am in the same boat but much deeper in the water - they want to charge me £3480 for taking my 2 business lines away from them. This comprises £100 termination fee for each of the 2 lines, then £360 for service charges for the remaining term plus £1280 being 30% of call charges we would have made during the remaining term! [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

Ady87

I simply can not believe the informations posted in this thread!

Honestly, people should leave the little companies be, this happens far far too often with the smaller guys. Although mentioned above, you simply wouldn't get this with BT. Imagine advising the press BT had tried to charge you for your estimated usage charges for the remainder of your contract. The company would fall to pieces! It just wouldn't happen!

Hope you get it sorted guys!

fegman

Hello,
I have had the recent experience of briefly working for Unicom, for less than 2 weeks [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]
I was so upset by the overall working practices (examples to follow!) that I left mid way through the second week of my 2 week period, and after being unemployed, and during a recession when job vacancies are at a premium, would rather stay on the dole!!!!
The telecoms contract side falls into 3 main tariffs, with [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] monthly line rental charges dependant upon when the contract was signed historically. The contracts are intially 3 years in duration with a 1 year roll over, which automatically activates after the completion of the 3 years, and if the customer has not given the notice to quit required, which is to be provided in writtten form, 3 months before the customers anniversary date.
At no point, unless the customer physically rings into customer services, are they made aware of this date, and as a result, it would appear that all contracts roll over onto this 1 year rolling contract.
Usually, most people would imagine by this point that their contract is finished, and that they can go to another telecoms provider, but should this occur, customers are deemed to be in breach of contract, and slapped with an early termination fee (which once again can differ from person to person, dependant on when the telecoms contract was signed historically).
During my training, I was advised (this is the absolute truth!!!) to tell a customer who had the misfortune of having his house burnt to the ground days earlier, and who was living in a hotel; that due to the fact he couldn't provide a secondary telephone line to transfer his services onto, that he would be liable for an early termination fee. Unicom would only 'freeze' his account for a one month period!!!!
As his 3 years contract had recently rolled over to the 1 year rolling contract, by a couple of weeks, and he hadn't provided the necessary written notice 3 months previous to his anniversary date , this would be broken down as below:

1. 11 months x line rental (@ £12ish a month.
2. 50% of his projected call costs for this 11 month contract period, worked out from the previous years contract costings.
3. £50 admin fee.
4. ALL excluding of VAT

(please do note that the costs for line rental and admin fees are approximations as I can not remember what actual figures are and were, you get the impression anyway!)
The impression I came away with, was that all contracts are very water tight, and are backed up (as with all telephone conversations to customer services) with voice recordings of pre determined 'scripts' by staff, where the customer is recorded as agreeing to abide with Unicoms terms and conditions of contract. If you don't remember, I assure you that you have in fact been recorded agreeing to the terms and conditions of contract, and that this is stored on the internal database with your account details.
A common argument from customers I encountered opposing this contract, and the 1 year roll over that they were not notified about, was that they would go to OFCOM to complain.
OFCOM only act as arbitrators in these matters, and it is in fact OTELO who deal with complaints, but having meticulously examined all contracts since Unicom started trading during my training period, [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] the terms and conditions clearly state that that moving to another telecoms company is a breach of contract which you are liable for the relevant termination fees. You have signed and have been verbally recorded stating this (you are advised that all calls are recorded too), so unfortunately you are liable.
So how do you get out of this?

1. Call customer services, find out what contract you are on and get your anniversary date.
2. Do not try to move to another provider as this too will be deemed a breach of contract, and you will be liable for the fees, in some cases from Unicom and potentially your new telecoms provider. If you are planning to move, speak to the advisor and find out when you can move without incurring a cost [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]
3. Get a calendar and mark your anniversary date onto this, 2 weeks prior, send in your notice letter by recorded delivery, and speak to your new provider. Be aware that a 'seamless transfer' is not often possible and may result in some form of temporary outage of service.
4. [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] in future read all terms and conditions of any telecoms contract with specific reference to contract duration, notice required to quit, what to do if faced with winding down a business line/retirement/bankruptcy etc.

From another side, I have worked in call centres, but usually within an internal department that was not customer facing, so had no illusions what call centre work entailed.
I was reprimanded the first day for returning to my desk 1 minute late, by one of the trainers who spoke to me very unprofessionally in front of the other 'pupils' as though I was an errant child at school.
The alarm bells should really have been ringing in that Unicom permanently advertise for staff at their head office, with 2 large bill boards stuck onto the exterior walls of the building.
The training was conducted by trainers who (and one actually said this) appear to be 'programmed by the company'. The working hours are long, breaks short, [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] with a perceiveable lack of toilet facilities for the amount of employees, no area to relax and eat your lunch, no hot food allowed within the building and no kettle to make a hot drink with.
Lateness is frowned upon, illness is discouraged (we were told to come in even if you were dying!) childcare issues are frowned upon, the amount of staff holidays are low and you have to take off Bank Holidays and other public holidays from your annual entitlement.
[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]
One final thing to note, which was pointed out to me was Unicom spelt backwards is Mocin U (Mocking You!)
Good luck with everything you are trying to acheive with Unicom, but I can honestly say you will need it!

vax2002

You have served them notice of cancellation, the intial period of contract has expired.
cancel all direct debits, let them whistle in court for the rest if they feel they have a case.

Geckogirl

I have been a customer of ELITE CALLS for several years, but a month ago UNICOM bought them out and just sent me a generic letter to tell me this.
No copy of their contract at all, just a letter stating that my agreement with Elite changes and I do not need to enter into an agreement with UNICOM.
Now, i cancelled my account (Adhering to ELITE terms), in time for my Automatic Contract Renewal - But Unicom are billing me for £300 Termination Fee saying that I breached "Their" Terms of 90- days notice. They say that the 90 days takes it past the rolling renewal, therefore I am liable to pay this.
I spoke to a really rude man, who called me asking me for the money, telling me that I can not be given "special treatment" just because I am having a hard time !
I have sent emails and letters, all ignored.
Who's terms do I have to abide by?

macman

If the terms say 90 days, then you still have to give that notice. But if you gave notice within the terms and in time before the auto-renewal, then the auto-renewal is not applicable-the contract will end after the 90 days notice.
It's when you give notice, not when your notice period ends, that should determine this.
So I would suggest that they are trying it on...as is usual with these dodgy resellers.

Geckogirl

Thanks Macman..
My main argument is that they told me in their "take over" letter that my terms stay the same and I don't need to enter into a new agreement with Unicom, so if that's the case, then the company that I originally signed up with (Elite) only required the 30 days..which I did...so they cannot hold me to this ridiculous 90 days, especially as they only took over Elite 30 days ago !!

I got a call from them today telling me that the only way to get out of the fee is if I was dying !!..then told me that calls are not recorded.

I have written to my local MP and will collate all of this and write to Ofcom.

Geckogirl

I just wondered how Lella was getting on ??