Unicom Complaints

lexuslass

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I'll try and keep this short... we moved into our house which we initially rented in May 2009. Our landlord (who ran a business) had Unicom at the house and asked us to keep the Unicom running else he'd be stung with cancellation fees etc.. we were happy to do this.

We set up broadband at the same time as this wasn't already in the house (funnily, they allowed me to agree to this over the phone but wouldn't speak to me again as the contract for this was in OH name!).

We purchased the house around Sept 2010 and when we contacted them to cancel the landline and broadband were told we were in a 3 year contract with them (finishes at the end of May 2012).

T&C's said we needed to give 3 months notice.. we put in writing on 27th January (4 months notice) that we wanted to cancel both landline and broadband - letter was sent recorded and they were also emailed a few days later asking for confirmation that these would be actioned.

The cancellation of the broadband has been acknowledged but we are having huge problems with the landline cancellation.

They initially said the contract was still in our old landlords name and it is him that has to cancel, so we got in touch with him - he phoned them and they told him that it's not in his name it's in my OH's name!

So, OH rang them back (first phone call they hung up on him!) and when he rang back, OH told them that we've never been informed of change of contract names etc (and we certainly have never received a contract from them for the landline). They were going to look into him and call him back... that never happened.

3 weeks later... my OH has spoken to them today - put on hold for ages and transferred to contracts team and they are still adamant that our old landlord is the contract owner and it is he that has to cancel (which he can't do now as they say it's now rolled over into another 3 years!!!).

My OH asked for the guys name and he said "**** from the contracts team"... he was very reluctant to give him his surname! It took my OH 4 or 5 attempts of asking before this guy would give him his full name!

Can they really tie us into another 3 years?

Has anyone got any advice?

Thanks in advance.

lexuslass

Thanks for the advice geckogirl!

I did read your posts the other day before I posted our nightmare with them and I'm just having a read of some of the posts on that review centre - my god, I knew they were bad but they are really awful aren't they!

I'm going to sit down over the weekend and get a letter and some facts together (was meaning to do it a couple of days ago but not so easy with a 5 and 3 year old!).

Thanks again!

Geckogirl

lexuslass wrote: »

Thanks for the advice geckogirl!

I did read your posts the other day before I posted our nightmare with them and I'm just having a read of some of the posts on that review centre - my god, I knew they were bad but they are really awful aren't they!

I'm going to sit down over the weekend and get a letter and some facts together (was meaning to do it a couple of days ago but not so easy with a 5 and 3 year old!).

Thanks again!

I hope you got my PM I sent you, my sent messages says I didn't send one, but I did - Let me know if you didn't receive anything. x

DVardysShadow

Geckogirl wrote: »

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.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that there is a new contract. You took out a contract with Elite, that contract has been assigned to Unicom. And all of the original T&C's stand.

Geckogirl

Legally, unless Unicom provided me with their Terms to agree and sign to, then yes, my initial contract with Elite is what remains binding.

They have eventually agreed to accept my notice to cancel under the Elite Terms, based on the fact that they knew they had no legal right to enforce their rules, when I had never agreed to their terms.

When I spoke to a Unicom staff member, he said I needed to abide by ELITE, so when I asked why I was being asked for 90 days notice (UNICOM terms), went quiet for a bit, then said I had to abide by a bit of both !!

They are a shocking company !!

mistletoegal

I have been in a long running dispute with Unicom (thankfully I'm no longer with them) but whilst trying to settle an outstanding dispute I have just read this in their contract:

"The Customer shall not be entitled to delay or withold payment or claim any set off against any payment due hereunder in respect of any claim or complaint which the Customer may have for any reason whatsoever."

Surely this must contravene some consumer or statutory right?

Common advice is to withold payment until an agreement is reached as it's harder (and perhaps more costly) to try and reclaim it but what is the legal view?

Quentin

It may well be an unfair clause, but not "illegal" to put it in.

Phones4Chris

It's certainly "unfair". A quick call to OFCOM will get you some good advice, they may even speak with the company about the clause which probably doesn't comply with guidelines.
What is certainly illegal is whilst you are formally in dispute with a company like this and owing them money they cannot legally send debt collectors along to hassle you. But make sure you have notified them in writing/email that you are disputing the bill and the reasons why.

Lella

This is to let you all know how I got on with Unicom. I had some advice from a fantastic person (in the form of a private message on this forum.)
The help I got was invaluable! Basically, I contacted the ombudsman and they agreed to take my case on. On reporting this fact to Unicom, promptly withdrew their demands and I got off scot free! Obviously because I was in the right [Text Deleted by Forum Team] I have only just thanked the person who helped me, mainly because I could hardly believe the result and was kind of waiting for Unicom to bombard me with demands again. Not yet! I suppose the end message is is to stick to your guns and hold on in there. Truth will prevail! Thanks to my helper once again xx.

Buzby

No - it is establishing the ground rules, that you have no right of set-off should you have a dispute. All you would be entitled to is the service fixed and a credit for the period service was disrupted.