CICAS Help!

richmac

Could really do with some expert advice...

Gist is - had lots of problems with T-Mobile (cold calling, broken promises, poor customer service, hang ups etc). Eventually ended up at deadlock and raised a case with the CISAS arbitration service.

Suddenly, T-Mobile got in touch and offered to settle with a cash payment (less than I'd asked for in my CISAS case) - I accepted. A week or so later they still hadn't taken the action they'd promised. On chasing, they confirmed that they had 28 days to comply and I couldn't ask again until then. Was a bit of a surprise.

So, 28 days rolled by, and still nothing. I emailed them back to say that as they hadn't complied, I was rescinding my agreement to their offer and that I wanted the case to formally be considered by CISAS.

A few days later, a sum of money arrived in my bank account - well beyond the deadline and without any communication with me. I was really annoyed, and didn't want T-Mobile to assume the matter was closed, so I transferred it straight back.

I'm been back to CISAS a few times, and they've confirmed that as I'd reached an agreement, the fact that T-Mobile hadn't met the 28 day rule, meant they'd still treat the case with them as closed and won't take any further action.

I'm waiting for a call back from the CISAS Team Leader as I'm obviously disappointed they won't now action.

Don't want to let T-Mobile off the hook - they've genuinely been terrible in customer service terms.

Any ideas about how to handle this? All views welcomed.

Rich

Bingolingo

I think CISAS will stand by their decision that the matter is now closed.

In most cases acceptance of an offer is binding. There are various ways in which this can be vitiated but late payment of any sums due is not necessarily one of them - especially as payment was only a few days late.

You are of course perfectly within your rights to pursue this further but any penalty due to you from T-Mobile would only be based on inconvenience and loss caused by their late payment. I don't know the details as you haven't given them precisely but I'd be surprised if it was worth pursuing.

As for now getting the money back from T-Mobile - you are now at their mercy again.

chanz4

So it took a while for the funds, but you sent it back but it was what agreed to although a little late dont see an issue

Harald

CISAS is a private held company funded by the members - mobile operators.
They have mess in the papers as big, as they owners have.
You can wait months before you can hear anything or you papers can be lost already.

cing0

Had the same problem with this mobile operator. Sent 2 consecutive complaints to CISAS and they agreed to settle both within a month. However, the former took over 6 months to pay up.
I followed the complaints procedure to complain about CISAS -http://www.cisas.org.uk/media/text/CISAS-Complaint-procedure-2012.p for its poor explanations, slow service etc. Offered 50 quid at first and then coughed £100.
According to CISAS, EE said the delay was due to changing cheque printers but this was a lie as they coughed up a cheque for the 2nd complaint 5 months before.

I wanted adjudication myself but CISAS don't have the power to adjudicative when the operator have paid settlement and they pretty much said it would not go in my favour (which was naughty of them to say because they cannot pronounce direction without assessing the case fully).

Other complainers will be forewarned if they want direction from a CISAS adjudicator - close your bank and don't sign for any letters after sending your complaint !