Setanta Sports - Writing a complaint help please

uk2007

sima3069 wrote: »

22
everyone should go here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/376170374374374374

tell all these story's to them.

I was stung by the hattan fight, £15 & 2 month free, rang on number (which has changed) 1 month before end of free offer & they cancelled (so they said). got to end of free offer & they rang me. trying to sign me up at £9.99 , to which I said no & they just took £15, so I've cancelled direct debit & now I'm waiting on the nasty letters. to which I'm going to forward to watchdog.

so it makes no difference if you can cancel on the phone, they carry on taking the money unless you cancel DD

All companies will take from the DD unless you cancel it. Thats why they tell you to cancel them as its a automated payment.

sima3069

1

uk2007 wrote: »

All companies will take from the DD unless you cancel it. Thats why they tell you to cancel them as its a automated payment.

strange how they ain't canceled the service also. I'll take the footy for another month & let them have the £5 extra (would have wasted that+more in phonecalls trying to contact them). once bitten, twice shy, I'll not be touching this joke of a company again even if they have the next hattan fight (I'll do with out)

magsirl

I signed up last Nov for a 12 month contract at £15 a month. I phoned customers services when I saw the £9.99 deal with no contract now on offer to see if I could have that offer instead but I was told "Tough you signed a contract for 12 months just pay up and more or less shut up" I have emailed to complain but so far no reply! Guess I am stuck with this deal am I?

new_spirit

I think everyone should follow sima3069 and contact Watchdog, I will also be writing to Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading.

NicolaC

Hi All,

I recieved a reply! :rolleyes:

It's a bog standard letter (sent by second class mail) That arrived on friday. It says that they'd recieved my cancellation and that my subscription will cease on Sept 16th.

I'm assuming that I will be charged no more for their service and my channel will just stop working on that day? (My original payment was by credit card I think)

I haven't actually had any reponse to the compaint that I made. I'm guessing that they are just ignoring disgruntled customers and hoping that they'll go away.

The day after this letter came, I had something else in the mail from them... Standard advertisment asking me to sign up for their £9.99 a month deal. As if!!!

I'm quite happy to contact watchdog and forward on my story to them to back up anyone elses complaints as I'm very unhappy with the way that Setanta treats their customers.

The above link just took me to the standard Watchdog page. Is that correct? or is there a specific area for the complaints?

sima3069

The above link just took me to the standard Watchdog page. Is that correct? or is there a specific area for the complaints?[/quote]


where it says contact us on the site, click it.

Watchdog is off air until the autumn. The team will still be investigating your stories while we're off air so if you have something you'd like us to investigate please contact us

and it should take you here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/contact_index.shtml

catcha125

I cannot believe how many people are having trouble with this company! I joined thm 8 days ago, and on looking at my bank statement today, I find they have taken £19.99 from me. When I eventually got through to them I was told this included a connection fee of £9.99, when I replied there was no mention of this when I subscribed and I thought it was ridiculous he promptly hung up on me. As you can well imagine I was not best pleased!! I rang back to cancel and was told I cannot cancel until 25th September and that I will have to pay for ANOTHER month as well. In total this will have cost me £29.97 to watch their channels for 1 month. This company is one of the WORST I have ever encountered and to anyone thinking of joining them... BEWARE... their customer service is of no use whatsoever (thats if you manage to get through)!!

markwallace

Signed up online on 2nd June 2007 for the "Ricky Hatton" deal (Month 1 £15, Months 2 and 3 Free). Website stated "No 12 Month Contract"
Emailed 30 days notice of cancellation on 2nd Sept.
Received this reply.

"Thank you for your e-mail.
I can confirm that I cannot accept cancellations via e-mail, all cancellation requests require 30 days notice and must be made in writing to Setanta Sports, PO Box 800, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, KY2 6WD, or by calling our Customer Services team on the number below. Our cancellation lines are open from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Thank you for your e-mail. I can confirm that as you are currently within a 12 month contract with Setanta Sports, you are unable to supply your 30 days notice of cancellation until the 13th of August 2007.
At this time all cancellation requests have to be made in writing to Setanta Sports, PO Box 800, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, KY2 6WD, or by calling our Customer Services team on the number below. Our cancellation lines are open from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm, Monday to Friday."

My research indicates that an email is considered to be as valid in law, as a letter sent by Royal Mail.

Any comments from lawyers/Consumer Advisors?

sima3069

1

markwallace wrote: »

Signed up online on 2nd June 2007 for the "Ricky Hatton" deal (Month 1 £15, Months 2 and 3 Free). Website stated "No 12 Month Contract"

I got the same deal, advertised on TV with no contract. rang them on the 23rd july & they allowed me to cancel, no mention of a 12 month contract.

here's me details

it MAKES no difference if you can get thru on phone, THEY DO NOT CANCEL. rang 23rd july(and got thru on a old number) to cancel on the 23rd august, they rang me on 23rd august (even said i was canceling) trying to sign me up at £9.99 which I declined. so they went ahead and took £15 from my bank account anyway, I'm still geting the service as its NOT been canceled but have cancelled the direct debit. I'm just waiting on nasty letters for canceling DD etc which I'm going to pass onto watchdog.

There's no contract, they just don't cancel.

like I said before, sign up with this company & you sign up with the devil.

RadoJo

uk2007 wrote: »

All companies will take from the DD unless you cancel it. Thats why they tell you to cancel them as its a automated payment.

This is not the case, and the direct debit guarantee protects you from this kind of thing - if you have cancelled the service, they should NOT be requesting payment from your account, regardless of whether the DD is cancelled or not!

I would advise anyone having a problem with incorrect payments taken by direct debit to contact their bank - under the terms of the direct debit guarantee, any erroneous payments should be covered by the bank, further information here:

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/38/standing-orders-direct-debits-38.htm