MORETON SMITH e-Dunning

TBC

Got my email on the 18th but only just read it because it went to my works email.... can you guess where I work? (a little clue, it isn't Bulldog or Pipex)

OK, I'm certain my account was up to date with them, but with all the problems in billing that seemed to be going on I wouldn't be suprised at all if they missed something but as others have said I cannot access the link.

Now I have another problem, I can't just ignore it as they are emailing my works address and obviously with the company I work for I can't really have that, BUT I don't fancy going through what I went through years ago leaving them even resorting to emailing the directors here to complain (my own bosses).


Anyway, will keep an eye on this thread and let you all know how I get on

AaronD_3

The page has now updated itself to:

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AaronD_3

I have just received this email from Bulldog:

Thank you for your email.

Your account has been passed to Moreton Smith and you will need to contact them direct either by telephone or letter should you have a query.

Their details are as follows:-

Moreton Smith Limited
80 Clerkenwell Road
London
EC1M 5RJ

Telephone No: 0207 490 9010.

Regards

Customer Care Team

TBC

Yep, pretty much as far as I have got.

Nobody other than the debt collector will speak to me so even though I've had no warning just like you guys, it's going to be very difficult to dispute any error made on Bulldog's part.


just added this, found on Thinkbroadband.com.... hope I'm allowed to post the link, can't see anything in the rules :silenced: http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=bulldog&Number=3155948&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=0

VAP1234

I am in similar situation – I have received an email on 18th from 'MORETON SMITH e-Dunning' and I too did not have any communications from C&W / Bulldog about overdue account prior to this time. I have terminated my account in summer 2006.
I sense that there is some panic and fear of debt collectors. However I think we need to look into situation before jumping into conclusions. As I understand:

• People who received email from debt collectors are ex-Bulldog customers who terminated their accounts about 14 - 18 month ago.
• People who received this email were paying their bill via Direct Debit
• There was no official communication from C&W or Bulldog via post or email to customers indicating that accounts are overdue at all.

We all left in a dark about what has really happen and why we have been treated like this but based on few clues I could imagine following scenario might have taken place:

Bulldog must have had billing software problems in a spring-summer 2006 and most likely had posted incorrect bills and failed to collect proper amounts from customers who left them about mid 2006.

C&W bought Bulldog in 2006.

C&W must have somehow tried to correct their error by applying amount they thought was correct to accounts of these customers. This must have happen several month after accounts were terminated so, I presume -correct me if I am wrong, most people had cancelled DDs for Bulldog by mid-Autumn rightly assuming that they given Bulldog / C&W more than enough time to collect final payments.

So I could imagine C&W ended up with a large number of accounts which had small amount due but were closed some time ago.

I suspect that someone clever in C&W had decided that dealing with large number of closed accounts with retrospectively applied small charges would not be economically viable as you need to put large customer services workforce just to deal with queries from angry x-customers. So they decided to keep it quiet for some time and then pass these accounts to debt collectors so they could ‘collect’ money at customers' expense. And scared people will not ask questions about validity of C&W bills ( I would like to see if there is any evidence backing up correctness of these charges or its just 'other charges' opaque amount ).

It seems a very nice business idea to make ex-customers (they are ex, so why bother to be nice) to pay for C&W own faults / problems.

It’s only my guess but it looks like quite realistic. And if it’s true this is very mean for C&W to treat customers like this even if they are no longer customers. While we are discussing MORETON SMITH e-Dunning email shot these guys are just doing their job but the real bad guys are C&W.

I am not a lawyer so if someone knows answers to questions below I would appreciate your replies:

· Should Bulldog / C&W have notified their customers that they might own them money? Is there a law which mandates this?

· Errors do happen. But if billing error has occurred and Bulldog / C&W had asked for additional money later, did they have an obligation to provide clear description how they worked out the amount?

· If such a bill did not provide information about how charges were calculated are C&W / Bulldog under obligation to provide explanation how they worked out bill

· If accounts were overdue, did Bulldog / C&W have an obligation to contact customer first by post and ask settle a bill before passing information to debt collectors? Is there law which mandates this?

· Is email a recognised medium to deliver anything legally binding?


Overall I am very upset with the way how C&W have handled the situation.

norfolkbroad101

Thanks for all the advice so far - it's reassuring to know that I'm not alone in this debacle! I've been told that 'small' unpaid debts don't adversely affect credit ratings - can anyone else verify this?
I've just received a second email from Moreton Smith - suggest everyone WRITES to them demanding full details of outstanding amounts and copies of the original credit agreement with Bulldog (advice in one of the earlier forum responses).
If they are legally obliged to do this and they cannot provide the evidence then presumably the so-called 'debt' is unenforceable??
I've also lodged a complaint under the Data Protection Regulations with https://www.ico.gov.uk
norfolkbroad101

jibby1

I too received an email from Moreton Smith so I complained about Cable and Wireless via The Internet Services Providers' Association at http://www.ispa.org.uk. I have just recieved a telephone call from Joyce Prashad from C&W who has credited any alleged outstanding monies to the account, closed it and informed Moreton Smith. I asked for and have received confirmation of this by email.

Hope going by this route helps someone else

Jibby1

discodog1

I just got one today too but foolishly, it seems, I have paid them

(I used to have a Bulldog account, and they had my old address from where I had the account). It all looked legit, despite me not knowing I owed them any money. Guess I saw the threat of legal action and panicked. Is there anything I can do???

edit: checked my old Bulldog account online - I owed them no money! have emailed Moreton and Bulldog to try get my money back

batiebatie

I got an email too! I too was a bulldog customer and cancelled my account about 1.5 years ago and never heard from them since. I paid my bill via direct debit so I have no idea how I could owe them any money.

Anyway, I clicked on the link and I only "supposedly" owe £2.07. I don't know if I should just pay it and not worry about it or not? Did anyone else that pay their bill get their identity stolen or something like that?

Any advice on what to do about this is welcome....

bigmaddrongo

It looks like a new round of emails has gone out today as I have now had my second. I am still waiting for a reply from Moreton Smith after I responded to their email last week and I am also waiting for a letter which I have asked for from Bulldog to detail their failings in regard to my account billing.

In this case I believe that I do owe bulldog money but this is due to their error and not mine and I want them to explain why it happened, why they never contacted me and why I should be persecuted for their !!!!-up.

I have also made a complaint to the ISPA and will be considering reporting Bulldog, C&W and Moreton Smith with regard to Data Protection failings.

I will keep you all updated.