Prestige telecom / plan.com - its time we fought back

Hibousage

I too received a cold call from Prestige Telecom. After a lot of anguish I have just freed myself from their clutches. Fair play to them, they did eventually listen and back down. There is some humanity in there, they just need to bring it out a bit more as I am sure there is a successful company in there somewhere.

I am not sure what part of my strategy worked. Anyway, this is what I did:

• refused to speak to them on the phone after the initial call so everything was in writing. Block their numbers on your mobile and landline
• See a solicitor and/or CAB and get advice. I know this can cost £, but in my case the threat of litigaiton was real. I made tis clear to them.
  
• If they have made out to be from your existing provider when they called you this is termed fraudulent misrepresentation and is illegal. It is also against Ofcom regulations. The caller has to make it absolutely clear to you who they are.
• Write a press release and send it to all. I contacted the local MP, local councillors, radio, TV, trade press, rip off Britain and so many others
• Write to your prevous provider. Mine was EE. They have far more clout than anybody and do not want any other company pretending to be them. Again pester them to do something; do not let them off the hook.
• Negative reviews - they certainly do not like these. They do not appear to be able to take down Googe reviews. So leave loads of reviews of what happened to you. You have friends and family, why not use their accounts to leave a review?
• When you write to them send it recorded delivery
• I didn't sign anything
• Set up a message filter with a template on my e mail software to send them a standard reply to all of their e commuications.
  
• Log everything for the record. Keep every bit of evidence. The legal adage is 'Think offence, think defence'
• Be polite to them and be professional. It may be hard to stay calm, but rise above it.
  
• Refuse any post. I marked it as 'Return to sender'. I did not get as far as getting a sim card.
• I immediately closed my bank account so they could not gain access to my money or set up a DD (they need 10 days notice).
  
• In my case, my phone was primarily was personal use. It is paid for out of my personal account. I do use it for my business but this is not its primary purpose. Hence, I had a cooling of period. Although this was contested.
  
• And don't give up. I spent 3.5 long days phoning, writing e mails and letters and researching. Your hard work WILL pay off.

And in future I have learnt a lesson,  I will not pick up cold calls (difficult though, when the call comes from a local number). I have learnt, leave the phone to ring and let it go to voice mail. If there is a messge ask the company to send me details by post or e mail. I can then research them in my own time to see if it is legit or the company has a good reputation (and that doesn't mean looking at just TrustPilot).

Good luck everybody. Keep going.

ballyblack

And in future I have learnt a lesson,  I will not pick up cold calls
Yes very good advice to anybody reading this!!

Hibousage

ballyblack said:

And in future I have learnt a lesson,  I will not pick up cold calls
Yes very good advice to anybody reading this!!

Easier said than done BB. Businesses are clever. Calling from a local number when you are trading; so you think it is a business call and pick up. Then they tell you they are your phone provider, then say they are going to negotiate your next contract deal. Your mind is on other things and/or you are busy. That is how easy it is to get taken in.

Once it has happened you have experience, but is is not as simple as 'don't pick up cold calls'. If it were, this thread and other relating to companies who do this sort of thing would not exist.

JJ_Egan

Probably BBs post comment  was for consumers as opposed to business users .

LLCCBBB

Please help! I've been caught out too. 
What are my options? Any advice at all, gratefully received. 
Thank you.

lucky99

Get the lawyer, write cancellation letter, don’t activate sim card. 

Hibousage

Looking at all the people who have been 'caught out' since I was back in the Summer, something needs to be done about this company. As I wrote on 2 Sept, contact the press, media, everybody you can think of. Shout it from the rooftops for as long as you can. Sooner or later it will gain enough traction; the sad thing is that there will be numerous vicitms along the way. Somebody perhaps needs to instigate a Group Litigation Order (similar to a class action in USA).

MJBanbury

I have been duped by them too. am absolutely disgusted with them from start to finish. I was lied to on the initial call, was told it was EE, then when o2 was mentioned i said i thought you said ee, who i was already with, so thought maybe I was mistaken, they said that because they represent other providers, may have got mixed up. Stupidly, I succumbed to their pressure selling after being told it would save me money and I was told o2 was better in my area. Then found out, there was no cooling off period. So with terrible non existent signal at home or work, pressure sold and mislead by info that o2 in my area was good, and its terrible, so instantly regretted it. I thought that was as bad as it was going to get and that I was stuck with it for 3 years, but would try tolerate and ride it out.
   NOW, 6 months in, phone blew after update, and I have had no phone for 3 days now. A business with no phone and no answer or urgency to get a new one! TERRIBLE! I guess I need to get legal advice and contact ombudsman next?

Garnett_F

MJBanbury said:

I have been duped by them too. am absolutely disgusted with them from start to finish. I was lied to on the initial call, was told it was EE, then when o2 was mentioned i said i thought you said ee, who i was already with, so thought maybe I was mistaken, they said that because they represent other providers, may have got mixed up. Stupidly, I succumbed to their pressure selling after being told it would save me money and I was told o2 was better in my area. Then found out, there was no cooling off period. So with terrible non existent signal at home or work, pressure sold and mislead by info that o2 in my area was good, and its terrible, so instantly regretted it. I thought that was as bad as it was going to get and that I was stuck with it for 3 years, but would try tolerate and ride it out.
   NOW, 6 months in, phone blew after update, and I have had no phone for 3 days now. A business with no phone and no answer or urgency to get a new one! TERRIBLE! I guess I need to get legal advice and contact ombudsman next?

Hi there. Sorry to hear this.

I'm not sure which ombudsman is able to assist.

My view is that it is something an MP might have some success with. My dealings with them were on behalf of a family member who isn't really up to complaining and because we live in a different part of the country (and so I'm not a constituent of her MP) I can't get them to help.

My view is that someone who has been directly conned by these cowboys should go to their MP and ask for their MP's help. Show them this thread to show the problem is widespread and if your MP is decent, they should offer assistance.
Use www.writetothem.com to get in touch.

I would be happy to share details of our experience as I'm sure would other victims.

Best of luck.

MJBanbury

Thank you for your advice, yes, any other details that would help, please let me know