Shell broadband scam

katiiee135

Has anyone else recently signed up to shell energy broadband ? 

I fully understand that my first bill would be higher as there are a couple of days outside the first billing period. I know this as I looked at their "why your first bill may be higher". I accept that, although find it strange you can't pick your activation date and billing cycle dates and therefore kind of have no choice in it.

My issue is where they charge you VAT for them few extra days when the rate I subscribed for is VAT included. I was not made aware in advance that essentially for these extra dates I would be charged on a different rate ! Nor did I have a chance to start my activation later and avoid these extra days !

I used the live chat feature on Shell's website to dispute this and had no luck and therefore feel the need to share this with the MSE community as this is where I got the deal from.

Any thoughts on how to show Shell it is false advertising would be appreciated.

Thanks

JJ_Egan

<Has anyone else recently signed up to shell energy broadband ? >

Yes see Shell posts .

<

although find it strange you can't pick your activation date >

Activation in the hands of Open Reach not the ISP .

False advertising you complain to the advertising standards authority .

Snowy106

katiiee135 said:

Has anyone else recently signed up to shell energy broadband ? 

I fully understand that my first bill would be higher as there are a couple of days outside the first billing period. I know this as I looked at their "why your first bill may be higher". I accept that, although find it strange you can't pick your activation date and billing cycle dates and therefore kind of have no choice in it.

My issue is where they charge you VAT for them few extra days when the rate I subscribed for is VAT included. I was not made aware in advance that essentially for these extra dates I would be charged on a different rate ! Nor did I have a chance to start my activation later and avoid these extra days !

I used the live chat feature on Shell's website to dispute this and had no luck and therefore feel the need to share this with the MSE community as this is where I got the deal from.

Any thoughts on how to show Shell it is false advertising would be appreciated.

Thanks

I have been charged £4.97 vat on top of £24.99 deal price too? Have you rung them, surely this isn’t right?

katiiee135

Glad I am not the only one ! But also sorry to hear it has effected you too.

No luck getting through on the phone, tried their online chat where they just insisted that they warned us after we signed up that our first bill will be higher. I agreed with this but only in terms of the extra days outside of the billing cycle, not for the VAT to be charged on these days.

Very unhelpful and told me to launch a complaint (which I have).

I have also emailed MSE in hope they can reason with them as the deal I signed up came from them.

If you have any luck let me know and I will do likewise.

Folke_stone

Watch out for Shell Energy broadband as they charge a £15.00 cease charge when you move to another provider, even if you are out of contract.  Details are buried away in the terms and conditions and not mentioned in the welcome email which does state that “there are no hidden costs” so you might not notice until the end of your contract.  Did try to complain to Shell Energy but they just refer you to the legal contract, I guess they have a whole team on this as I suspect its not just me who gets caught out.  More disappointed in MSE as the cease charge should be mentioned in the comparison results as under-handed charges by providers is something you should be highlighting.  You can do better!

JJ_Egan

Have you looked at the other Shell BB threads  re £15

phillw

JJ_Egan said:

Have you looked at the other Shell BB threads  re £15

What does it say? do you have a link?

mohammed1111

phillw said:

JJ_Egan said:

Have you looked at the other Shell BB threads  re £15

What does it say? do you have a link?

Broadband Promotional Terms and Conditions

Policy version: 5.1.16

Policy date: 16/09/2020

Where it states 

Customers signing up to Shell Energy Broadband (12 month) products through moneysavingexpect.com will not receive a Cease Charge as set out in our Terms and Conditions and Price List if they leave outside their minimum contract period


If you Google shell Broadband promotional terms and conditions. There's numerous ones covering different dates. But if it's a 12 months contract via MSE then it should apply

Stycraw

I also found the additional charge in the first month strange and followed it up. I also noticed that I’d been charged £0.01 extra per month compared to my contract price. Whilst not a huge sum of money, if scaled could be considerable! 

Shell responded to my email promptly and are refunding the extra money they have taken. 

katiiee135

Stycraw said:

I also found the additional charge in the first month strange and followed it up. I also noticed that I’d been charged £0.01 extra per month compared to my contract price. Whilst not a huge sum of money, if scaled could be considerable! 

Shell responded to my email promptly and are refunding the extra money they have taken. 

Glad to hear you have had more success than me! Can I clarify that they are refunding the 1p charges but not the additional VAT that is charged on the first month ? As they wouldn't give me the VAT back.

TonyM100

katiiee135 said:

Stycraw said:

I also found the additional charge in the first month strange and followed it up. I also noticed that I’d been charged £0.01 extra per month compared to my contract price. Whilst not a huge sum of money, if scaled could be considerable! 

Shell responded to my email promptly and are refunding the extra money they have taken. 

Glad to hear you have had more success than me! Can I clarify that they are refunding the 1p charges but not the additional VAT that is charged on the first month ? As they wouldn't give me the VAT back.

Katiiee135 Did you ever get your VAT back? I've just joined Shell Energy on a 12-month deal through MSE but instead of being charged in my first monthly bill £23.99 + any calls (there were none) I was charged £23.94 (last digit not a typo) +20% for VAT (i.e. VAT on the whole deal sum).  At this point I'm going to have to cut my losses but I'm seriously disappointed with MSE for not mentioning (as far as I've been able to check) that the prices they quoted at least for Shell Energy SuperFast Fibre Plus were ex VAT.  (unless of course Shell Energy have added VAT without their knowledge - I have tried to find out, unsuccessfully).