Nightmare o2… they will keep calling for money after termination?

gaogier

Sorry for the long title.

I am autistic and find communication extremely hard, so please bare with me.

okay, so I have had massive problems with o2 in the past… they updated some network stuff some 10+ years ago, which meant due to interference (probably from military) I couldn’t get any o2 signal at home on the new iPhone 4… as family and anyone who comes here with a newer phone than the iPhone 4 on o2, just won’t get signal here… they have to walk about 15meters down the road. 

With all of this in mind, I now buy my device outright and have a cheap contract with a provider. However in November 2020, I didn’t have the money to buy an iPad for my niece, to learn, and help keep her occupied in hospital. She had/has bowel problems and was due to spend about a month in hospital for tests. So I got the iPad out on contract… 

I didn’t even get the sim out of the packaging and just paid the airtime and device plan. Due to shipment errors, I didn’t get the iPad for a couple of months. The original airtime plan was for a year, but due to all the errors it was now 18months with the device plan, and was told I can give the 30 days notice after 15th June, this allows me to pay the final bill a month later.

so, on the 22nd, I had a web chat with o2, who said I was now out of contract and she can terminate the account with just 1 payment due on the 15th July  (30days notice stuff I guess) Today, I get a letter from o2, I am thinking just to confirm that the account is terminated and last payment due on the 15th. The letter said;

(at the top, in big red letters) enforcement and termination notice. Important- you should read the carefully.

we will terminate your agreement in accordance with clause 17 of your device plan credit agreement on 2nd July 2022 and require full early repayment of the outstanding sum

what I need to do

this means you must repay the full outstanding amount under your credit agreement, being £24.10

the above amount excluding any instalments that become due, will appear on your bill no earlier than 14 days from the date of this notice of termination.


the letter goes on to say that they will inform credit reference agencies the overdue amount that will effect credit rating and ability to upgrade devices. And says about contacting debt agency’s. 

Being autistic, language confusion, we called with the help of my mum what this letter means. 

The lady on the phone, didn’t speak English well, so that has made things worse for me (confusion overload)… said the letter was sent in error, I owe £24.10, due on the 15th July.  However I have to call on the 15th to cancel my account, else they will keep calling for money every 15th of the month.

she sent me an email explaining, but it makes no sense, can someone please explain everything to me, why and how all of this works. Here is what she said, direct copy and paste.

This is conffrimation that they is a last payment scheduled for15 July 
2022 and the termination letter sent to you was in error...Please call 
on the 15 july to cancel account



Back to me here, I can’t access any account online as it’s been cancelled…

thank you

powerful_Rogue

gaogier said:

Sorry for the long title.

I am autistic and find communication extremely hard, so please bare with me.

okay, so I have had massive problems with o2 in the past… they updated some network stuff some 10+ years ago, which meant due to interference (probably from military) I couldn’t get any o2 signal at home on the new iPhone 4… as family and anyone who comes here with a newer phone than the iPhone 4 on o2, just won’t get signal here… they have to walk about 15meters down the road. 

With all of this in mind, I now buy my device outright and have a cheap contract with a provider. However in November 2020, I didn’t have the money to buy an iPad for my niece, to learn, and help keep her occupied in hospital. She had/has bowel problems and was due to spend about a month in hospital for tests. So I got the iPad out on contract… 

I didn’t even get the sim out of the packaging and just paid the airtime and device plan. Due to shipment errors, I didn’t get the iPad for a couple of months. The original airtime plan was for a year, but due to all the errors it was now 18months with the device plan, and was told I can give the 30 days notice after 15th June, this allows me to pay the final bill a month later.

so, on the 22nd, I had a web chat with o2, who said I was now out of contract and she can terminate the account with just 1 payment due on the 15th July  (30days notice stuff I guess) Today, I get a letter from o2, I am thinking just to confirm that the account is terminated and last payment due on the 15th. The letter said;

(at the top, in big red letters) enforcement and termination notice. Important- you should read the carefully.

we will terminate your agreement in accordance with clause 17 of your device plan credit agreement on 2nd July 2022 and require full early repayment of the outstanding sum

what I need to do

this means you must repay the full outstanding amount under your credit agreement, being £24.10

the above amount excluding any instalments that become due, will appear on your bill no earlier than 14 days from the date of this notice of termination.


the letter goes on to say that they will inform credit reference agencies the overdue amount that will effect credit rating and ability to upgrade devices. And says about contacting debt agency’s. 

Being autistic, language confusion, we called with the help of my mum what this letter means. 

The lady on the phone, didn’t speak English well, so that has made things worse for me (confusion overload)… said the letter was sent in error, I owe £24.10, due on the 15th July.  However I have to call on the 15th to cancel my account, else they will keep calling for money every 15th of the month.

she sent me an email explaining, but it makes no sense, can someone please explain everything to me, why and how all of this works. Here is what she said, direct copy and paste.

This is conffrimation that they is a last payment scheduled for15 July 
2022 and the termination letter sent to you was in error...Please call 
on the 15 july to cancel account



Back to me here, I can’t access any account online as it’s been cancelled…

thank you

So they confirm the letter was sent out in error and re-confirmed that one final payment is due on the 15th July? Phone back on the 15th July as they have said and make the payment.

gaogier

The payment is going out on the 15th July via direct debt or whatever it’s called… from what I can work out, from 15th July my account will be close, and fully paid. However o2 will still call for more payments on August 15th, September 15th etc… unless I call them on the 15th…

powerful_Rogue

gaogier said:

The payment is going out on the 15th July via direct debt or whatever it’s called… from what I can work out, from 15th July my account will be close, and fully paid. However o2 will still call for more payments on August 15th, September 15th etc… unless I call them on the 15th…

Give them a quick call on the 15th July to make sure everything is all in order and the account is now settled.

gaogier

Thank you, but A I am useless at speaking… b have to have someone else talk for me… a bit difficult… but doable but if say I forget to call… or was unable to get someone to call for me, they would just keep taking money out of my account as as far as I was aware and probably someone else the account was closed. Let’s say this someone is a WW2 VET and is forgetful due to the war… how can o2 keep taking the money every month without informing everyone?


I only say as a old family friend, who didn’t go to WW2, but was in the mines and due to ill health he didn’t have a clue about cancelling his BT land line and switch to someone else. If it wasn’t for my mum he would be paying twice as they didn’t cancel his account.


so, basically are companies allowed to keep taking payments for cancelled accounts?

knightstyle

As I see it you will have finished paying for the ipad on the 15th July and want to cancel the contract after that date. You may have to give a months notice on or after the 15th and may have to give one more months payment, it depends on your contract which we haven't seen.
So write, not phone, use email or post a letter in a post office and get a certificate of posting cancelling your contract as from the 15th July.  Then contact your bank and tell them to stop payments requested by o2 AFTER 15th August.

gaogier

I am out of contract on the 15th June 2022… 

I only have one payment left due to the 30 days notice. They have already cancelled the account, so as far as I can work out only the last “notice” payment is needed. 

However o2 have said on the 15h August, 15th September 15th October etc they will still call for the payments. I have to call on the 15th July to request them to stop calling the payments on the 15th of each month thereafter. It is this part I am concerned about, say I end back in hospital and unable to call, they will keep taking payments for something that’s been fully paid and out of contract. Surely they are not allowed to do this?

DE_612183

if it's direct debit - after the payment is made phone your bank - or go online and cancel the DD with them to make doubly sure

sienew

Email them if you are uncomfortable on the phone. Or send them a physical letter.

If neither of these options work, use the CEOEmail website and send a message to the CEO explaining the basic situation. It might seem a bit extreme emailing the CEO but usually their public email addresses are managed by assistants and higher level customer service people who are far better at resolving things.