Trying to cancel Setanta?!

therivierakid

Check the channels this morning and they've been switched off so obviously someone has got my message at Setanta.

Yay!

ninat

Hi- I feel such a fool. Today I subscribed to Setanta using my CC :embarasse , Its came on for 15mins and I have been staring at a blank screen ever since. Does anyone know if there is a "right to change your mind" clause in the T&S's?
Looks like I've a long road ahead to get sorted/cancel....

MarsKy_2

Got this message today:

---

Dear Mr XXXX,
Please can you contact Customer Services on 08712 00 33 22 with respect to the £5.00 offer.
60 days written notice is required for cancellations purposes, I have checked your Account details and can confirm that you subscription is not cancelled. The payment details required for your Direct Debit instruction are missing due to a cancellation of this payment method with your Bank.
Refunds take up to 28 days to process, when a refund application is processed this Department will contact you.

Thank you for your e-mail.
Yours sincerely
Martin Jordan
Customer Services
P Please think of the environment before you print this email

---

I went and rechecked my T&Cs: they are supposed to give prior notice of any changes to my T&Cs, but they have not. And the original T&Cs say I only need to give 30 days notice. I knew nothing of the 60 days period until when I called to cancel.

I sent them an email back saying all is paid up and I have cancelled in writing.

I don't want to phone 0871 numbers, and cancellation is in writiing anyway, so what is there to discuss? And I don't want a refund, just rid of Setanta.

Kevvy69

I've had heaps of trouble cancelling - they don't want to know - in brief, here is what's happened so far:

Dear Sirs

I refer to your circular dated June 30, follow up 'phone call to my reply and subsequently, your letter dated August 5 2008.

Firstly, your circular letter - which increased the monthly subscription from £10 to £13, had an enclosure stating that I would be given 30 days notice of any changes to my subscription. On the circular itself I am given 19 days notice of a 30% increase. On receipt of this circular and amended terms, I rang your office on the date of receipt (10/07/08) and got a recorded message with words to the effect that everyone was busy and to call back later. In spite of what I consider to be extremely poor attitudes to your customer base, I did as was asked and called back later - I received the same message. I then wrote to you that day (10/7/08) cancelling my subscription and advising that I had also cancelled the direct debit.

Secondly, I received a letter from Setanta telling me that my cancellation must be an 'oversight'. Obviously no-one had bothered to actually read my letter and I can assure you that it was in no way an oversight.

Thirdly, I received a telephone call from someone at Setanta and I again explained my point of view - he told me that 'someone else would be ringing me' - a not very effective threat.

Lastly, I have now received your letter dated August 5. This enclosed another direct debit form and asked me to call a number to 'settle your outstanding balance'.

1. There is no way I will be signing another direct debit for Setanta so please don't waste any more time or paper sending them.

2. Until this point in time you have not indicated what, if any, amount is owing in order to complete any arrangement you feel we may have.

3. If you would care to notify me, in writing, of any such balance it will then receive prompt consideration.

I sent this yesterday only to receive another 'phone call today which, in essence, said 'we'll keeping calling and writing until you pay and eventually it will affect your credit rating'. I asked if they had received my email but, of course, that is a different department. Suggested they send me a paper invoice - 'we don't do paper'.

How do I get this monster off my back?

Kev

MarsKy_2

Yep -they are a monster. I received a letter today asking me to renew my Direct Debit. And the updated T&Cs are on the back of it requesting 2 months notice.

But their old and new T&Cs say they must give me a month's notice in changes to T&Cs before they come into effect, which they have never done. So they have broken their own contract.

Bison_3

Hi I have sent this letter today by recorded delivery to Setanta
Please note I had earlier sent a letter to yourselves regarding cancellation in June of this year which your staffs have confirmed having received

Yet your staff has been making a number of nuisance calls asking for payment in a threatening tone which is completely unacceptable. I have checked on a number of forums on the web and discovered that my experience is not the only one, there are hundreds like me who have had problems with Customer Service at Setanta who have had following experiences which are exactly same as mine

1. Setanta does not respond to emails for cancellation
2. Setanta claims non-receipt of email
3. Setanta do not respond to written letters for cancellation
4. When customers call Setanta, your customer service staff keep customers on endless hold on a premium line number.
5. When Setanta customer service staff come back on the line, customers are told to write in to Cancellation department
6. SetantaCustomer Service staff who ask for payment, (eventhough written cancellation request has already been made) say I am in a queue for cancellation and hence the call. This is completely unacceptable
7. Setanta contract mentions 30 days notice, yet Setata call up customers well after the 30 days notice period has expired

I am now writing to say that this letter is being sent by recorded delivery and if you do not respond immediately I shall be reporting you to Oftel, Trading Standards, Advertising Trading Standards and other relevant bodies including Watchdog and make following charges against you:

1. Deliberate and repeated failure to respond to Customer emails and letters,
2. Failure of Setanta Customer service to respond to telephonic communication to cancel service and instead advising customers to write in to cancel, eventhough the service itself was initiated via a telephonic communication
3. Extortion from Customers for services even after customer has communicated that this service is not required
4. Misselling of services by Setatna to its customers
5. Setanta’s deliberate misinformation being advised to its Customers
6. Setanta’s repeated and deliberate contravention of terms of contract
7. Clear avoidance of communication with Customer for cancellations
8. Charges of Extortion and Fraudulent conduct by Setanta towards its Customers

Please note these are only preliminary charges at this stage. I am seeking legal advice in this matter and there is a distinct possibility that there will be more charges made against Setanta. . Following on from here I have already stopped direct debits with my bank and advised them of your fraudulent tactics

amanda460

You are definately not the only one who is struggling to cancel this service. I'm having a nightmare with them - since June. I've also cancelled my DD and have refused to send any further letters or make tel calls to them until they respond to my previous cancellation and complaint letters. I'm being bombarded with text messages, tel calls and letters. I have rang them previously so many times but my frustration keeps getting the better of me. I got a name the last 2 times and said to them that I refuse to call them again as the number is premium rate. Their service for cancellations is appalling - their customer service is appalling (unless you are subscribing)!! I have wrote a final letter 2 wks ago to a Sunderland address which is apparently for cancellations but Setanta refused to give me a tel number for them. The address is:Setanta Sports, Dept 8544, Sunderland, SR9 9XZ. this is the 3rd address i have been given and still no response. I will not spend any further time or efforts trying to sort this out - i'm dwelling on it but I know i've given all the necessary period of notice so i've nothing to worry about. if anyone has a tel number for the Sunderland address plz post it.

Thanks x

deal_hunter wrote: »

Hi,

I am trying to cancel my setanta sports package but am struggling to get through on their 0871 number. I've sent a couple emails requesting the cancellation and have given the 30 day notice period but haven't had it confirmed from Setanta. I also have cancelled my DD with my bank.

Is anyone else struggling to cancel or is it just me and do you think I have done enough to cancel without being charged any extra money??

Thanks

amanda460

Bison;13373241

This letter is fab - I might pinch some of your text and maybe try one more letter to cancel - this is great I hope you get some response from the idiots - keep the forum updated please, we may all benefit from your efforts.

Cheers x
:T


Hi I have sent this letter today by recorded delivery to Setanta
Please note I had earlier sent a letter to yourselves regarding cancellation in June of this year which your staffs have confirmed having received

Yet your staff has been making a number of nuisance calls asking for payment in a threatening tone which is completely unacceptable. I have checked on a number of forums on the web and discovered that my experience is not the only one, there are hundreds like me who have had problems with Customer Service at Setanta who have had following experiences which are exactly same as mine

1. Setanta does not respond to emails for cancellation
2. Setanta claims non-receipt of email
3. Setanta do not respond to written letters for cancellation
4. When customers call Setanta, your customer service staff keep customers on endless hold on a premium line number.
5. When Setanta customer service staff come back on the line, customers are told to write in to Cancellation department
6. SetantaCustomer Service staff who ask for payment, (eventhough written cancellation request has already been made) say I am in a queue for cancellation and hence the call. This is completely unacceptable
7. Setanta contract mentions 30 days notice, yet Setata call up customers well after the 30 days notice period has expired

I am now writing to say that this letter is being sent by recorded delivery and if you do not respond immediately I shall be reporting you to Oftel, Trading Standards, Advertising Trading Standards and other relevant bodies including Watchdog and make following charges against you:

1. Deliberate and repeated failure to respond to Customer emails and letters,
2. Failure of Setanta Customer service to respond to telephonic communication to cancel service and instead advising customers to write in to cancel, eventhough the service itself was initiated via a telephonic communication
3. Extortion from Customers for services even after customer has communicated that this service is not required
4. Misselling of services by Setatna to its customers
5. Setanta’s deliberate misinformation being advised to its Customers
6. Setanta’s repeated and deliberate contravention of terms of contract
7. Clear avoidance of communication with Customer for cancellations
8. Charges of Extortion and Fraudulent conduct by Setanta towards its Customers

Please note these are only preliminary charges at this stage. I am seeking legal advice in this matter and there is a distinct possibility that there will be more charges made against Setanta. . Following on from here I have already stopped direct debits with my bank and advised them of your fraudulent tactics[/quote]

shirt43

I too have had problems with that nightmare called satanta. I have tried to cancel via email and had to send letters to two address to just try to contact them. I finally contacted my son to tell him to cancel his DD, which he did. I now have had a phone call saying that they need 60 day cancellation fees. Its taken at least that to contact them. As My son is out of the country they asked for my DD details to make the payment (I dont think so) They say that they casnnot accept an email cancellation due to the data protection act. Anyone out there know if this is true? They wont even meet me half way and send me an invoice to be paid in what is standeard business practice 0f 30 days.
Warn everyone to steer clear of these sharks

amanda460

johnpb78;13128997

John, Whats your group called so I can join and pop my complaint on there - any little helps!

Thanks. x

Guys, I feel your pain, and personally, I think acting as individuals in these cases is simply perpetuating the problem. i'm starting to put together a collection of these complaints and an information site. Please post your complaint to http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?members&saved&gid=26267767023

I promise I will collate these and will send them in bulk as soon as there are an appropriate number to Ofcom, to Michael O'Rourke, and the minister responsible for arts/media and the OFT.

Whilst their practices are legal, they are operating on the margins of the spirit of the law in that they show a complete disregard for replying to letters registered or otherwise, keep you on national rate numbers for excessive lengths of time, only to be told to write in if you wish to cancel. Their most recent one is that when you ring up now and their queue system is full, they give you a message saying too busy ring back, and charge you for this.

They are the shoddiest UK organisation I have ever come across, and they have clearly taken on too much too soon without having the organisation in place to deal with the volume of accounts they are taking on. Howver this is not an excuse for not engaging with their customers.[/quote]