Onetel switched me without permission!

CrazyChemist_2

Onetel Switched me!

I got a bill this morning from Onetel advising me that I was going to be charged £2.71 for this month's bill.

However, I was with TalkTalk and thought I still was until today. I had signed up to go back to Onetel but when I found out that TalkTalk were extending their free evening and weekend calls for another year, I decided to cancel it. I cancelled within the 10 day cooling off period, first by phoning and then a confirmation by email. I received this reply from Onetel:

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We would like to confirm that the Select order in question has been cancelled and therefore your calls will not be transferred to Onetel. This request will also be confirmed in writing in the next few days.

We'd appreciate any feedback as to why you have chosen to disconnect this service, as we believe the service offers significant benefits to our customers. We take this opportunity to remind you that our calling plans are only available to residential customers using Onetel as their sole calls provider via either a Phone.Pal or Select.

If you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us, our E-mail Team would be happy to help. Alternatively you can visit our Virtual Customer Service Centre.

Thank you for choosing One.Tel.

Regards,

But they have still switched me over and TalkTalk say that I am now no longer with them. I didn't even receive a letter from TalkTalk saying that I was being switched away, so should I also hold them responsible for this?

I cancelled the Onertel Direct Debit a long time ago, at the same time I phoned them to cancel it. However, it turns out that I have been registered through a "sister company" which also happens to be called Onetel but is also called Telco Global... and their only phone number is 0870 794 1444. (NOT national rate :mad:) Also to help things, Onetel's system is currently 'being updated' so they can't access my account at all.

Can I complain to OFCOM about this because it is a breach of the contract. What should my next move be?

bbb_uk

Obviously OneTel are to blame as you have an email to prove that the cancellation order was received.

I'd ring OfCOM and just mention to them whats gone on and ask them is it possible to have calls changed to TalkTalk any earlier than the standard 2 weeks. Apart from that I believe it would be a waste of your time making an official complaint to OfCOM about it as OneTel will just say sorry and that's it and it'll take OfCOM ages to look into it. Unless of course this is a habit of OneTel.

I would speak to a manager/supervisor over this at OneTel saying that you are going to complain to OfCOM about it and now you have all the messing around in arranging with TalkTalk to go back with them and having to wait the two weeks, etc. You may find they will give a credit as a sorry (and a hope that you don't complain to OfCOM).

I'd then would ring TalkTalk and ask them to make necessary arrangements to have calls go through them at the very earliest opportunity and, if possible, any quicker than the standard 2 weeks. Also ask them why you never received a letter from TalkTalk as you are meant to informing you that TalkTalk will no longer carry your calls from such a date. If you make a fuss about it then TalkTalk may also credit you as a sorry.

BexTech

I was with TalkTalk for about 6 weeks when BT switched me back to them, the first I knew about it was when my TalkTalk bill popped through the post, saying my service had been disconnected and they were sorry I left them.

I called TalkTalk and they said they hadn't dropped my service and to call BT, I called BT and they said "Oh we thought you wanted to come back to us"!!!!

Has to wait a couple of weeks to get back on TalkTalk and they offered me £20 credit for the hassle, even though it wasn't their fault.

CrazyChemist_2

TalkTalk refuse to admit that any of this is their fault. I have yet to ask them why I didn't receive a letter about me leaving. Their Customer Service is terrible! They don't even know what a 'proposition form' is; it's a form sent to BT to inform them which supplier a customer should be connected to!

Anyway, I still can't contact Onetel (TelcoGlobal, not the real Onetel) because they open from 9-5 Mon-Fri on an 0870 number :mad: (so customers can only call during peak times :mad: ). Onetel (the real company) say that they have taken over TelcoGlobal but it apparently isn't their fault that they both have the same logo and registered details on both letterheads :mad: Onetel can't do anything about the other Onetel because 'their systems haven't merged yet'.

I'll wait till Onetel open on Monday and see what they say and I'll call their 0870 number using their service - I am not going to pay anything to Onetel as I have cancelled my order as far as I'm concerned and they confirmed it. I'm also going to ask them what their non-geo number is so I can add it to the saynoto0870.com database.

As far as TalkTalk goes, I'm going to try and get recommended to rejoin them by a friend, so we both get a tenner and I'll go onto Talk 3 for 3 months free then I'll say goodbye to them for good. :T Bextech, did you ask for the £20 or did they just give it to you? They weren't very interested in talking to me at all. :mad:

BexTech

It isn't really any of TalkTalks fault, it was Telco Globals fault, even BT don't send out 'Sorry you are leaving" letters anymore as they were all warned not to by OFCOM as it was seen as pestering you into staying.

I've never had any problems with TalkTalk customer services, at least you get to talk to someone who understands you and you can understand them, not like OneTel's Indian call centre, who really don't have a clue.

I told TalkTalk I was surprised the first I knew about the switch was receiving the phone bill, they just volunteered the £20 credit.

BexTech

Also:

Being referred again to TalkTalk will not gain either yourself or the referrer any bonus credit, as you have already been a TalkTalk customer, I tried it when my sister got switched to OneTel and she wanted to switch back as OneTel are so incompetent and extremely poor customer service.

bbb_uk

BexTech wrote:

It isn't really any of TalkTalks fault, it was Telco Globals fault, even BT don't send out 'Sorry you are leaving" letters anymore as they were all warned not to by OFCOM as it was seen as pestering you into staying.

No TalkTalk aren't directly to blame but TalkTalk should have issued a letter. It was the telephone pestering BT and other providers got into trouble for.

If you read this from OfCOM's website about mis-selling with regards to CPS & WLR and specifically paragraph 2.12 (as follows):-

2.12 The industry-agreed CPS/WLR transfer process also provides additional safeguards to protect consumers from the affects of mis-selling of fixed-line telecoms services by providing for a ten-day switchover period before a customer’s order can be activated, and the customer switched. During the switchover period, the customer should receive two letters – one from the losing provider and one from the gaining provider – notifying the customer of the details of the transfer. This process is intended to ensure that customers are not transferred without their express knowledge and consent.

BexTech

Shame BT no longer follow that rule too.

bbb_uk

BexTech wrote:

Shame BT no longer follow that rule too.

They did when we transferred our calls from BT to OneTel back in April this year. We got letters from both companies and both letters clearly stated the date of transfer.

A check of SayNoTo0870 confirms a geographical alternative to Telco Global number (0870 996 1000) as 0207 1241000. I've just rung both these numbers and the messages are exactly the same.

Therefore, CrazyChemist I'd suggest you just ring the geo 0207 1241000 and speak with them, alternatively, ring Centrica (who own OneTel, etc) switchboard on 01753 494000 and ask to speak to someone in London with regards to your OneTel account and then complain to this person and specifically mention that you will be involving OfCOM in this matter.

CrazyChemist_2

once again, thanks bbb_uk!

I actually searched the SayNoTo0870 database and couldn't find anything, but I did search under Onetel, not Telco Global, , so thanks and I will try that

Would you see it as unreasonable if I refused to pay Onetel/Telco's bill?

CrazyChemist_2

BexTech wrote:

Also:

Being referred again to TalkTalk will not gain either yourself or the referrer any bonus credit, as you have already been a TalkTalk customer, I tried it when my sister got switched to OneTel and she wanted to switch back as OneTel are so incompetent and extremely poor customer service.

Why won't we get the credit? What did they say when you tried it?

Wouldn't it be a breach of advertising, a case for the ASA if they refused to live up to their word??