Tiscali - 2nd posting. Can anyone help?

montylikesbirdies

Hello,

Been with Tiscali since December 2005 on the £14.99 a month package, I have now received a debt collection letter from a compnay called CARS stating that I owe £360. I assumed just a stupid mistake from Tiscali, however since going through my bank statement it appears they (or my bank) had cancelled the DD. I was completely unaware of this (I don't scour my bank statements)!! However I STILL have internet access and have been in contact with Tiscali customer services on a number of different occasions and it was NEVER mentioned that I owe them any money. I have never had a letter from tiscali!!! I am at a loss really, would anyone know where I stand with this???

Thanks

Monty

mrJ_5

you probably should pay, after all - it's your responsiblity to check bills - but then they should bill you . . . why not phone them up, and maybe come to some sort of agreement (maybe they will let you pay half) - afterall, they haven't been billing you and haven't notified you

kazza2403

Hi there.
Firstly can I just say that Tiscali are frankly a complete joke of a company. The way they treat their customers is nothing less than shocking.

I have had several problems with them, cumilating with them cancelling my account without my permission, claiming it was my request! I am currently in the process of taking them to the ombudsmen.

I would thoroughly recommend that you contact OFCOM for advice
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/ or 020 7981 3040.

They will give you the best advice about how to deal with them.

montylikesbirdies

Hi Kazza,

Thanks for your reply.... I really am so shocked I will be phoning the bank today to find out how or why it was cancelled?

I have never heard from them about this matter.....

They even sent me a new wireless modem and I spoke with them about upping my service to include the home phone!

What a waste of time!!

Monty

espresso

montylikesbirdies wrote: »

(I don't scour my bank statements)!!

Don't you think that as a member of MSE you really should! You owe the money for the service that they have provided, so pay up!

kazza2403

Also check out this forum http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/t21963-4.html? I seem to remember reading someone with a similar problem You must also be aware that by referring you to a debt collection agency without any prior warning will have effected your credit rating. This is unexcusable from Tiscali.
Speak to OFCOM, and then Consumer Direct telephone enquiries:08454 04 05 06.

Good luck, and stick with, because Tiscali do not even follow their own code of practice when dealing with these things.

normanmark

Its a no brainer really, you'll have to pay for the service you've used.

kazza2403

Ok, don't mean to go on about this. Yes, you have had a service that for whatever reason you have not paid for. I had a similar situation when I first joined Tiscali. It turned out that they had not submitted my signed direct debit to my bank, who therefore regarded I had not given permission for the funds to be withdrawn. Tiscali wrote to me as soon as my bill was not paid. They have an obligation to inform you when a payment has not been made, and to leave it for such an extraordinary length of time is only testament to how poorly Tiscali maintain their accounts. I would also recommend contacting the Nation Debtline for advice on FREEPHONE: 0808 808 4000. Tiscali bully their customers with things like this. Tiscali actually owe me approximately £85 and I simply refuse to even attempt to call their appalling customer service anymore. Instead I've sort advice from various other agencies (who, believe me, are no strangers to the Tiscali Complaint) who have given me much better advice. Yes, maybe you should have checked you bank statements more carefully, but have you ever heard of a company who have not taken payment for two years before taking any action?
If you still have your statements from Dec 2005, check to see if you have payments that firstly pay Tiscali, then have the money refunded a couple of days later. If this is so. it means that Tiscali did not submit your signed direct debit to the bank, and you bank have regarded this as an unauthorized direct debit and have reclaimed the money shortly after.
Lastly keep all correspondance and any evidence you might have regarding this. Ask them to prove they have sent any other information to you, which undoubtedly they will not be able to do.
Good luck.

meggsy

I've been posting on the Pipex - contact address to claim refund thread, but unfortunately for me CS is now with Tiscali and I am having problems ...

Well this is my situation, email received from Tiscali last week ...

"We can confirm that your online request to cancel your Pipex Broadband service has now been initiated. A 'cease order' will be issued to BT for the removal of our broadband service from your telephone line.

Your Pipex Broadband service will be available to you until the 02/05/2008 ......".

I haven't cancelled, I'm trying to pay them my annual subscription, cheque sent to Broadwick Street last week, they say a previous one sent on 6th April wasn't received so I cancelled that one at my bank :mad:

mrJ_5

meggsy wrote: »

I've been posting on the Pipex - contact address to claim refund thread, but unfortunately for me CS is now with Tiscali and I am having problems ...

Well this is my situation, email received from Tiscali last week ...

"We can confirm that your online request to cancel your Pipex Broadband service has now been initiated. A 'cease order' will be issued to BT for the removal of our broadband service from your telephone line.

Your Pipex Broadband service will be available to you until the 02/05/2008 ......".

I haven't cancelled, I'm trying to pay them my annual subscription, cheque sent to Broadwick Street last week, they say a previous one sent on 6th April wasn't received so I cancelled that one at my bank :mad:

phone them up, explain the situation, and they may not cease your line... if you haven't cancelled, then they should cancel your account

montylikesbirdies

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies, in no case have I said I will not pay!! I am just shocked with how Tiscali have dealt with this..

I have NEVER had a letter from them stating that I owe any money and yet I have received marketing material from them and the Wireless router!!! Strange!!! I think so!!!

Thanks for your advice Kazza I will get in contact with them..

Monty