Wescot Credit Services and ntl 'debt' (merged)

Vitesse_2

Looks like Gio Internet is having trouble!

If Wescot has bought the debt they will carry on billing. If they are working for a busted Gio, then I don't know (possibly Wescot will then buy the debt!).

I would hesitate to supply Wescot with bank statement copies. They are only a business, not like tax or vat offices. They should be checking with Gio's records. It's a real mess.

If they have 'lost' genuine customers like me and are chasing people who never had monthly accounts as well as other customers who are still paying monthly, then it's little wonder they are in trouble.

I think I will offer to pay my debt in installments. Wescot won't be happy, but I don't think they can do much about it.

cheers, Steve

Yukes123

What a relief to find out I'm not alone!! I too received christmas greetings from Westcot Credit Services Ltd on behalf of Gio Internet. I've been trying to get through to both companies on the telephone - yes....engaged. Finally managed to speak to someone at Westcot (Craig) who was actually quite pleasant. Like many others I advised him I've never heard of the company, let alone aware that I owed them any money- he informed me that I had used their services March 2002 until January 2003!

After looking at various websites it does look like Gio are in trouble, they've probably discovered an old mailing list and are spreading good will to all men by trying to scrape back some of their losses real & imagined. I've emailed Gio and spoken to Westcot who have said that the case is on hold pending proof I requested - copies of unpaid bills, statements AND proof of Gio providing the service!!

Good luck to everyone else, I'll keep you posted if there is a solution x

jonisin

I also have received a Wescot letter. Can you all please contact North Ayrshire Trading Standards, Bridgegate House, Irvine KA12 8BD
Tel 01294 324900

They are collecting data about Gio/Activeware and the more data they get the better the chance they have of getting something done about them.

Thanks. Jonisin

WilliamT

Phew - I discovered this thread by chance...

I also got a £79.50 demand for Gio Internet from Wescott today.

I was a customer between August and November 2002 (for one of their unlimited dial-up/ISDN accounts, so they £79.50 equates to 2 months billing).

I stopped using them because they changed their terms and conditions (number of hours you were allowed to use per month) and chucked a load of customers off.

I have a complete archive of all my emails over the past 5 years and have just searched through it. The payments were made by credit card, via Worldpay, actually to a company called 'neonhippo'. It was a worldpay futurepay agreement, ie. they bill you every month - and it was actually Gio (or Neonhippo, whichever you prefer) who cancelled it - I have a "Futurepay Agreement Cancellation" on the 29th of November which states "Agreement cancelled by merchant."

I'm going to write a letter to Wescot Credit Services saying (without giving too much information) that I was a former customer but have paid all amounts due and the agreement was terminated some two years ago, and ask for supporting documentation from them to prove I still owe a debt, exactly what it is for, the date applied and details of what steps were taken by their client (Gio Internet) to pursue me for it (they have not sent me any emails at all for the past two years, nor contact by post etc.)

I will also send a copy of it and a covering letter to the trading standards people (again recorded delivery I think) if that helps you, Jonison.

Its the first time I've had to do anything like this but I assume the next step would be to get advice from a local solicitor.

I also don't intend to give Wescot any details they probably haven't already got, ie. phone number etc.

Incidentally, a quick search on google news will throw up all the GioInternet problems (see also this article on the register):

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/24/netservices_gio_dispute/

It all seems a bit similar to the RedHotAnt problems a year or so before (another ISP I was unfortunate enough to choose at the time, although I didn't have them or a debt recovery agency pursuing me as a result).

William

Simon6776

It is with some embarassment that I have to admit, I have now found the paperwork from when I joined Gio. :-[ I had completely forgotten about ever using them. I have just logged into my account with Worldpay, and found the transaction for the initial payment of £7.99 for one month's unlimited internet access, on 21st April 2002. Unfortunately I can't find the crucial paperwork, which would have been the T&Cs, and the subsequent cancellation e-mail, but I do now have a hard copy of the Worldpay agreement, which was to NeonHippo Ltd, so I assume Gio must have been a subsidiary of them. The agreement was dated 21st April 2002, and it shows that I subsequently cancelled the agreement on 1st May 2002. Gio are therefore trying to charge me for 9 months internet services which I clearly didn't use, as I then went to PlusNet for a while, before going to Pipex ADSL. There is no minimum contract with Gio now, and I'm pretty certain there was no minimum contract when I signed up (or I wouldn't have taken the risk), so I fail to see that they have any grounds for this claim whatsoever.

I will contact the North Ayrshire Trading Standards office, as suggested above, but who are we actually supposed to be complaining about? Gio, or Wescot?

WilliamT

It is with some embarassment that I have to admit, I have now found the paperwork from when I joined Gio. :-[ I had completely forgotten about ever using them. I have just logged into my account with Worldpay, and found the transaction for the initial payment of £7.99 for one month's unlimited internet access, on 21st April 2002. Unfortunately I can't find the crucial paperwork, which would have been the T&Cs, and the subsequent cancellation e-mail, but I do now have a hard copy of the Worldpay agreement, which was to NeonHippo Ltd, so I assume Gio must have been a subsidiary of them.

Did you ever receive anything on paper in the post (statements etc.)? I'm pretty certain I never did - because I had to submit printouts of the Worldpay payments to back up expense claims during the time I was with them.

I definitely never got any emails chasing the "debt", and as I say, the only financial mails were from worldpay, not Gio Internet or Neonhippo themselves. I reckon that puts us in a better position - ie. Gio Internet never made any attempt to generate any statement of account themselves.

There might have been one on the website, but I really can't remember, and the site has been completely changed since then, and obviously I can't logon to check as my account no longer exists. Frankly I think its unlikely they had anything like this, making them, apart from Redhotant, unique amongst the many ISPs/internet based companies I've used in the past.

Vitesse_2

Hi,

I used to log in to my Gioserve account through their website. They had records showing status, usage and a billing summary. My dad has also has an active monthly gio account, but has never been able to log in to check it!

Simon 6776 - Since you cancelled your account, and can prove it, and Gio's logs will show that you had not accessed the account, you should be OK.

cheers, Steve

jonisin

I'm not trying to say that this is not a good site but you all might like to read the many comments about Wescot trying to recover debts from Gio customers at https://www.ispreview.co.uk see forums, then general isp discussions. A Gio representative has also posted a note but that just adds to the fury we all have.

unhappy_4

I opened my mail and there it is. The debt collection notice from Westcot Credit Services Ltd on behalf of Gio internet. This is for the sum of £248.60 Merry Christmas!!

£248.60 for a service we have not used for over a year and will not be planning to use ever again.

We have reported this to Watchdog. We are prepared to fight this in court if this is necessary. I think it is about time we stood up to these people.

Please send your comments to this email address so they can be passed to Watchdog and Trading Standards. nothappywithgio@hotmail.co.uk

It seems that many of us have had this Christmas mail and unfortunatly quite a few people will pay the demands.

mattgod69

I have had a similar letter, albeit for the small amount of £15.98. I did get through to Wescot and asked for details of the debt. Strictly speaking I do not owe Gio any money because I cancelled the service due to it being unusable. I then wrote to them (they wouldnt accept it by email) as per their terms and conditions and then cancelled the payment myself. I think they are getting people because the cancellation was not made in writing and also giving Gio 30 days notice. I am wondering whether to pay as I do not want any trouble in the future, but am frustrated at the way this has been handled. I do not owe £15.98, but I may owe £7.99 (if you say I need to give 30 days notice) even though I did not use the service and was unable to for weeks beforehand too. What is everyone going to do..... the demand is due on the 3rd (a bank holiday)....... I wonder if they will be there between Xmas and New Year to take payments! mmmm