Need help urgently.

Patrick20 · 16 April 2009 at 5:00PM

This is a long one people so brace yourselves. I also dont have a clue if its in the right place so forgive but its the least of my problems(well its my younger, more naive brothers problems) just now.

Ok so my brother signed up to a mobile phone contract with Orange. Its supposed to be £41 a month for his blackberry with unlimited text, 400 mins, and mobile internet with a insurance policy. Well 4 months back, Orange sent him a bill for £85. He phoned up Orange, who informed him that a company called Juice Billing was charging him £1.50 a day for a service he didnt sign up for. He knows he didnt,But Orange are telling him they have proof. So they said he couldnt get his money back but he could text STOP to a number they said would stop the charges. The next month the same £85 bill happens. Since then this has happened 3 months in a row and he has tried to resolve this with Orange with their customer services plenty of times. They just dont want anything to do with it Today it was STOPALL that he had to text. Are they just giving his the run around? Is there anything we can do? If its not sorted in a day ive advised him to bring his bank into it. Cancel the direct debits so Orange finally take notice. What do you think?

sporedude · 16 April 2009 at 5:26PM

Whatever you do, Do not cancel the direct debit, Orange will take notice, But will also inform a debt collection agency who will hound him day and night for money.

4743hudsonj · 16 April 2009 at 7:14PM

ring juice billing and ask that they cancel the service, also, what exactly is their proof that he subscribed? if you dont know, find out!

Also i would go to trading standards, UK law now requires all these premium mobile services to use the word STOP (yes, in capitals) as a legal requirement to terminate their service. If they do not terminate it, then they are breaking the law. i dont know the legality of what orange should do about it, worth reading through your contract about that, but yes, if stop doesnt work, he will be able to sue the company for the cost since the first STOP text was sent, providing it was that word he sent, and also he should get compensation for the fact that it put him out of pocket every month which can have knock on effects with other finances.

Patrick20 · 16 April 2009 at 8:22PM

4743hudsonj wrote: »

ring juice billing and ask that they cancel the service, also, what exactly is their proof that he subscribed? if you dont know, find out!

Also i would go to trading standards, UK law now requires all these premium mobile services to use the word STOP (yes, in capitals) as a legal requirement to terminate their service. If they do not terminate it, then they are breaking the law. i dont know the legality of what orange should do about it, worth reading through your contract about that, but yes, if stop doesnt work, he will be able to sue the company for the cost since the first STOP text was sent, providing it was that word he sent, and also he should get compensation for the fact that it put him out of pocket every month which can have knock on effects with other finances.

Thanks, yes the knock on effects have been that one month he incurred bank charges for being overdrawn.

The number orange gave us for juice billing is sending to answer machine constantly. no one answers .

4743hudsonj · 16 April 2009 at 10:44PM

ahh, well he should easily get that back as compensation, and probably a little extra on top, i looked into it, and a simple google search of the company brings up their site, this has a contact us section on it with an email form and an address, i suggest you write to both, send the letter recorded, and keep copy's, put your brothers number and say that they cannot refuse his right to cancel the service and if they do not do so then you will take them to court, also total up all the phone bill cost incurred AFTER he text STOP (it would help if your brother still had this text greatly.) and request that they re imburse the money they have taken illegally and the bank charge from being overdrawn ( send the bank statement where this happened)

Sending these photocopies will prove the legitimacy of your claims, but make sure you get rid of any personal details apart from name and the mobile number in question, and erase any parts of the statement or bill that doesnt apply, we dont know who they are or how trust worthy they are!

mention in your letter and email that is you do not hear back within 10 days then you will issue a small claims court case against them.

By the way this is only providing you can prove you text STOP to them, if you havnt got the text contact orange and ask if there is anyway in which you can get hold of the text details but i have no idea how extensive any records are, if any. If not then send the letters still but i dont know what they will do, and you cannot threaten them with a law suit as you have no proof...

regards josh

Patrick20 · 17 April 2009 at 3:58AM

4743hudsonj wrote: »

ahh, well he should easily get that back as compensation, and probably a little extra on top, i looked into it, and a simple google search of the company brings up their site, this has a contact us section on it with an email form and an address, i suggest you write to both, send the letter recorded, and keep copy's, put your brothers number and say that they cannot refuse his right to cancel the service and if they do not do so then you will take them to court, also total up all the phone bill cost incurred AFTER he text STOP (it would help if your brother still had this text greatly.) and request that they re imburse the money they have taken illegally and the bank charge from being overdrawn ( send the bank statement where this happened)

Sending these photocopies will prove the legitimacy of your claims, but make sure you get rid of any personal details apart from name and the mobile number in question, and erase any parts of the statement or bill that doesnt apply, we dont know who they are or how trust worthy they are!

mention in your letter and email that is you do not hear back within 10 days then you will issue a small claims court case against them.

By the way this is only providing you can prove you text STOP to them, if you havnt got the text contact orange and ask if there is anyway in which you can get hold of the text details but i have no idea how extensive any records are, if any. If not then send the letters still but i dont know what they will do, and you cannot threaten them with a law suit as you have no proof...

regards josh

Well Josh thank you. I've got a feeling I wont get much replies from them but atleast it'll all help later when no doubt he'll have to claim. Orange confirmed that he had indeed texted stop so i'll get him to phone to ask them to send all the info he needs.

4743hudsonj · 17 April 2009 at 8:54AM

ahhh good, just make sure he does in fact email or send a recorded letter outlining your case and intention to file for small claims court if they do noit honour your request or reply within 10 days.

if you skip this step you probably wont be able to claim as the judge will just say you have not tried alternative dispute resolution (asking basically).

regards josh

Need help urgently.

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