"CITYMAIN ADMINISTR" bank account charge

S3r6e1 wrote: »

Number 01983 618300 is still working fine:j

Yep... a 2 minute phone call soon had it all cancelled

Hi all,

Like many others here, I was stung by this horrible company. I cancelled the DD through my bank, then rang Citymain to confirm the cancellation which they did. However, the woman I spoke to refused to refund the payment that had been taken. I've written to them with this letter (links are changed but obvious) -


Citymain Administrators Ltd
PO Box 116
Ryde
Isle of Wight
PO33 2WX

9th February, 2012

Dear Sir/Madam,

Earlier today, I telephoned your offices to cancel an insurance policy for a mobile phone, which was purchased through buymobilephones.net and included 3 months of free insurance. The lady I spoke to told me that the policy had been cancelled by my bank (I had done this 2 days earlier) and that no more payments would be taken. However, when I asked for the payment which had already been taken (on the 6th) to be refunded, the lady in question refused to do so, stating that due to the date of purchase for my phone, the direct debit payment is taken from my bank account on the 4th of the month. I informed her that buymobilephones.net's (hereafter referred to as BMP) website states that the policy does not begin until I receive the phone (which was the 12th of November) and therefore the 4th month of my policy does not begin until the 12th of February and as my cancellation was within the 3 month limit, I should not have to pay anything. I was then told that this was wrong and that I must provide documentary proof that this is the case. The lady also informed me that the payment which had been taken meant that I was covered for the next month. There are several problems with these statements.

Firstly, according to information provided on BMP's website (vvv.buymobilephones.net/insurance_faq.php), Citymain writes to each customer confirming the cover and giving confirmation of the direct debit setup. Your website (vvv.citymain.com/da/21920) makes the exact same statement, replacing only the word 'citymain' with 'We'. I have received no such paperwork from you and therefore cannot be expected to be aware of the apparent dates that the payment would be taken. Had I received this paperwork, I would have ensured my cancellation had been on the appropriate date.

Secondly, with regard to your representative's lack of knowledge regarding BMP's and your own website, it is stated on the former that 'Providing you have agreed to purchase the insurance option, your phone is covered from when you receive your phone from buymobilephones.net.' Your own website again states the exact same thing, replacing 'buymobilephones.net' with 'your supplier'. Both websites also state that ‘On month four, we will collect the monthly premium by direct debit from your account.’ Please note the use of the word ‘on’, not ‘a week before’. Given these quotes, only two conclusions can be reached -

1) Your representative is mistaken, and I AM within the three month period and your charge to my bank account WAS taken early.

2) The payment should have been taken on the 4th of the month as stated, in which case, either your company can somehow foretell that I will be buying a phone and began the policy a week before my purchase, or I have not received the full three months of free insurance as stated on the above websites. Assuming that the former cannot be the case, then the latter would mean that you have falsely advertised a service which you do not provide in full, which I believe is illegal and would therefore be a matter for the relevant authorities.

Finally, regarding your representative's statement that my payment means I am covered for another month, I refer you again to BMP's website which states 'If you do not exercise this right to cancel then your rights and those of the insurer to cancel this insurance cover thereafter are that you may cancel this insurance at any time by giving notice of cancellation, in writing or by telephone, to the administrator. Cover will terminate immediately on receipt of your cancellation.' The downloadable terms and conditions from that same website (vvv.buymobilephones.net/insurance_tandc.pdf) state the same thing, and this document is even signed by Mr P Kelsey, your director.

In summary, the earliest date which my policy can have begun is the 12th of November. My policy was cancelled through my bank on the 7th of February and by myself over the telephone on the 9th of February. The policy is terminated immediately at that time. This cancellation therefore came within the three month period which you are legally obligated to provide and I would therefore ask that the money taken from my bank account for a fourth month which I have not entered, nor for which I am covered, be refunded immediately.

I have enclosed printed copies of the relevant page from BMP's and your website and the downloaded terms and conditions and have highlighted the quoted passages for your convenience. This should provide adequate proof of my claims, as requested by your representative.

I thank you for your time and hope this matter can be resolved swiftly.

Yours faithfully,

We'll see if that gets me anywhere. If I haven't heard back from them within a week or so, I'll be back on the phone to give them more hassle. Chances are they'll deny receiving that letter (how convenient). If that fails, i WILL be contacting anyone who will listen, including consumer direct, trading standards, watchdog, their head office, my solicitor and possibly even the police as I'm pretty sure their charges to me constitute false advertising. If all else fails, I'll be making damn sure that all the hassle I cause them and the time taken will cost them a lot more than my £5.99

I can only suggest that everyone and anyone who comes across this thread in the future follows my lead and lets all the above groups/programmes know about this underhand tactic. If enough of us complain, they may take action.

For anyone needing to contact them without spending a fortune -

Telephone - 01983 618300
Address - Citymain Administrators Ltd
PO Box 116
Ryde
Isle of Wight
PO33 2WX
Email - info@citymain.com or [EMAIL="customerrelations@citymain.com"]customerrelations@citymain.com[/EMAIL]

I'll keep you all up to date as things transpire

Damn I fell for it too...

Now is it worth ringing up and cancelling or to do a claim and then cancel (After all i am paying for it)

just been looking through my bank account, just always presumed this was something else Ive must have had this since 2008 when i got a mobile from x store and its been coming out ever since even long after ive stopped using that particular contract. now its went up in price to £14.04

Not a happy chappy