Setanta Sports - Writing a complaint help please

NicolaC · 15 August 2007 at 3:04PM

I'm in the middle of writing a complaint to Setanta Sports.
Basically, we signed up in June as OH wanted to watch the Ricky Hatton Fight. We paid for a month and got a further 2 months free. However I knew I needed to give at least 30 days notice on terminating the contract.

So last week I tried to call them.
to get through to their customer service department is impossible. the only way you can get through on the phone is to select subscriptions, but they cannot deal with cancellations.

I have made over 14 calls (the ones that I logged and detailed)... spent an excessive amount of time on hold (at one point on hold to a department that I later was told was closed for the day)... I've spoken to numerous departments and several managers but the cancellations department just does not seem to exist!

So I'm writing to them to cancel, along with a complaint letter to their head office.
The telephone number is an 0870 which I'm pretty sure is premium rate (right?)
Within the complaint can I get them to pay the amount that they have racked up on the phone bill?

vScout_2 · 15 August 2007 at 4:48PM

If you write, send by registered delivery, and address to the cancellations. That way someone will have to sign as received, and you can get a copy of the receipt if you ask for it when posting. So when they later say it was never received, after billing you even more months, you will have evidence. Give them the 30 days, and tell them when your contract is expired, you will be cancelling further payments from bank or cc.

Don't expect refunds of telephone bill, althogh it would be a nice to send a copy of you telephone bill highlighting the times and cost trying to get through.

NicolaC · 15 August 2007 at 5:04PM

Okey Dokey.
Thanks for the advice.

Butlers1982 · 15 August 2007 at 5:42PM

Give them the 30 days

Id be telling them you want a response within 14 days, by letter.

Stvy · 16 August 2007 at 12:05PM

We have also had problems with Setanta, paid nearly a month ago, No card arrived after 10 days, so rang after about 15 calls eventually got through. Told sent 5 days earlier and to ring back in 2 days if did not arrive . So waited still no card.
Rang again took took 4 days to get through and I dont know how many calls always said to busy call back later,eventually got through Sat 11th, promised another card which would be sent via Special Delivery and would have by Mon 13th Aug. No Card on Monday, so when still no Card rang Tuesday 14th.
This time told had been sent but on by 1st class post & should arrive next day(Wed 15th) . Wed 15th still no card so waited till today Thurs 16th still no card.
Rang again this morning, this time told card had been sent but had no record of when, said they would send a 3rd card 1st class post and should be here by Sat 18th or Mon 20th Aug. Asked how sent (if they do actually send them at all) by 1st class post in Setanta logo envelope. I pointed out that this could easily be stolen by Postal workers and should be sent recorded delivery etc.
Everytime I have spoken to them have asked for a Supervisor never one available, have been promised this month free and next month, but I've already missed most of this month. When I asked for a refund I was even told that you have to write in and ask for this, yet payment is taken via Credit/Debit card so why can't refunds be done in the same way.
The whole company is a Joke and I wish I had'nt bothered.
SO ANYONE THINKING OF SUBSCRIBING TAKE MY ADVICE AND DONT BOTHER
:mad:

NicolaC · 17 August 2007 at 3:31PM

I've written the letter and have listed out the call log from the very frustrating 3 days of trying to call their complaints department.

I've sent it recorded delivery and I have requested a reply with regards to both the cancellation and the complaint.

Lets see if it gets me anywhere.

djalminha · 22 August 2007 at 11:26PM

I too am having problems with Setanta. I tried to subscribe via the internet only to be told it hadn't worked and to ring the 08712 number which I did and all appeared well. A week later my credit card bill appeared with two amounts having been taken. I rang back to ask for a refund and as you say almost impossible to get through unless you are a new subscription. Eventually got through at 11:30pm on a Sunday night and bloke says "YEAH TWO PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN ONE FROM INTERNET AND ONE BY PHONE". Great give me a refund, no can do our finance department does that but you need to write to them showing the two payments. I asked if he could do it since he could see two payments have been taken but alas that would be simple. Can I phone them? No you need to write.
I also sent an email asking for a refund or to be called about the issue, still awaiting a response. So I sent the letter.

Next day puts Setanta Sports 1 on, message displayed telling I need to subscribe and to ring the 08712 number!! Incredible I've been charged twice and can't watch the bleeding thing.

Against my better judgement I tried to call and once again the customer service department was not available and cut me off.

Who do I complain to about Setanta? Is it Ofcom?
I'm fed up and want something done about this awful service.

JASONROYJONES · 25 August 2007 at 9:43AM

I have just discovered this forum because I too am having problems with Setanta. They are unbelieveable. Like some of the posts here, I subscribed to Setanta back on 22nd June 2007 under the advertisement on their website. I signed up to the deal buy one month for £15 get two months free, thus meaning a total of 3 months. The viewing came on almost straight away on my sky box. I read the terms and conditions carefully and it said to give 30 days notice if you do not want to continue the subscription. Naturally I assumed this must mean around 22nd August 2007 as I should have 3 months vieiwing until 22nd September 2007. So I e-mailed them 2nd week of August to cancel my subscription. No reply. I e-mailed again. No reply. On the third e-mail when I threatened to cancel the direct debit I received a reply saying they would only deal with telephone calls or letters to the head office for cancellations. So I tried, tried and tried again to get through on the phone. Eventaully I wrote them a letter on 10th August explaining what contract I was one and I was giving them the 30 days notice they require to cancel the subscription and that I have paid for and should have viewing until 22nd September 2007! A week later I heard nothing and again tried getting through to no avail. Again I tried e-mailing but did not get a reply. So this time I took drastic action and cancelled my direct debit with the bank to prevent them taking any further payments! On 21st August I received a phone call from Setanta asking about the letter I sent them. They asked if I wished to cancel my subscription with them. I told them that this was correct but I should have viewing until 22nd September as I signed up to buy one month and get two months free. She said this was correct and that my viewing would actually terminate on 19th September. The next day my viewing to Setanta went off and the message appeared on the screen to contact their customer services. So I spent all evening trying to get through and after 10 pm got through and explained this situation to a young man who seemed to have trouble understanding anything I said. I spent about 30 mins having to describe everything I had done in great detail. Only to be told by him that I had one month free for paying for one month. I told him I had signed up on the buy one month and get two months free. He then said but you have cancelled. I said yes only per your 30 days notice terms. But I still expect to get what I have paid for. He said he could not put my viewing back on unless I gave him my financial details again and paid for a month's subscription in order to get the other free month back. I said I have no intention of doing this and he told me then this conversation is over as there is nothing I can do. I asked him how many others have had similar problems and he said you are the first unhappy customer I have come across. I said that I am going to make a complaing then as I want my months viewing restored or as you have broken the contract a refund of the money I have paid. I asked him about e-mailing and straight from the horses mouth he said we read some e-mails but don't bother with most and sometimes if we feel like it we reply to them. I asked him if this is a way to run a company and he said it is not my company. I wished I had recorded the conversation as this guy is straight out of fawlty towers! I have now written a letter to them explaining everything but do not hold my breath to getting any success as I have never met such abysmall service. I see their ads on TV and just wish I could pop up and say stay clear! I hate it when you are cheated and you try to sort it out and people or companies just don't care!

spalford · 26 August 2007 at 4:29PM

I also searched the Internet for complaints against Setanta and Racing UK, as I'm having a real bad time with them, and got this website.

I was aware when I signed up that the contract was for 12 months, so after making my 12th payment via direct debit I cancelled it and tried to call them to cancel. Their telephone keypad options have no mention of cancellations, they are only interested in selling you their product - even if you've already got it! I eventually spoke to a guy who spoke very little English, and he told me that he could not deal with this, but to hold and a manager would deal with it. Needless to say I was put back in the queue for 25 minutes before hanging up in frustration.

I then wrote to them via email and via snail mail explaining that I needed to cancel, but again no reply. Around 10 days later, when they realised that my direct debit had been cancelled, I got a really nasty letter threatening me with debt collection agencies and court action, and my service was cut-off. Bear in mind here, that I was fully paid up until 26th August, some 2 weeks later than their letter.

Again I tried to call, and again after half an hour I got the same response (as in nothing but a promise of being put through to a non-existent manager). Around a week later I received a call from someone at Setanta asking me how I was going to pay now that my direct debit had been cancelled. I explained that they had already had my 12 full monthly payments, and that I just wanted to be done with their company forever, but he would not have any of it. Bear in mind once again, that I still did not owe them any money, even if they did not accept my initial 30 days notice. I argued that if I could not give notice until after 12 months, then it must be a minimum 13 month contract, but he would not agree to this, despite it quite obviously being the case.

I am now at a loss what to do. I guess I'm going to have to give them written notice once again, and then pay whatever they ask for or I'm liable to get some tasty geyser knocking on my door for money!

This is simply a rip-off, and I'd be glad to hear of any other stories about this company, so perhaps we can all get together to do something to stop this malpractice.

uk2007 · 26 August 2007 at 5:50PM

Well I have Setanta and have to disagree and find it excellent value for just £9.99 a month for the sporting content you receive. I have also contacted their customer services via the telephone without any problems. Everytime they have been polite and helpful. Of course with any new service there will be some disgruntled customers.

spalford · 26 August 2007 at 5:58PM

With due respect uk2007, you are a new subscriber on their pay as you go (no contract) package, so have no need to try and contact them with a cancellation request.

I have been a customer on their contract service at £15 per month for over a year. It is a quite different situation. I'm not saying that it is not "excellent value for just £9.99 a month for the sporting content you receive". I am simply warning people that from a monetary and contractual point of view, in my experience they cannot be trusted.

Setanta Sports - Writing a complaint help please

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