Rep deceived me into a new 12 month contract : what to do?

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by zedsbb

a) Calls are recorded by Virgin, therefore there is the reciprocal right for me to record calls..

All calls are not recorded by Virginmedia and never have been as they would take up to much space.

Some calls are recorded for Quality and Training purposes and they are just that, the agent gets them played back to them by the Quality team and it is usually just 2 calls per month per agent, and after playback they are usually deleted.

[broadbandking]

Ain't seen a quality team for over a year, hardly any calls are recorded, if retentions send you a free router I do think it doesnt hold you down to a contract I can check for you plus you cheeky sod you wanted two wireless USB sticks for £10?

[100meg]

vm haven't a leg to stand on with that

there lieing just tell you are canceling and if they continue to bill you or faulsly claim that your in a 12 mouth contract or dare to damage your credit

that you will sue them in the county court

there wipe the floor with em at a county court

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Did you

A Tell him you were recording the conversation
B Get his permission to upload the resulting recording to the Internet.

You're right I believe you are legally obliged to inform the person that you're recording the call, it should be covered by RIPA, the Telecommunications part of the Data Protection Act and probably even the Human Rights Act

vm haven't a leg to stand on with that

there lieing just tell you are canceling and if they continue to bill you or faulsly claim that your in a 12 mouth contract or dare to damage your credit

that you will sue them in the county court

there wipe the floor with em at a county court

Most times you wont have to go to court, recordings stop proceedings rather than encourage them, rather than VM standing by their employee all the way to court they'll be able to hear for themselves any lies or non fulfillment of commitments.

[cook1984]

The best thing to do is tell them you are finishing, give them a months notice as required. Once the last Direct Debit has been taken, cancel it. If VM ask, return the router and modem to them. Remember to unplug the modem and do not use the internet connection after you have stopped paying for it.

You did not agree to a new 12 month contract. In order to agree to a contract, even a verbal one, you have to be told that one exists. Without any evidence of agreement to a verbal contract or any written contract, they cannot force you to stay with them.

Eventually they will probably send you a paper bill, with £5 added for non-direct debit payment. At that point call them and explain that you cancelled your broadband and no longer have it. Chances are they will just sort things out there and then, but if not you just have to be persistent. In the end, they can't force you to pay for something you did not agree to.

Don't waste more than one phone call on it, after that write them a letter explaining the situation. Every time you receive something, just send them the same letter with the current date on it. Eventually they will call you.

[Thomas.Fisk]

Just to establish; inside the UK only one side of a telephone call needs to know it's being recorded. Wiretapping is illegal, recording your own calls is perfectly fine.

I don't know about publishing the recording online, but to be on the safe side, I'd take it down. If the case were (Though incredibly unlikely) get to the small claims court, it would basically lay things to rest.

[Paul]

It's only legal if for personal use and not being put into public domain.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Paul

It's only legal if for personal use and not being put into public domain.

That's what i was thinking as well. Does that mean anyone linking to it are breaking the rules as well IE forums ?

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Paul

It's only legal if for personal use and not being put into public domain.

Dont think so

With regard to recording a telephone conversation, section 7.3 (quoted in full later) states that the Licensee shall make every reasonable effort to inform all parties before recording a call

http://www.seg.co.uk/telecomm/record.htm

[zedsbb]

Originally Posted by Moldova

All calls are not recorded by Virginmedia and never have been as they would take up to much space.

I didn't say VM record ALL calls, I said VM record calls. I am sure you guys can find out who this person is, after all he will have authorised my wireless router so should have notes on my account with his identity.

Originally Posted by broadbandking

Ain't seen a quality team for over a year, hardly any calls are recorded, if retentions send you a free router I do think it doesnt hold you down to a contract I can check for you plus you cheeky sod you wanted two wireless USB sticks for £10?

No I just asked for ONE USB wifi stick for my desktop PC which I would otherwise not be able to use. Rep said he would knock 10 quid off, infact he charged me 20 quid and sent me the USB stick, so I got rammed doubly! I can send you my account number and name if you can sort this out, although I have just seen my online bill and the 40 quid has been added on it saying something like "BB retention correction".

Originally Posted by 100meg

vm haven't a leg to stand on with that

there lieing just tell you are canceling and if they continue to bill you or faulsly claim that your in a 12 mouth contract or dare to damage your credit

that you will sue them in the county court

there wipe the floor with em at a county court

I could give them a complete *******ing, but obviously don't want to go down that route, VM have solicitors on the payroll so won't mind putting one of them to use, I don't have the time, but if needed will give them a kick in the knackers if they don't get off my case.

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

You're right I believe you are legally obliged to inform the person that you're recording the call, it should be covered by RIPA, the Telecommunications part of the Data Protection Act and probably even the Human Rights Act

Forget his Human Rights and anything else! Is it not important that reps tell customers the truth? What about the rights of customers that have been decieved and lied to by reps from various companies not just VM so that they can their hands on some commission. Without this recording, I would have been shafted. VM would have said I agreed to a 12 month contract and I would have no defence whatsoever and this rep would have got away with it, with his retention commission.

[Peter_]

Have you called in and requested that a complaint is raised against that agent as you have the time and date.

[broadbandking]

If retentions send you a router free they can't charge you for it out the blue but will check on the disconnection thing for you 2morrow when I am in.

[zedsbb]

Originally Posted by Thomas.Fisk

Just to establish; inside the UK only one side of a telephone call needs to know it's being recorded. Wiretapping is illegal, recording your own calls is perfectly fine.

I don't know about publishing the recording online, but to be on the safe side, I'd take it down. If the case were (Though incredibly unlikely) get to the small claims court, it would basically lay things to rest.

I've asked the site to take it down, if/when they will, I don't know.

Originally Posted by Moldova

Have you called in and requested that a complaint is raised against that agent as you have the time and date.

I was hoping to stay with VM as although the service is pricey, it works, and I'm the sort that is happy not to tinker with things if they work. I told the person that I gave disconnection notice to that I dispute the charge of 40 pounds for my FREE router, but she didn't seem to want to listen to that and said she would be putting it on. I was planning on sorting it out after the disconnection ....

Originally Posted by broadbandking

If retentions send you a router free they can't charge you for it out the blue but will check on the disconnection thing for you 2morrow when I am in.

thanks

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by zedsbb

I've asked the site to take it down, if/when they will, I don't know.



I was hoping to stay with VM as although the service is pricey, it works, and I'm the sort that is happy not to tinker with things if they work. I told the person that I gave disconnection notice to that I dispute the charge of 40 pounds for my FREE router, but she didn't seem to want to listen to that and said she would be putting it on. I was planning on sorting it out after the disconnection ....



thanks

Ring up tomorrow and put the complaint on the account not after any disconnection.

[zedsbb]

ok will do