View Full Version : no direct debit we wil charge you
zachysat
09-06-2007, 13:19
hi to all
i can`t belive it after 10 years with NTL (i have broadband and phone) i get charge £5 every months from VM becouse i don`t go with the direct debit can`t belive it how this people treat old costumer time to look around for a change
zachysat:mad::mad:
xspeedyx
09-06-2007, 13:22
Well welcome to the world of been charged for everything. btw every company I know charge this so I think the idea they have is pay by dd or shut up and pay £5 or whatever they charge
zachysat
09-06-2007, 13:25
Well welcome to the world of been charged for everything. btw every company I know charge this so I think the idea they have is pay by dd or shut up and pay £5 or whatever they charge
well this is what we call free world and democracy with ntl never had this problem Looks like the big boys of VM wonts to make big proffits by ripping people off:mad:
xspeedyx
09-06-2007, 13:29
NTL have always charged a non dd charge never £5but always charged ppl if dont have a dd
Just pay by direct debit and as said above there has always been a charge for not paying by direct debit.
NTL have always charged a non dd charge never £5but always charged ppl if dont have a dd
As i recall i was charged £2 for non DD payments with NTL although not with my original provider CableTel.
hi to all
i can`t belive it after 10 years with NTL (i have broadband and phone) i get charge £5 every months from VM becouse i don`t go with the direct debit can`t belive it how this people treat old costumer time to look around for a change
zachysat:mad::mad: rip off m8 they are trying everythink to get money even when you ring on a bt line they take forever to answer if you ring on a vm phone quick answering lol look else where if they are chargeing you £5 extra thats £60 a year man extra :td:
Just out of interest. What are peoples reasons for not using DD?
alferret
09-06-2007, 15:17
well this is what we call free world and democracy with ntl never had this problem Looks like the big boys of VM wonts to make big proffits by ripping people off:mad:
This is the UK mate, not the free world. Those that provide goods and services know that what was once a great nation the United Kingdom is now better known as Treasure Island.
Graham M
09-06-2007, 15:18
Hmm this has been the case with NTL for as long as I can remember?
im pretty sure that even telewest had a small charge like £2 or something.
Just out of interest. What are peoples reasons for not using DD?
Good question! I'd like to know the answer as well.:erm:
Euromancer
09-06-2007, 17:24
Just out of interest. What are peoples reasons for not using DD?
Good question! I'd like to know the answer as well.:erm:
So Virgin Media cannot over charge you and then you have to fight to get your money back?
I was with Blueyonder/telewest for years and every month they managed to take the correct money, I have been with Virgin media 2 months since having a few more services and the 1st of June they took £187 god knows what for I have rung them 3 times twice promised a return call and still nothing is right.
---------- Post added at 17:24 ---------- Previous post was at 17:18 ----------
I think a direct Debt can only be for one amount therefore if the company thinks they should be taking more money from you they need a new Direct Debit contract to be signed by the customer or they have to ring you up, send a bill in the mail. Which means the customer ultimately has the right to approve the charge.
joglynne
09-06-2007, 17:37
It's a standing order that is for a fixed amount whilst our DDs can be varied. According to this site (http://www.financevictims.co.uk/direct-debits/official-line.htm)we should all be on Variable Direct Debits and should receive our bill 10 working days before payment is requested so that we can sort out any errors in billing.
I've not had a BB bill since my bills were split in February but that another ongoing 'discussion' I'm having with Virgin.
Jo
The broadband billing system is done via ebilling so you won't get a paper bill. Also its a fixed amount every month.
joglynne
09-06-2007, 18:19
The broadband billing system is done via ebilling so you won't get a paper bill. Also its a fixed amount every month.
Billings have stated that as they don't hold an e-mail account for me that I should be getting paper bills.( original ntl address died the death through non use some 7 years ago) I have offered them my current e-mail address and although they agree that the address they have is no longer in existence they are not interested in updating their records so that I can have an e-bill.
my earlier post>I've not had a BB bill since my bills were split in February but that another ongoing 'discussion' I'm having with Virgin.
I have tried to get a bill, I don't care in what format the bill is done in. But I would like one. They have a legal requirement to provide one even if the amount does not change.
I only get a paper bill for TV,phone and broadband. Ebilling isn't active in my area yet.
Ive never had a bill for my BB, used to get it via email when I had dial up...
Recently I changed bank accounts and there was a 2 month period when my BB bill didn't get paid by direct debit, I was able to ring up and pay them with a debit card over the phone and I wasn't charged any non DD fees then (this was a couple of months ago)
Leeds_Tykes_RFU
09-06-2007, 20:22
I had a (minor) problem with my BB bill, never got ANY kind of a bill - they insisted I had an e-bill, but I never did- so I kicked-up a little fuss, now I get a paper bill for my BB as well TV/phone. Just makes things slightly easier to know when they're going to debit my account.
zachysat
09-06-2007, 21:54
Good question! I'd like to know the answer as well.:erm:
to be honest does a person need to have a reosen not to go DD?? shouldnt this be a free choice ???but for your info the reason i don`t go DD is bercouse i had problem in the past with BT over charging my phone bill so before i pay i like to see all my others bills are DD but not broadband and phone beside that i really should need to explain it becouse this should be a free choice not forcing people to use bank and only on their terms is this what we call freedom of choice???
zachysat:mad:
10 years should give them a good reaseon to look after their old costumer and not take them for granted
to be honest does a person need to have a reosen not to go DD?? shouldnt this be a free choice ???
No a person does not need a reason to go DD, but also a company does not need a reason to charge you whatever they like for certain services they offer - they ain't a charity !!
becouse this should be a free choice not forcing people to use bank and only on their terms is this what we call freedom of choice???
Your not forced to use your bank and you have the freedom of choice that you claim your being denied, you either stump up the non DD charge or you go DD and save yourself £60 a year, simple really. If you were denied the freedom of choice you would be charged £5 a month for the privilige of paying your bills by all methods.
10 years should give them a good reaseon to look after their old costumer and not take them for granted
Again they are not a charity they are a business put on this planet to earn as much as they can. If you are that against them then theres always other choices of provider out there...
scrotnig
09-06-2007, 22:49
Billings have stated that as they don't hold an e-mail account for me that I should be getting paper bills.( original ntl address died the death through non use some 7 years ago) I have offered them my current e-mail address and although they agree that the address they have is no longer in existence they are not interested in updating their records so that I can have an e-bill.
I have tried to get a bill, I don't care in what format the bill is done in. But I would like one. They have a legal requirement to provide one even if the amount does not change.
In Manchester your cable modem bill will be on a system called SABS (for the time being).
I get a paper bill every month...what you need to do is ring up and ask them to switch you to a "VAT bill" every month, that will get you a paper bill sent out. When I was there, not many agents were aware of this as the official line was that paper bills in SABS cable modem areas couldn't be done.
DD's can be taken up to 5 days before the date arranged which for anyone on a tight budget with limited or no overdraft facilities it can cause huge problems.
zachysat
09-06-2007, 23:00
No a person does not need a reason to go DD, but also a company does not need a reason to charge you whatever they like for certain services they offer - they ain't a charity !!
Your not forced to use your bank and you have the freedom of choice that you claim your being denied, you either stump up the non DD charge or you go DD and save yourself £60 a year, simple really. If you were denied the freedom of choice you would be charged £5 a month for the privilige of paying your bills by all methods.
Again they are not a charity they are a business put on this planet to earn as much as they can. If you are that against them then theres always other choices of provider out there...
my dear friend the company already charge me for the services they provide to me that is why i am recieving a bill every months regarding the charity i would prefer to give the extra £5 to charity than a company that wonts me to go DD beside that what is the £5 charge is for?? just becouse don`t wont DD??
my dear friend the company already charge me for the services they provide to me that is why i am recieving a bill every months regarding the charity i would prefer to give the extra £5 to charity than a company that wonts me to go DD beside that what is the £5 charge is for?? just becouse don`t wont DD??
But again you have the choice of either paying it or not paying it, if you choose not to pay it for whatever reason then you lose your right to moan and complain. You do pay for services as in Broadband/TV/Phone or whatever services you have, but as with all companys there are always additional extras.
You also have the choice of staying with VM or moving to someone else, your not restricted. If you hate your services and or charges then its time to head down the road and see if the grass can be any greener.
rogerdraig
10-06-2007, 00:43
But again you
have the choice of either paying it or not paying it, if you choose not to pay it for whatever reason then you lose your right to moan and complain. You do pay for services as in Broadband/TV/Phone or whatever services you have, but as with all companys there are always additional extras.
You also have the choice of staying with VM or moving to someone else, your not restricted. If you hate your services and or charges then its time to head down the road and see if the grass can be any greener.
no more like they need to change the law Ireland already has as this adversely affects those on lower incomes
its already being investigated in this country too
just because they are a business doesn't give them the right to do what they want and as with bank charges the amount they do charge should reflect what it cost them
Just out of interest. What are peoples reasons for not using DD?
So that when ntl (Back then) or VM send me a totally erroneous bill, I have at least an opportunity to get it rectified before I pay, not after, thats my reason anyway, after getting burnt before, I don't trust the system enough to go back to DD yet.
I get my bills via email, pay via internet banking but still get charhed £5 admin fee's......where the feck are the admin fee's when i am paying via BACS, is that not the same as DD for the work involeved?????
So Virgin Media cannot over charge you and then you have to fight to get your money back?Time to change Bank if you have to fight to get your money back - if a DD is incorrectly taken then you dispute it with the bank who should refund you (that's part of the DD guarantee). On the rare occasions I have been wrongly charged by DD I have always got a refund via the bank (FYI, VM/NTL/Diamond have never wrongly charged me).
Roxyfella
10-06-2007, 01:25
Could someone explain the cost incurred to Virgin Media just because a customer doesn't pay by DD? What is the £5 charge for? Does it cost them £5 for a non DD payment? Someone explain the justification for this charge, please?
---------- Post added at 01:25 ---------- Previous post was at 01:19 ----------
Just found this template letter to send to your provider.....
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS OF COMPANY – list of company addresses are below]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to protest about your penalty charge for customers who do not pay by direct debit.
I think this charge is unfair and does not reflect the true cost of processing my payment. It seems to me simply a way of increasing your revenue.
Provided I do so on time, it is my right to pay my bill however I choose. Why should I pay more just because I don't use your preferred payment method?
I urge you to reconsider this unreasonable charge. But if you insist on continuing with it, I would expect you to demonstrate that the charge is justified. You will be aware that the law says penalty charges must be fair.
I do not believe that this is the case with yours, but look forward to hearing your explanation.
Yours faithfully,
[YOUR NAME]
Phone company addresses:
BT
Customer Services
BT plc
Correspondence Centre
Durham DH98 1BT
VIRGIN MEDIA
Virgin Media - Watchdog Complaints
Matrix Court
Llansamlet
Swansea SA7 9BB
Talk Talk (mobile)
TalkTalk Telecom Limited
Customer Care
1 Portal Way
London W3 6RS
3
3 Customer Services
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
PO Box No 333
Glasgow G2 9AG
Email: customer.services@3mail.c om
O2
Complaints Review Service
Arlington Business Centre
Millshaw Park Lane
Leeds LS11 0NE
Email: pressoffice@02.com
T-Mobile
6 Camberwell Way
Doxford
Sunderland SR3 3XN
Email: custrel@t-mobile.co.uk
Vodafone
Vodafone Customer Care,
Vodafone House,
The Connection,
Newbury,
Berkshire RG14 2FN
Orange
Orange Executive Office
Senhouse Road
Lingfield Way
Darlington
County Durham DL1 4YG
Email: executive.office@orange-ftgroup.com
Utility company addresses:
British Gas
House Contact Centre
PO Box 50
Leeds LS1 1LE
Powergen
PO Box 7750
Nottingham NG1 6WR
Npower
PO Box 93
Peterlee SR8 2XX
EDF Energy Customer Service Team
EDF Energy Customer Service Team
Freepost 3814
London WC1V 6AJ
when it was ntl it was only £2 extra robbers VM
arcamalpha2004
10-06-2007, 10:21
The broadband billing system is done via ebilling so you won't get a paper bill. Also its a fixed amount every month.
Hmmmm, an ebilling system? :erm:
I get a paper bill every month, and I only have broadband with them.
Whether it is a fixed amount or not the customer is entitled to one on paper if they so wish, if the customer wants to push it a step further they can have vm send them a copy of every bill from the past 6 years, at a charge of £10 under the disclosure act.
---------- Post added at 10:21 ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 ----------
when it was ntl it was only £2 extra robbers VM
I would suggest paying the £5 charge using 5 different cheques.
Make them work for the fiver.
More about this can be found here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6429903.stm) from the BBC news
Hmmmm, an ebilling system? :erm:
I get a paper bill every month, and I only have broadband with them.
Whether it is a fixed amount or not the customer is entitled to one on paper if they so wish, if the customer wants to push it a step further they can have vm send them a copy of every bill from the past 6 years, at a charge of £10 under the disclosure act.
I would suggest paying the £5 charge using 5 different cheques.
Make them work for the fiver.
I find this amusing, coming from a Sky customer; remind me, what payment options do Sky give their customers? ;)
arcamalpha2004
10-06-2007, 11:19
More about this can be found here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6429903.stm) from the BBC news
" 44p for clearing a cheque " ?
So vm would get £2.80 from the fiver charge if the customer presented 5 different cheques.
---------- Post added at 11:19 ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 ----------
I find this amusing, coming from a Sky customer; remind me, what payment options do Sky give their customers? ;)
I pay by DD if you really want to know.
I am dead against any company leaching off its customers charges that they cannot possibly justify.
44p was a guess in the mid 1990's, not a fact. No one except the companies know the real cost (though I'm pretty certain it's not going to be £5).
Odd that no one complains about the many places that refuse to even accept cheques any more.
arcamalpha2004
10-06-2007, 11:25
44p was a guess in the mid 1990's, not a fact. No one except the companies know the real cost (though I'm pretty certain it's not going to be £5).
Odd that no one complains about the many places that refuse to even accept cheques any more.
The solution to the final paragraph lies with the customer.
There are ample places that still take cheques.
If 44p was a guess then with inflation it may not be far from the mark?
No a person does not need a reason to go DD, but also a company does not need a reason to charge you whatever they like for certain services they offer - they ain't a charity !!
Ohh dear, do you really beleave that?.
if your going to try and defend a companys official policy, then it might be a good idea to read up on it a little, so you can learn the true facts, and be informed on a view.
Your not forced to use your bank and you have the freedom of choice that you claim your being denied, you either stump up the non DD charge or you go DD and save yourself £60 a year, simple really.
not so simple unfortunately, and 'contrary to the requirement of good faith'.
If you were denied the freedom of choice you would be charged £5 a month for the privilige of paying your bills by all methods.
take one potential new user/person, walk upto any VM seller in your shopping center and say this:
'potential new user: hello ,i want to take the VM stand alone 20Mbit broadband package[or insert package name with SACM broadband included] , i have been wired for VM cable and all the connections lead in to my home'
'agent: yes sir/madam, i can arrange that for you by x..., [they will NOT say how do you want to pay that] and i need your bank details for the Direct Debit authorisation etc.'
'potential new user: err..., i do NOT have a bank or other account that allows me a Direct Debit facility....'
that includes every single post office account and just about every single basic bank account as needed by the govt for depositing for instance, child benefit etc, so thats a LOT of potential cash flow.
'agent: ohh , you cant have it then!,[lots of talk of loopholes and how you can get around it, if you use someone elses account to set it up and start the account up etc]'
'potential new user: i dont want to involve tricks or other peoples accounts.., i just want to have the Broadband, pay a month in advance of services rendered [as thats VMs policy] by PayPoint Card at any news agents etc, and receave a paper bill in advance of services so i know what im about to pay and see what iv already payed in to the account?'
'agent: SORRY,CANT DO IT, company policy say's we need to take the FIRST payment in advance AND the first advanced months payment by Direct Debit ONLY'
'potential new user: walks away, and VM loose that payed in advance monthy income, and all the possible other cash intake on extra services they might take later'
NO freedom of choice there then, for just one current and existing example.
NO way to pay the first payment by direct debit, then no pre-payed in advance services for you matey.
Again they are not a charity they are a business put on this planet to earn as much as they can. If you are that against them then theres always other choices of provider out there...
hmm, put on this planet, seems rather a misconception, any and every business is in fact just a peace of paper that someone filled in a registered it after paying the fee.
its the real people running/employed within that company, that make the rules and regulations regarding company policy, that need to look in the mirror and ask the question, are we following the law or are we breaking/unlawfully bending it, to get more profits for the boardroom and investors.
heres some help to get you started on your new learning curve.
" http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/
The Law
The law of penalty charges permits the recovery only of losses caused by a contractual breach.Penalties which make profits are unenforceable at Common law and The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts regulations 1999
"
you will love this next one.., as you probably wont find it hard to comprihend that currently the VM T&C might need some rewriting to become fully inline with the UK common/consumer contract law as the banks have also found out... , even with their most expensive queens council on retainer.
pay special attention to the
'INDICATIVE AND NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF TERMS WHICH MAY BE REGARDED AS UNFAIR' at the end.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19992083.htm
some of my favourates :
(b) inappropriately excluding or limiting the legal rights of the consumer vis-à-vis the seller or supplier or another party in the event of total or partial non-performance or inadequate performance by the seller or supplier of any of the contractual obligations, including the option of offsetting a debt owed to the seller or supplier against any claim which the consumer may have against him;
(c) making an agreement binding on the consumer whereas provision of services by the seller or supplier is subject to a condition whose realisation depends on his own will alone;
i) irrevocably binding the consumer to terms with which he had no real opportunity of becoming acquainted before the conclusion of the contract;
(j) enabling the seller or supplier to alter the terms of the contract unilaterally without a valid reason which is specified in the contract;
(m) giving the seller or supplier the right to determine whether the goods or services supplied are in conformity with the contract, or giving him the exclusive right to interpret any term of the contract;
all these can be challenged and come under the 'small claims' if you get nowwere by the other means, registered post writing/emailing etc.
or you can also report your finding to Ofcom and have them seek redress and assurances that the company dont not even try and enforce such unlawful contract terms etc.
---------- Post added at 12:28 ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 ----------
I find this amusing, coming from a Sky customer; remind me, what payment options do Sky give their customers? ;)
well, amusing in that if enough people did it, then it would cost the companys (all of them including VM, sky etc) far more than the estimated 25p to £2 max(look for the bank unlawful charges and estimated costs for manual intervention etc as CAG)its costing them right now.
of course people also forget that a payment by 'Direct Debit' is Infact ,tantermount to a 'cash payment' in UK law, funny how they charge more for cash though, perhaps someone should point that out...
---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 ----------
44p was a guess in the mid 1990's, not a fact. No one except the companies know the real cost (though I'm pretty certain it's not going to be £5).
nope, its been proven as a fact in ireland branches of UK banks documents/inquires,again see unlawful bank charges etc.
Odd that no one complains about the many places that refuse to even accept cheques any more.
so your of the mind that , because everyone seems to be doing it, its OK?...
perhaps if people took a little more time to understand the consumer law and act on it (as many bank users have been forced to discover) by writing a simple registered letter or two, then these unlawful charges in all their forms would not exist soon, and everyone will be happy to see transparency in UK business and know outright before the payment is made, exactly what they are getting and what happens if the company fail to provide that pre-payed service.
"...snip...
I pay by DD if you really want to know.
I am dead against any company leaching off its customers charges that they cannot possibly justify.
I totally agree with you - however, the point I was trying to make is that Sky don't give you the option (to the best of my knowledge); you have to pay by DD or Credit Card, so if the unhappy poster moved to Sky, that will not be one of the places that, and I quote your statement, " There are ample places that still take cheques".
Have you actually seen a cheque processing department? It is highly labour intensive (as OCR often can't read the writing on the cheques), and there is also the delay in processing times (post, processing in house, bank processing) - all of these induce delay and costs.
btw, popper, the DD charge is not a "penalty charge", it is a "processing charge" - completely different thing. As was reported in Birmingham "Judge Cooke in Birmingham took the view that the bank's charges were legitimate fees for a package of services and not penalty charges that might be deemed illegally high".
I actually think that £5 is too high, but people should accept the fact that manual processing costs more than automatic processing, and therefore will either incur higher costs for the customers choosing that option, or higher costs for all customers to recover the manual processing costs.
nope, its been proven as a fact in ireland branches of UK banks documents/inquires,again see unlawful bank charges etc.Where has it been Proven that it cost 44p in the mid 1990's ? Where is the proof of what it costs VM / BT / Sky etc ?
so your of the mind that , because everyone seems to be doing it, its OK?...
And I said that where exactly ?
You do like to make things up don't you.
like i said , do a search on the bank charges, and the ? means are you?, not, you said that, yes?....
[edit]
You do like to make things up don't you.
:rofl: :naughty::walk:
to make it clear, NO, i do NOT make anything up paul, whats the matter, why dont you comment on the main part of the post or just move on if you dont have a view.
let me re-state it for you:
Do You advocate that because companys unlawfully charge customer, that makes it OK?, yes/no.
---------- Post added at 14:01 ---------- Previous post was at 13:30 ----------
btw, popper, the DD charge is not a "penalty charge", it is a "processing charge" - completely different thing. As was reported in Birmingham "Judge Cooke in Birmingham took the view that the bank's charges were legitimate fees for a package of services and not penalty charges that might be deemed illegally high".
interesting in itself, do you happen to have a url handy , i may look for info anyway.
thats in reference to 'a Direct Debit ruleing' apparently, we are talking companys 'NON Direct Debit' charges though, and it seems, on the face of it, this judge cooke didnt consider the 'DD is the same as a cash payment in law rule' perhaps!.
people need to see it in full context really to make a valid view of the ruling and how it might or not relate to the OP charge.
---------- Post added at 14:51 ---------- Previous post was at 14:01 ----------
foreverwar: iv not looked to hard yet, but his ruleing seems odd and stands alone against the masses of other cases that have been won already, perhaps someone should look into his affairs and see what shares and/or contracts associates he has perhaps.
and getting the banks hopes up, its unlikely to stand given common law , and his ruling did not set a formal precedent.
and dont forget that 'in his view'
ill post a little for other readers as it may sometime soon become relavant to the OP and any small claim.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6711197.stm
"
Marc Gander, a spokesman for bank charges campaign the Consumer Action Group, said:
"Kevin Berwick lost in his case in Birmingham because he didn't supply enough evidence.
"This judge in Hull seems to be striking out the claims before he has even seen the detailed evidence of each claimant."
"
"Although his ruling did not set a formal precedent, other judges are entitled to read it and decide, if they wish, that they agree with his arguments.
"It is a judicial decision," explained Barry Hunter - Kingston-upon-Hull court's manager, said of the latest order. "It is entirely up to each judge to decide for himself if the Birmingham judgement is an interpretation of the law he agrees with," he said. "
and that being the case, so are the many,many other cases that have gone the other way.
the moral seems to be at the moment, dont place your claim in Judge Cooke's Birmingham court.
was that hull a slip or is there another case, perhaps ill ask on CAG and get a more indepth idea of whats happening and so on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6658369.stm
"
Was the bank victory an accident?
The victory of Lloyds TSB in a bank charge case at Birmingham County court is interesting for several reasons. One is that it seems to have come about by accident."
Popper, excuse <my bad>
I should have written "non-DD charge" for DD charge, and the judges reference was to processing charges, not specifically non-DD charges. Linky (http://www.myfinances.co.uk/bank-accounts/news/current-accounts/bank-wins-court-battle-on-current-account-charges-$473740.htm)
Here's one from Lancaster Linky2 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6692559.stm)
Quote from the BBC website, referring to the Hull judge who threw out 20 cases because ""no reasonable prospect of success in the light of the recent decision" at Birmingham county court." Ull (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6711197.stm)
"Normally when claims get to court, judges find in favour of the claimants because the banks fail to turn up to defend themselves, and thus the legal issues go untested."
I agree that banks/companies should not be allowed to charge extortionate penalty charges, but I do think they should be allowed to charge processing charges for the extra admin/time/costs incurred; the problem you have is in calculating these charges, because it is not just the people and time involved, it is infrastructure (IT and Properties), on-costs for people and properties (because most banks have n+1 infrastructure, you are talking about two DR sites and costs for those, for all processing, not just charges), etc, etc.
sure, i think we can agree , all companys need to make a fair profit as otherwise how can they re-invest in new and better services that we users will want and pay for in the future....
its just a sticky point that it seems most UK companys are now following the banks lead for pure underhand extortionate profit rather than a reasonable transparent one.
the simplest option for users now is to also take on board that these companys are in no way as well connected and unofficially protected by the Govt and do not have the finantial resources to retain queens council for their long term protection,like the banks do.
the banks started this forced re-education of end users and their consumer rights, and now it may become the end users best tool to go after the UK companys and get a ruling there.
that can then be held up as a formal precedent against the banks and everyone else that are to clever to take it all the way to high court, and be forced to reveal their real charges to all.
looking at CAG, it seems VM customer complaints/legal are even having trouble complying with the few DPA forms they have been sent so far, its only a matter of time before some user takes it to court and the other official Govt agencys that are responsible for legally protecting users.
who knows whats happening with any small claim a user is might have lodged for unlawful charges/unlawful enrichment
of course, you could take the view , i cant be bothered and wimp out on writing a few cheap registered letters and posting on CAG for advice and help etc , or just move somewere else hopeing against hope that it will not get as bad were ever you land, run away, or fight your corner and make your current place werth having by forcing change for the better, thats your choice i supose.
Excellent post.
I agree with you; unless we stand up and be counted, we will just be rolled over a bit at a time, until we are all being well and truly sh*fted.
hokkers999
11-06-2007, 14:12
Just out of interest. What are peoples reasons for not using DD?
I choose not to because I like to check the bill first, good job with last months bill cock-up being charged for an extra 1/3 of a month - £19.32 over charge.
Solved the problem though, downgraded from 10meg to 2meg so I'm a net £14 better off.
---------- Post added at 14:12 ---------- Previous post was at 14:08 ----------
No a person does not need a reason to go DD, but also a company does not need a reason to charge you whatever they like for certain services they offer - they ain't a charity !!
Your not forced to use your bank and you have the freedom of choice that you claim your being denied, you either stump up the non DD charge or you go DD and save yourself £60 a year, simple really. If you were denied the freedom of choice you would be charged £5 a month for the privilige of paying your bills by all methods.
Again they are not a charity they are a business put on this planet to earn as much as they can. If you are that against them then theres always other choices of provider out there...
Except you're making the erroneous assumption that a non DD payment actually costs them a fiver! That charge is pure profit plain & simple. Like I have stated elsewhere I did vote with my wallet, cut my service from the £37 to the £18/month level.
Way to go VM annoy a 7 year customer so much you end up getting LESS money each month...
Well welcome to the world of been charged for everything. btw every company I know charge this so I think the idea they have is pay by dd or shut up and pay £5 or whatever they charge
The only one I use that charges monthly is VM. BT charge quarterly (a saving of £40).
---------- Post added at 15:54 ---------- Previous post was at 15:53 ----------
NTL have always charged a non dd charge never £5but always charged ppl if dont have a dd
Not so.
I choose not to because I like to check the bill first, good job with last months bill cock-up being charged for an extra 1/3 of a month - £19.32 over charge.
Solved the problem though, downgraded from 10meg to 2meg so I'm a net £14 better off.
---------- Post added at 14:12 ---------- Previous post was at 14:08 ----------
Except you're making the erroneous assumption that a non DD payment actually costs them a fiver! That charge is pure profit plain & simple. Like I have stated elsewhere I did vote with my wallet, cut my service from the £37 to the £18/month level.
Way to go VM annoy a 7 year customer so much you end up getting LESS money each month...
still, you can now pay for that BT line and get Be* then combine the two connections and be far better off, plus use the VOD now and again if you so wish.
thats what im thinking of doing too, as are several others im told, we have the advantage that the whole massive baguley/wythenshawe is mostly covered by Be*, theres also the possibility of a new WISP (wireless ISP) might be convinced to come and cover the manchester airport/our area too.
let us know if you do that and combine the two BB connections.
before i forget, apparently this commercial app will help with several windows OS BB connections to
Load-balance network traffic among multiple internet connections
http://www.routerstudio.com/
i cant say it will perform as expected, as iv not tryed it, but a start perhaps.
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