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Kroylooe
November 5, 2009
Scam artists
I live on a farm. The farmer, my partner, was in the adjoining field installing a new drain. In the process the phone line was severed. When Openreach came the engineer said that the line was only buried to 4-8 inches when it should have been 18 inches. I did not expect to be charged but a couple of months later my bill was nearly £300. I contacted Toucan (the forerunner of Pipex) and stopped my direct debit. I paid for the calls and line rental but not the engineer's work. Customer Services have been dealing with my complaint whilst credit services have been hounding me. The account has been referred twice to debt collectors. Last year I produced my information and I was not contacted again. Last week I was informed by Pipex that they had referred me again to a debt collection agency. They said I have paid nothing since last May and refused to withdraw the referral even though I read out letters I had sent to them previously enclosing bank statements, I gave them the name of their member of staff in customer services and quoted their own reference number when it had been referred to the technical department for investigation.I am concerned this will affect my credit scoring as I have always had a good record.I would rather go to court and present all my correspondence which shows customer services apologising for the delay and inconvenience in dealing with the issue whilst the other arm of the business hounds me. In the beginning I was being contacted at 8a.m. every morning for weeks even though the firm were actively looking into the issue. I have requested the complaints procedure to no avail and currently have outgoing calls barred by Pipex.
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Elizabeth
May 23, 2009
harassment letters and phone calls for outstanding accounts paid in full & final settlement
Since Toucan migrated to Pipex in Feb 2009 I have experienced nothing but problems. Unable to log-in to see accounts, then after numerous emails to and from their so called "customer service" department, I was told that I could ONLY see these accounts if I had Pipex Broadband. Sounds like a touch of blackmail to me..
However, it was plainly clear for all to see that I am on BT internet - yet they kept on and on.. Strange then that I could access my accounts when I was with Toucan... both these companies are part of Tiscali.. you would have thought that their systems would stay the same if not similar.. but no, that would have been too easy..
I started my emailing correspondence course with Pipex on the 19th February 09. Then in March I decided that I'd had enough and went back to BT. After more emails from Pipex asking me to submit 'data protection' details in order for them to view the accounts (mine and my mother's for whom I have power of attorney) and being asked to call their expensive 0871 numbers - who, BTW are based in the Phillipines amongst others. I called them twice and they were a very unhelpful lot to say the least!
I then fired off yet another strong email to Pipex customer services who replied with copious amounts of apologies and confirmed - yes! CONFIRMED in WRITING stating that the accounts in question would be cancelled once the 2 very small o/s amounts had been paid. Amounts of £1.38 and £16.08 respectively for my mother's and my own account. Hardly world-stopping figures..
I sent a letter on the 1st May 09 to Pipex Credit Control dept in Birmingham enlcosing said cheques. And guess what?? I received yet another - this time - threatening letter dated the 19th May.
Both cheques were banked AND cleared.
As a matter of GOOD customer relations and out of courtesy to me - considering my time and efforts in replying to them, they could quite easily have written off these amounts as a "sorry", but no! They are still hell-bent on chasing me for money I do not owe them. Yet I'm now being threatened and chased for payment for MORE than the confirmed amounts.. and, that if I don't pay within 14 days, they, and I quote: "will be forced to take action to recover the o/s balance...if the accout remains unpaid, we are obliged to share this information with credit reference agencies..."(end quote)
Not only that, but my mother (elderly and very frail!) is still receiving automated phone calls asking her to urgently call Pipex's very expensive 0871 number..
I did once speak with a very helpful person in India, and ended up having a 3 way conference call with the accounts dept in the Philipines, who were rude and unhelpful and who, during a conversation, put the phone down. Nothing more ever came of it.. and so the email correspondence course continued..
I will again be writing to Pipex Credit control department in B/ham and will also be writing to Mary Turner, who by all accounts is the CEO for Pipex UK Ltd - based in Broadwick Street London. I won't hold my breath here, but at least it's another avenue to take. Lets just see how good this CEO actually is..
I have 2 files full with unneccesary paperwork, I am at my wit's end in having to deal with such an unprofessional company. Clearly the left doesn't have a clue what the right is doing - Pipex is a shambles, and their staff clearly lack the basic intelligence and ability to look at the bigger picture. I am unable to talk to a proper person in the UK, who perhaps does possess some brain matter, as all their call centres are based in the Philipines, Lithuania and India.
My accounts have been paid in full and in final settlement - yet they do not seem to be able to grasp this. I am sick and tired of dealing with F...wits!! Still, I know that I am not the only person complaining about Pipex - but...thank goodness I retained my BT broadband connection otherwise I would now be up the creek without a paddle - as in no BB connection!
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