# Chorus / Ntl direct debit.



## mudahawn (6 Jan 2008)

Am I the only one who is refusing to pay Chorus/ Ntl for the privilege of NOT allowing them access to my bank account(direct debit) to take any sum they wish from me.
  For more than three years they have been billing me incorrectly and despite many communications they have failed to satisfy me as to the legitimacy of their figures, or correct same.I have of course being paying them their quoted monthly fee for the service they provide me with. 
  Also they have for the passed year or so, being billing me at the rate of 2 Euro per month because I fail to pay by Direct Debit.
  Can anyone tell me if they have the right to include this extra charge which I did not contract to pay, and for which they supply no service?.


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## CCOVICH (6 Jan 2008)

mudahawn said:
			
		

> Also they have for the passed year or so, being billing me at the rate of 2 Euro per month because I fail to pay by Direct Debit.
> Can anyone tell me if they have the right to include this extra charge which I did not contract to pay, and for which they supply no service?.




They do, see here.


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## MaidMarion (6 Jan 2008)

In the summer I cancelled my Chorus subscription in writing and posted off my final payment to them. Just before Christmas I got a threatening letter from them saying I owed them over E100 and late fees. I emailed them as soon as I got the letter and said I have proof of postage (which I didn't!) and my letter of cancellation was quickly found by them!! but i still have to pay an extra month... for notice. Thats the thanks I get for six years of using their service... So Im not surprised you have to pay for not paying by DD. If they cant take it themselves they'll be sure to get it in other ways.


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## Sylvester3 (7 Jan 2008)

This is a slightly different story - I subscribed to NTL for a few years in England before selling up and moving back here. I told them I was moving abroad, organised the collection of the NTL box and, because I had heard horror stories from friends about NTL continuing to collect subscription fees for months after a cancellation, cancelled my direct debit straight after the agreed final date. About a month after leaving (now living in Cork) I realised that we hadn't received a final bill, which I knew would have a small sum on it, so I called them up and paid them the final sum of £10.40 over the phone. 

A month later I started to receive threatening letters from a debt collection agency - it turned out that they had already sold the debt on! They hadn't tried to get in touch with me or to establish the situation, they had just sold the piddling small debt on to a rather argumentative crowd that refused to talk to NTL themselves. I refused to pay the debt collectors, seeing as I had already paid NTL their money (who obviously decided not to tell me they had sold the debt.) and referred them to NTL until they eventually got the message and went away. I don't know if it affected my credit here or not, but my explanations and complaints to NTL over a UK 0845 number cost me much more than £10.40 in the end!

Horrible service and horrible people.


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## mudahawn (8 Jan 2008)

CCOVICH said:


> They do, see here.



Thank you ccovich, I did see there!! but I did not see any reason why Chorus / Ntl have the right to demand and charge in liu of, "the right to take any sum the wish from my bank account" i.e. direct debit.
I will not give them this right at the moment, maybe in the future when they prove themselves worthy of it,At the moment they are repeatedly sending me three year old bills for sums which I do not owe.
 So my question stands, do they have the right to impose a charge for something they provide no service for, and which I did not contract to pay.


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## CCOVICH (8 Jan 2008)

mudahawn said:


> So my question stands, do they have the right to impose a charge for something they provide no service for, and which I did not contract to pay.


 
Your post doesn't contain enough detail-what exactly have they charged you for that you did not receive?

But in short, no, they should be able to charge you for something you did not receive.

If you have complained to them and haven't got satisfaction, I suggest you contact the National Consumer Agency who should be able to advise you further on your rights. Only do this once you have exhausted the Chorus/NTL/UPC complaints procedure.

Everything should be set out clearly in writing when making a complaint.


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## rumblefish (9 Jan 2008)

I moved house 6 months ago and have been doubled billed by UPC ever since. Each time I ring up, explain the problem from scratch again and they promise to get the billing dept to sort it out. Never happens.

Their offshore sales team have also been using an auto-dialler whcih gives us a few silent phonecalls, followed by one with an pushy UPC sales guy.


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## ClubMan (9 Jan 2008)

rumblefish said:


> Their offshore sales team have also been using an auto-dialler whcih gives us a few silent phonecalls, followed by one with an pushy UPC sales guy.


Any use?

[broken link removed]


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