Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Issue with ISP

Options
  • 22-08-2008 3:20pm
    #1
    Grawns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭


    This is a complicated one so bear with me.
    I have had an account with an ISP for 10 years. Initially I had a dial up service from them and evetually about 8 years ago I also hosted a website with them.

    in 2001 I switched to ISDN and cancelled the dial up service, since then I have switched to Irish broadband. They stil hosted my site and provide 3 pop email accounts.

    Anyhoo the company has changed hands and names 4 times in the 10 year period and correspondance and billing has been occasional and sloppy. Wrong address used, wrong name on account and occasional yearly billing with no service description.

    When I queried the amount of the yearly bill ( 1 year late arriving) and asked them to explain the charges it turned out that they were still charging for the dial up service.

    I told them I had cancelled this in 2001 and somebody in there accounts was looking into the situation. She ceased replying to correspondance in July and i had sent her a reminder. Today I got a final demand for payment which has me hopping mad but also a threat to cut off the service within a week if paynent is not sent. They are looking for over €600 for 2 years of hosting a site and 3 pop accounts. One of the addresses is non transferable and the loss of it would effect our business.

    I have written and email which I have not sent yet as clearly I am angry and threatening them with my own solictor if they cancel the account and consumer association.

    What do you guys think?

    I do not have documented proof ( haven't records going back that far) that I cancelled the dial up service back in 2001, ( I wonder if the number even works still?) but it ceratinly hasn't been used since then. I think they are in the wrong and I have offered them €100 a year for the service they do provide. The problem is that in my father paid the inflated sum, €300 2 years ago, he didn't know what he was paying for. Therefore they owe me money for overcharging me intermittently as 4 different incarnations over 6 years?


    Any advice welcome


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Since you are saying that this effects your business, then it's not a consumer issue, and the Consumer Association will also do nothing. I would suggest getting your solicitor involved right now, especially since your business is under threat. Don't reply to the ISP at all, bring everything you have to the solicitor, and get them to contact the ISP.


  • Options
    #3
    Grawns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭Grawns


    Thanks

    I would do that if it didn't cost so much. Unless I can recoup my legal costs from them I might as well pay them the €600 and bend over.

    However I will sue them if they do cancel the account though as I think then my costs would be recoupable?

    Perhaps I should put that in the email.

    And if I can't go to the consumer assocaition who do I go to?

    And any opinion on whether I'm right to push this issue and whether it's worth it. I could just pay the €600 and choke on it.


  • Options
    #4
    craichoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,706 ✭✭✭craichoe


    Grawns wrote: »
    Thanks

    I would do that if it didn't cost so much. Unless I can recoup my legal costs from them I might as well pay them the €600 and bend over.

    However I will sue them if they do cancel the account though as I think then my costs would be recoupable?

    Perhaps I should put that in the email.

    And if I can't go to the consumer assocaition who do I go to?

    And any opinion on whether I'm right to push this issue and whether it's worth it. I could just pay the €600 and choke on it.

    Contact another hosting company, copy down EVERYthing hosted on their Webserver. Another hosting company can transfer over your domain pretty transparently. The technical process doesn't involve that much.

    But after this i would politely tell them to get stuffed.


  • Options
    #5
    Grawns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭Grawns


    One of the email addreses is non-transferable otherwise I would do that immediately. The only reason I've stayed with them was this legacy account.


  • Options
    #6
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Grawns wrote: »
    And if I can't go to the consumer assocaition who do I go to?

    Small firms association, or something like that maybe? Not really sure, myself.
    Grawns wrote: »
    One of the email addreses is non-transferable otherwise I would do that immediately. The only reason I've stayed with them was this legacy account.

    Is it an email address, or a domain name? Would it be expensive to contact all the customers who use that address/website, and inform them of the new one? Businesses change contact details all the time, and survive. I'd be very tempted to tell this ISP to go swivel on a pointy stick, and take my business elsewhere.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Grawns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭Grawns


    Thanks but it's an email address. I own the domain name associated with 2 of the accounts but not the 3rd which is a legacy of the old dial up service. to loose it would be very inconvienient and it would mean a definite financial loss during the change over period. Maybe as much as a $10,000 loss. I have used the address I own in all marketing literature for the past 5 years but a surprising amount of business still comes through the old address. Through old business cards probably.

    Thus hanging on to this email is very important.
    Does anyone have an opinion on where I stand legally.

    The girl I was dealing with was trying to sort out a credit note so she has acknowledged that I was overcharged? It's proof of cancellation that may be the issue. Lets say I sent them a letter changing my service which is what I did, the company has changed hands 4 times since then. Prove it etc..


  • Options
    #8
    axer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    Grawns wrote: »
    Thanks but it's an email address. I own the domain name associated with 2 of the accounts but not the 3rd which is a legacy of the old dial up service. to loose it would be very inconvienient and it would mean a definite financial loss during the change over period. Maybe as much as a $10,000 loss. I have used the address I own in all marketing literature for the past 5 years but a surprising amount of business still comes through the old address. Through old business cards probably.

    Thus hanging on to this email is very important.
    Does anyone have an opinion on where I stand legally.

    The girl I was dealing with was trying to sort out a credit note so she has acknowledged that I was overcharged? It's proof of cancellation that may be the issue. Lets say I sent them a letter changing my service which is what I did, the company has changed hands 4 times since then. Prove it etc..
    Go see a lawyer. The charge was paid 2 years ago so the company can say that you obviously want the service if you paid for it. They can also argue that they do not have logs from that far back so since you do not have proof that you cancelled it then you are in a weak position. It was partly your responsibility to check what you are being charged for.


Advertisement