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Billing trouble

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  • 23-03-2009 10:57am
    #1
    Fago!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,647 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi.

    I'm a customer with Irish Broadband and have been since last year.

    In September, I lost my job (and went to college) and was unable to pay the 30 I owed for the bill. The lady on the phone said that it was ok and she was going to suspend my account and cut off my service until I could pay.

    I thought the matter was settled, until I checked my balance recently and found that I owed €245 for a service that I'm not using.

    I'm going to try and hold off till I can get a job in the summer to pay but:

    Q1. Have they added interest on it just because I owed them 30?

    Q2: and if i don't pay, what will happen.

    Cheers


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    #2
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,316 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    Q1: They kept charging you every month, some interest/late payment fee on top as well I'd guess

    Q2: Court to get the money but more likely sold to debt collector instead. You'll be hardpressed to show your verbal agreement was actually agreed to (highly doubtful that it would have been recorded and saved for so long).


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    #3
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Unless you put anything in writing, or got any confirmation from IBB in writing, then you haven't a leg to stand on. Expect the debt collectors letters soon, though there's little (legally) that they can do, bar some vague legal jargon and thinly veiled threats of court fees.

    Stand your ground, as you had an agreement with them that they broke. Don't pay a thing, just tell IBB to come and take away their equipment.


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    #4
    jahalpin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭jahalpin


    Calls to customer service lines are recorded for "training and quality purposes"

    You should demand a transcript of the call. If they refuse to provide one then it is your word against theirs and it is likely that a court would believe you.

    It would be highly unwise of them to send debt collectors after you as they are on dodgy legal ground


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    #5
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,316 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    jahalpin wrote: »
    Calls to customer service lines are recorded for "training and quality purposes"
    No, calls to customer service lines MAY be recorded for training and quality purposes. I've yet to know any company which would record every single incoming phone call. The waste of space, lack of overview and the cost it would require to do makes it highly unlikely as well.

    Put it this way, say line 1 (Customer support) gets 1000 calls a day and can handle 30 calls at the time (standard 2 MB line from Eircom). You now need to record up to 30 calls at the same time (that means another 30 internal lines in the PBX and 30 extra output lines to access them); then have someone review all the call to note down to who the call belongs to (i.e. customer name/number etc. as it could be someone who's not a customer yet). After this you need to store these 1000 call at say 3MB per call average; you now generate 3GB of required storage every day for the calls alone. Do you see where I'm going with all of this?

    No company will record all calls once they grow beyond a certain size. There may be special occasions for it (i.e. the person on the phone can start recording for threat, sales purposes, confirmation of a change in bank details on outgoing payment etc.) but as a blanket "record it all" policy will not exist.


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


    jahalpin wrote: »
    Calls to customer service lines are recorded for "training and quality purposes"

    All telephone orders should be recorded, but I get the feeling that even these are not. I'd doubt that 1 in 100 customer service calls are even recorded.
    jahalpin wrote: »
    It would be highly unwise of them to send debt collectors after you as they are on dodgy legal ground

    That doesn't mean they won't do it though. This forum is full of stories of people who have had the debt collectors knocking for money that isn't owed.

    The OP is pretty much guaranteed that the debt collectors will be writing soon, he can just ignore them though.


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    #7
    Fago!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,647 ✭✭✭✭Fago!


    Lads cheers for the input.

    I have since found out that I owe them money for the Feckin unreturned modem. (Which I have since thrown out) Loada bollix if ya ask me, but I'll have to pay so. (i.e. Mammy will pay it for me ;))

    I can admit fault in not returning it. Where as I thought It was their fault for overcharging me an I was going to do ingnore them.

    Cheers anyway.


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