Contested O2 bill

Lostonline

I recently received a bill from O2 which I considered to be excessive, I called their customer service team to cancel my account. I informed them not to contact me again unless they were able to provide me with a copy of my signed contract. I was told this would not be possible.

A week later I receive a letter from O2 stating that I owed them €0.00. This week, two months later, I recieved a letter from a debt collection agency telling me legal action may be taken if I don't pay my bill.

Can someone please advise me on what to do next?

Chance The Rapper

Ignore the debt collectors. They'll disappear after two or three letters / phone calls

dudara

Were you still in contract with O2 when you cancelled? Contact O2 and see why they still think you owe them money.

Beano

Did you pay the contested bill?

Sonics2k

Chance The Rapper wrote: »

Ignore the debt collectors. They'll disappear after two or three letters / phone calls

That's a really bad idea. Some people get no further action, but some do. If it does go to court, and you lose then this may affect your future credit rating, eg getting a mortgage etc.

Slippin Jimmy

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's a really bad idea. Some people get no further action, but some do. If it does go to court, and you lose then this may affect your future credit rating, eg getting a mortgage etc.

Sound advice here. Do not ignore the letters. Speak with 02 and see what the problem is first. You don't want something simple effecting your credit rating down the line.

Grab All Association

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's a really bad idea. Some people get no further action, but some do. If it does go to court, and you lose then this may affect your future credit rating, eg getting a mortgage etc.

Note. The only companies who have WRITE ACCESS that can affect your credit rating is BANKS, BUILDING SOCIETIES, FINANCE COMPANIES, CREDIT UNIONS ETC WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE IRISH CREDIT BUREAU http://www.icb.ie/membership.php

What mobile networks like o2, Three, Eircom/Meteor do is write off the bill as unpaid and sell the debt to debt collection like Intrium Justicia, E G Hall etc for something like 5-10% of the debt owed. These debt collectors then send threatning letters of court action and draft summonses they write themselves etc to scare you into paying the debt.

Snake

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's a really bad idea. Some people get no further action, but some do. If it does go to court, and you lose then this may affect your future credit rating, eg getting a mortgage etc.

They've no power in ireland at all. It's a stupid scare tactic.

dudara

Chris___ wrote: »

Note. The only companies who have WRITE ACCESS that can affect your credit rating is BANKS, BUILDING SOCIETIES, FINANCE COMPANIES, CREDIT UNIONS ETC WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE IRISH CREDIT BUREAU http://www.icb.ie/membership.php

What mobile networks like o2, Three, Eircom/Meteor do is write off the bill as unpaid and sell the debt to debt collection like Intrium Justicia, E G Hall etc for something like 5-10% of the debt owed. These debt collectors then send threatning letters of court action and draft summonses they write themselves etc to scare you into paying the debt.

It's not just your credit record with the ICB that's at risk.

If a court case is taken and a judgement is made against you, this can be registered for enforcement and is published in the likes of Stuub's Gazette.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/debt/enforcement_of_judgments.html

Again, don't deal with any 3rd party. Contact O2 and find out what's going on.

Grab All Association

dudara wrote: »

It's not just your credit record with the ICB that's at risk.

If a court case is taken and a judgement is made against you, this can be registered for enforcement and is published in the likes of Stuub's Gazette.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/debt/enforcement_of_judgments.html

Again, don't deal with any 3rd party. Contact O2 and find out what's going on.

It never goes to court though. Its too costly and time consuming for the networks and that's why they sell these debts to collection agencies who buy these debts pretty much as a gamble for under 10% hoping someone will bite.

Judgements/enforements may appear in the Stubbs Gazette but unless its a ICB member none of this will appear on your credit history.

No point the OP contacting o2 either they wont listen to you as the debt was sold and is out of there hands now.

Lostonline

I've contacted 02. They have said they will contact the debt collection agency to place it on hold while 02 investigate further.
I requested my contract two months ago and was told it would not be possible for me to receive a copy of it. Yesterday I was informed to request it in writing. I should have been told that two months ago.

Nonoperational

Surely you could just look at the bill and see if you made the calls/used the data you were charged for? You signed the contract and you knew the costs, how do you mean you considered it excessive? Did you cancel mid contract because you thought this bill was excessive?

athtrasna

Lostonline wrote: »

A week later I receive a letter from O2 stating that I owed them €0.00. This week, two months later, I recieved a letter from a debt collection agency telling me legal action may be taken if I don't pay my bill.

Am I missing something? Are there digits missing?

Lostonline

I checked the bill and was being charged for data during large periods of time where I was not in the apartment. I cancelled my contract with them and was told I would not incur a cancellation fee. A week later I received the letter stating I owed no money to o2.

Sonics2k

Chris___ wrote: »

It never goes to court though. Its too costly and time consuming for the networks and that's why they sell these debts to collection agencies who buy these debts pretty much as a gamble for under 10% hoping someone will bite.

Judgements/enforements may appear in the Stubbs Gazette but unless its a ICB member none of this will appear on your credit history.

No point the OP contacting o2 either they wont listen to you as the debt was sold and is out of there hands now.

Sometimes it does go to Court though (depending on the amount due usually), and it is possible for the court to determine it will effect your credit rating.

The debt itself will not directly affect credit rating, but if you go to court and lose it can.

Sully

Who physically signs a contract with mobile operators? Are they not verbal agreements recorded?

jimmynokia

Calls are recorded for quality and training purposes..
Yes verbal contracts are now acceptable but if they cant provide this well its tuff titties.

Also they sent a bill with 0.00 they made the error not you.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Snake

Sully wrote: »

Who physically signs a contract with mobile operators? Are they not verbal agreements recorded?

If you sign up in store there's written contracts but over the phone it's verbal although vodafone don't do over the phone mobile contracts and neither do meteor AFAIK

athtrasna

GrayFox208 wrote: »

If you sign up in store there's written contracts but over the phone it's verbal although vodafone don't do over the phone mobile contracts and neither do meteor AFAIK

Meteor definitely do..or did earlier this year anyway

Lostonline

I signed a written contract and was initially told I would not be provided with a copy of it.
I was told yesterday to request it in writing.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

former legend

Lostonline wrote: »

I recently received a bill from O2 which I considered to be excessive, I called their customer service team to cancel my account. I informed them not to contact me again unless they were able to provide me with a copy of my signed contract. I was told this would not be possible.

A week later I receive a letter from O2 stating that I owed them €0.00. This week, two months later, I recieved a letter from a debt collection agency telling me legal action may be taken if I don't pay my bill.

Can someone please advise me on what to do next?

Was it your first month or was it higher than normal?

Riamfada

Lostonline wrote: »

I signed a written contract and was initially told I would not be provided with a copy of it.
I was told yesterday to request it in writing.

You signed a contract and were told you wouldn't get a copy of it? Thats very strange.

Sonics2k

Lostonline wrote: »

I signed a written contract and was initially told I would not be provided with a copy of it.
I was told yesterday to request it in writing.

Really? I know for a fact when you sign a contract with O2 in store that it automatically prints of two copies, one for the store and one for the customer.

Bit odd that.