Well?? Seven months later and my bank is refunding (each month) this ISP generated payment - the bank has sent to me (via snail-mail) dozens of pages asking for an explanation, AGAIN, and proof of my advice to the ISP that I want to stop the service.
Twice, a new card has been issued by the bank; BUT, eventually, a bank officer advised that this sort of billing authority follows account changes until the provider alters its debiting process and this takes me back to my original post, here. How many bank accounts are being debited by corporations, in this way, and not challenged? I’ll guess that many thousands of dollars are paid for services NOT provided.
Perhaps my problem is now resolved. Eventually, I recovered an email from the ISP stating the account is closed and this the bank accepted as the ‘proof’ required to block the debit - I have to wait a few weeks to see.
Be cautious, people. Be sure you understand, exactly, what authority you give when entering
service agreements.
Well done @tomaz1940! A shame it has been so difficult to sort out but at least you have acheived the right outcome.
Well, it’s twelve months since I started this post - AND NOW - iiNet have engaged the service of another very big corporate entity to ‘chase-up’ my DEBT of, wait for it, $280.
Sorry to hear your troubles are still on-going. If a member of Choice have you sought help through their Help service https://www.choice.com.au/choice-help-form ?
Hopefully you have also lodged a complaint with the TIO but if not I recommend you do. https://www.tio.com.au/making-a-complaint
Have you also lodged a complaint with the ACCC. https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/complaints-problems/make-a-consumer-complaint
You might also consider action through your State or Territory’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the following Choice page has lots of links to various bodies and other useful legal advice services)
Thank you. I have considered TIO and ACCC but chose to await the next performance of the debt-collector (a powerful firm of solicitors); I’ve had ONE conversation during which I explained it all - perhaps that is an end. Who knows?
I will ‘save’ the links you provided.
Oops! I forgot to say: Yes, I am a member of Choice but other than the original post (above) have no other involvement.
Yes the bookmark option on this site allows quicker recall to these pages or you can bookmark this forum page in your browser. If you haven’t used the bookmark feature on this site it can be found by clicking the “…” on the bottom of the post you want to bookmark and then clicking the bookmark icon on the list that appears. When you want to access that list of bookmarks you made you click your User icon at the top of a Choice forum page and click the bookmark icon there and the list of your bookmarks will be displayed.
I still strongly suggest you lodge a complaint with the TIO as they will also then follow what happens (not so much between you and the solicitors) and it might make iiNet (TPG) review what has happened in light of that extra scrutiny.
The fact that they have engaged a debt recovery service (the Law firm) may mean that you now have a bad debt notice on at least one Credit Reference agency and may also have a listing with Dun and Bradstreet (now called illion (http://dnb.com.au/))
I strongly second @grahroll’s advice. Allowing this to continue with an expectation it is not spiralling ever further out of your control can be a recipe for disaster. I do not know the relationship between iinet and their debt collector, but sometimes debt is on-sold for a fraction of the amount, and the debt buyer makes their dollars by collecting the full amount with penalties. You may (or may not) not be dealing with a third party and your recourse could become ever more convoluted and costly. Getting the TIO involved may be a bit late, but could now be your only way toward getting resolution without you either paying or engaging a solicitor, or perhaps going on TV with your story. Choice help service might be able to give you valuable advice.
I concur with comments re TIO - I’ve put an end to a few complaints through them.
Also be aware there are rules for debt collection - don’t let them bully or overwhelm you. Check out this thread:
I had an extremely frustrating experience earlier this year with Internode which is owned by iiNet who in turn are owned by TPG.
On 22.02.2018 I called Internode to report a faulty VOIP handset and to order a second handset. The employee did not know whether the warranty was 1 or 2 years. He wanted me to remove the battery cover to find the serial number but did not know how to do so himself. After a long and very frustrating call. I though I would receive a warranty replacement handset, a return bag and a second handset.
On 26.02.2018 I received a new handset and a return bag in 2 separate shipments. I called Internode to ask what happened to the replacement as the paperwork with the return bag stated that it was enclosed. The employee said they no longer ship them together and to call again if I did not receive it by Friday.
On 02.03.2018, rather than waste time on phone calls to persons who obviously do not know their jobs, I decided to put all future communications in writing, so I sent a follow up email.
On 06.03.2018 I sent the email again and then once again on 08.03.2018.
On 15.03.2018 I sent a letter to the manager along with copies of all communications in an Express Post envelope.
The only communication I ever received was a text message on my mobile on 22.03.2018 stating that I would be charged if I failed to return the warranty replacement forthwith. I then realised that the handset I had received was the replacement one and not the additional one.
After I contacted Internode once again, they finally shipped the extra handset on 22.04.2018.
In the last communication to them I stated that I had been left wondering whether they merely selected their employees based on an innate ability for incompetence or whether they had to also undertake additional training to reach this level of stupidity.
I also stated that the only reason I had not left them was due to the nightmare of changing email addresses.
For an Australian company that employs Australian call centre staff, they actually make some of those foreign call centres look good, but then again so does CBA.
I later found out that my Silver 25Mb plan had been discontinued and was replaced with their Gold 50Mb plan for the same monthly charge, which they had never bothered to advise was available.
Thanks for nothing Internode.
Allowing that could be a statement of convenience at the moment, it is a terrible reason. You should get a gmail, outlook, or similar free email account, or a paid email service so you are not welded onto your ISP. You can usually set up ISP email accounts to forward all emails to other addresses to minimise your hassle. Over time you can update all your contacts to your new non-ISP address.
This IS still pestering me with a phone text message almost every month out of Sydney and the cost has increased to $280 (I think). The original Service was to an address in Adelaide, South Australia (where it began it’s existence) and is now being paid by my son at the original rate It seems, to me, to be a weakness in the construct of the Bankcard administration/design. At least it is NOT a “Bank” complaint!
… months later
The relationship between your iinet experience, ‘not-free public wifi’, and this debt is not completely obvious. If they are related you apparently chose to ‘wait and see’ and now have a $280 debt.
If you have not seen it, this thread covers credit and debit cards and why debits are treated differently, with reference links, regarding blocking or cancelling.
Interesting reading. Sounds like telco issues are not unique in that telcos are no constrained to act honestly or ethically. The TIO, a CLAIMED regulator, is of course nothing of the sort and simply an industry body working…for industry. The TIO sorts out minor bills but appears to side with the crooks in the industry when larger sums of compensation are at stake. This was my experience when Optus through its own negligence cut our phone and internet for 2 months, played games with us to make us go away and simply refused to fix the nightmare the company had created for us despite significant cost to us and the pain it inflicted on us.
I hope you all pass on the experience to other users (family, friends, work colleagues, etc.) so that the predatory telcos who prey on the public pay the penalty of lost customers who will never return. That’s the ultimate justice for corporate criminals.
