mint Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Sorry to lumber you kindly folks with my question. Bare facts are these:Had a contract for internet provision with FT starting 1 May 2007No phone line and therefore no internet till mid AugustFT meantime had been taking money through direct debit since last MaySo far, despite several phone calls and 3 letters, not a dickie bird from FTQuestions are these:Can I now count 1 May 2007 as commencement of contract and therefore I can be shot of FT (as inernet provider) by 30 April this year?What, if anything else, can I do to try and recover 3 months direct debits from May to July when I had no line and no service?If I now sign up with Teleconnect, do I have to wait out the year with FT or face being charged by both companies simultaneously?[:-))]Thank you for your patience in ploughing through this (if you have) and thank you even more for your considered response![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I can't advise you I'm afraid, but exactly the same thing happened to some friends of ours back in 2004; it turned out to be impractical (for all sorts of reasons) to run a cable to their house, but they only found that out AFTER a three month delay during which FT/Wanadoo had been taking monthly direct debits for internet, a contract they'd signed in the FT shop after being advised that it would all be OK.It's a scam and a disgrace that ex-nationalised companies can get away with this sort of thing. Our friends had a terrible job getting the DD's cancelled, I don't know if they even ever got their money back.FT should hang their heads in shame, but they won't will they!Bon courage, I hope others can help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 Martin, thanks for the moral support.Though I can ill afford to lose the money, I am more or less prepared to give it up as a lost cause.I do wonder very much whether I can now stop my internet contract with them as soon as my year is up, that is, end April.I never thought there would be a Company to rival BT for sheer arrogance and incompetence, but it seems as though I have found it. Why, it's the French equivalent of BT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Perhaps you should pm Ali Cat, Sweet 17. I saw her on another thread say this also happened to her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 Thanks, Katie, will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 She is on the forum as we speak. Ali, can you throw some light on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-cat Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Just found the thread!!Firstly - please excuse my total lack of technical terminology.Our problem was that FT said we could get 1 meg broadband in our rental. We paid & sat back .... for 4 months with no connection. After numerous trips to the local FT/Orange shop, in Angouleme, we discovered that the line could only take 608 thingies (not the correct technical term!!) & therefore the line was not able to connect. They changed our account to less than 1meg & within a day we were on-line. We asked about the 4 months payments we had received no service for & the guy looked as us as if our heads were cut. We said we were about to move house & asked if it was possible that we would we have the same problem - he smiled & said "bonne chance!". We did have exactly the same problem, but at least this time we knew what to do. Needless to say we never saw a refund. I think they didn't see the problem as their fault.Since then we have never had a day's problem ... touch wood!! [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 Dear Ali-CatThank you for posting. So, I can more or less forget about any refund. May their guts rot in their bellies and may they have interesting times!So, do you think I can count the 3 months of no service as part of the year's contract I have with them? You can tell, can't you, that I am just itching to go with another internet provider? Especially as I have looked at the specs for the Teleconnect modem. I'm not "technical" either but, wireless connection sounds good to me, especially as my Orange livebox is faulty and I cannot do wifi at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Service or not you signed up in May 2007 and they have been taking your money since then so QED that surely must be the contract anniversary.Do check the small print for cancellation conditions though. Hope it's not 3 month's [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 ErnieY, why do you raise my hopes one moment only to dash them the next? 3 months indeed, are you waiting to see if I'm going to slit my throat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Calm down my dear, don't get depressed, check the calendar.It's only Feb 9th and May 1st is still nearly 3 month's away so even if 3 month's notice were required you've got time [;-)] [kiss] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 Now you sound like that Michael Winner chappie on those adverts when he says "Calm down, dear, it's only an advert."Will dig out the contract tout de suite and back-date my letter if necessary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Now with the insults huh [:-))][:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Erns, forget about the insults for now. I have had a thought, what if I cancelled my direct debit with them (I know the bloody bank will charge me 13 euros but it will be worth it) and thereby force them to get in touch with me?Or will they just cut off my line altogether?[:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggy Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 There is currently another thread on AngloInfo about Teleconnect. I used to be with them but cancelled my contract probably about 2 years ago now. I received a letter the other day thanking me for my business and offering me special deals on their mobile contracts. I sent the SIM card back when I cancelled the contract. It would be worth your while reading this thread before thinking seriously about giving your business to this company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Many thanks for the tip, Ziggy. I will certainly do the research first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-cat Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I tend to agree with the advice about being careful changing internet providers. Although you have had problems with FT you are now up & running (I think!) & may start having problems, from scratch, with a new provider.Chalking it up as an expensive, bad experience, which is now over, maybe the way to go. When we did find out what our problems were they were very quick at sending someone out to us & had it fixed immediately. It's one advantage of going with a large company, with staff all over the country. You would need to check out what the repair & aftersales service would be like, with any other company. If you are still having problems let me know & I can send you the details of the guy, in the Orange shop, who helped us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]I have had a thought, what if I cancelled my direct debit with them (I know the bloody bank will charge me 13 euros but it will be worth it) and thereby force them to get in touch with me?Or will they just cut off my line altogether?[:(][/quote]A risky strategy I'd say with little guarantee of success and every chance of being excommunicated completely.FT's accounts department will probably know nothing about your problems and care less. You have entered into a 12 month contract and they want paying, end of story as far as they are concerned. They may also be even less inclined to help you sort it out if you're no longer paying.I think all you can realistically do is put it down to experience and be shot of them if you must at the earliest opportunity. I'm sure you won't be able to change to Teleconnect or anyone else for that matter whilst you're still unde contract to FT, they have control of your line. It's not like the old days of dial up where you just dilled a different number to use a different ISP !You wo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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