Just signed up for a new mobile phone from mobiles.co.uk. I noticed on the order acknowledgement an additional Item I had not ordered Viz. membership of their "Gadget Helpline" service provided by someone called TMTI at £3.99/month billable 6 months at a time in advance.
They say this is a service to help people who have problems operating their phones, cameras, kettles (IKYN)
mobiles.co.uk gave our bank account details to TMTI so they could set up a direct debit without reference to me, but now mobiles.co.uk say they cannot accept my instructions to cancel the service because it would conflict with the Data Protection act.
Definitely taking the piss.
Of course attempting to cancel is a convoluted process requiring reference numbers they emailed to me weeks ago plus me to divulge my bank acct. details they already have and my email address I could be spammed by.
Got online banking? Just login and cancel the relevant DD. Or wander into a branch and get them to do it. I bet they will be in touch with you within a week, if not sooner.
You can then explain nice an politely that you didn't order the service and they need to cancel it.
Once had similar problem... Cancel your DD with Bank immediately to stop further payments. Unfortunately if a payment has already been taken, you may be on weak ground, to get repayment. The bank may take the attitude that you "allowed" a DD to be set up. But ask them for advice/help anyway. Mine helped. Best of luck!!
They might claim you did order it, you just omitted to click the relevant link.
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That takes you to the following text:
1 Month FREE Trial
Don't waste your precious time trying to call the manufacturer, waiting on hold for half your lifetime, then ending up talking to someone in a foreign country that you struggle to understand. Take advantage of this generous offer with a great service ...
1 months FREE FULL Technical Support, for YOU and ANYONE in your household, for your mobile phone and most electrical appliances in your house. Get the help you need, when you need it, for your phones, laptops, computers, DVD players, Televisions, kettles, blenders ... you get the idea! No premium rate number to call - Just 5p per minute at all times from BT landlines which may vary from other networks and mobile operators All of the Technical Support team are based in the UK - Easy to understand Quick answering times - Get talking FAST Highly trained staff, with a HUGE database of product information - Get the ANSWERS you need from proven experts. The 1 months free trial will automatically be supplied to you when your order your handset. After the first month you simply pay a small premium of £23.94 (inc VAT) every 6 months (equivalent to £3.99 per month) by Direct Debit to "Talk Me Through It". This service gives your the reassurance that you can simply pick up the phone, dial a
5p-per-minute number, speak with the Technical Support Team who are based in the UK, and get your query answered quickly and easily! TMTI can be cancelled at any time after your account has been finalised, which is usually two or three days after delivery. You can also cancel during the free trial, by simply contacting TMTI or ending the Direct Debit instruction. A more detailed explanation of the service provided will be emailed or posted to you shortly after your new handset arrives.
The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit TMTI Ltd will notify you within 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request TMTI Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by TMTI Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when TMTI Ltd asks you to You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.
It stinks to high heaven but it looks as if they've been getting away with it for years.
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Did you need/want the "phone care policy" insurance?
On Tuesday, March 5, 2013 3:54:59 PM UTC, DerekG wrote: Ring bank. Cancel DD and ask them to recover the payments taken without your authorisation.
Santander did this for me over the phone when Virgin Media had taken payments for a service they hadn't provided and hadn't billed me for. VM threatened dire consequences and my credit rating would be affected; nothing happened.
You haven't asked for the service, there's no contract, you don't have to even discuss it with TMTI or mobiles.co.uk.
The convoluted process (on a premium rate number??) and long reference numbers are merely flannel to confuse the gullible.
Not at all - Direct Debit Guarantee. Claim the money back from the bank under the direct debit guarantee, and it's up to them to reclaim it from the company. Then if the company still wants paying *they* have to take
Also beware something similar on the Airparks site.
Having given your bank details to secure the parking, the website changes to an application for a FairFX currency card using the details you have just given. More alert brains than mine would probably have spotted the shift:-(
After lots of mails and calls they refunded the £10.00 worth of Euros at a net cost to me of £0.50. The card duly arrived and went through the shredder.
The insistence of all the carphone warehouse companies on bundle this poxy Gadget Helpline offering with all their deals reaally pisses me off too; ho wever in their favour (and this is the only good thing I can say about them ) at least it's dead easy to dump. Same applies to their poxy compulsory in surance policy. (Incidentally I'm pretty sure they do tell you about both "services" before you press the "buy" button).
Just go to
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and follow the cancel lation instructions. They will email you back with confirmation of this wi thin the day, and that will be the end of it. At least you don't have to p ost a hard copy letter or phone a premium-rate number to do it.
I've cancelled the Gadget Helpline countless times over the years; four of us in my family take out new mobile contracts every time they expire in ord er to get cashback deals, and they are frequently with CPW companies. Neve r had any problem with them not cancelling a d/d, or being spammed.
This has happened to me before. I thought that they signed me up without kn owing but after looking in to it, they do tell you about the insurance and gadget helpline before you sign up to anything. It's displayed in the baske t before you even put your details in. You get your first month free and yo u can cancel at anytime. I just cancelled the direct debit on my online ban king and everything was fine.
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