TV License should not be compulsory, considering the fact that the peoples of tis country are already as it is paying FAR TOO MUCH to live here. I think abolishing the tv license is best for everyone. PERIOD

Orange is a nasty company any day. Had a similar experience with them I had to pay close to 400 quid to get out of the contract and i used the phone for only 2 and a half month. Their business plan is simple=run you into debts and unleash the debt collector after you and wait for you to pay up. The govt needs to do something serious about operators like Orange. Apart from my sympathies, i dunt know what else to do because in my case I complained to dti, to ofcom, the industry regulator, they couldn't do anything, you know.

:o I am happy to acknowledge the contributions of the Consumer ActionGroup in my quest to get my money back from LLOYDS TSB. After a long battle, they have paid me back all the money which they took from my account. I am in battle with POWERGEN now. This is the letter which I have sent to them containing the main thread of my dispute... Customer Service Director, POWERGEN, P.O.Box 403 Warrington, WA55 1EE Dear Sir/Madam, RE: ELECTRICITY BILL FOR ACCOUNT NUMBER xxxxxxxxxxxxxx The above subject matter kindly refers; I am sending to you my cheque in payment of £67.20 being the total value for the last bill which I had before I moved out of xxxxxxx road in Coventry. It might be instructive to let you into the history behind this development. The house under reference was until the 7th of November 2006 a shared house, actually a student accommodation. From the time when I moved in a May 2006 not less than 6 other people have lived in the house. Actually I met 3 people in the house when I moved in and up till October 2006 we were two people living in the house and it was not until October that the bill came to be in my name only. Now when the other guy was finally leaving, we decided to settle all outstanding bills based on their value because the we found it difficult to trust the Landlord to live up to his responsibility. I am saying this because everyone who has lived in the house ought to make payments toward Gas and Electric bills and it is up to the landlord to ensure this happens but I doubt if he ever did. As a result of this decision, the other fellow paid the Gas bill and the TV license which came to £101.32 while I paid for the Internet connection of over £45 as well as the £50 deposit and £11 phone line rental over 4 months as well as accepting to offset the outstanding bill of £67.20 being the amount due on the Powergen bill that we had at that time. This is the situation on ground when I moved out of the house on November 7 2006 and the landlord moved in and has been living there ever since. This payment is without prejudice and I hope it will go a long way in letting you know that I am very much committed to resolving the issue once and for all. Also, I wish to request that you would please contact the landlord, Mr.xxxx who should be in a position to make available to you any other outstanding to this account. Finally and with all sense of responsibility, I believe that in making this payment I have not defrauded anyone and have been fair to all concerned. Please acknowledge the receipt of this payment and desist from sending me any further reminders on this bill. Thank you. Yours sincerely, I had to stop the check when Powergen insisted that I must pay all the amount on the last bill amounting to £166.47. Kindly advise on what you think will be fair as I honestly do not think I should be treated so unfairly. The Landord moved and piled up so much on the electricity bill and then cut off the account and referred them to get in touch with me. As at the time I was leaving the house the bill was for £67:20. ALSO, HOW CAN SOMEONE JUST PUT YOUR NAME ON A METER ACCOUNT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND AGREEMENT AND EVERY ATTEMPT ON YOUR PART TO HAVE IT REDRESSED IS REBUFFED. I DO NOT HAVE ANY FORM OF CONTACT OR CONTRACT WITH POWERGEN. I WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE METER AND I AM CERTAINLY NOT TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BILL. Thank you.

Many thx to you guys and contributors at Consumer ActionGroup. I followed your advice and put up a courageous fight with LLOYDS TSB concerning their illegal Bank charges on my account. It took a while but guess what...they actually paid me back all the money. Wow!!! They sent me a letter and then credited my account later in the week. So to you my friend, yes I think you stand a chance. But I can't say more than that because of the paucity of information available on this. But once again, yes, you stand a chance.

How do I collect the bank charge back. Until recently when I changed my Bank account type with Lloyds TSB, I used to have a Select account. For this account, i was promised od facilities and other things and I pay them £7 monthly. They wouldn' t give OD and they charge me £35 anytime my account is overdrawn somtimes even by £7. Can you imagine. I complained and they were magnanmous to advice me and waived the charges. But like I told them, It may be permissible for them to deduct the monies if only then would honour the payments but hell no for Lloyds Cheers

Many thx buddy, The contract was administered through an MobileShop. It is a 300 mins 100 txt Canary package, I think. May be they don't do it again. Meanwhile don't go to Orange. T-Moble seems better. Once again, thx for the advice.

Hi All, CAN SOMEONE OUT THERE HELP!!!! LITTLE DID I KNOW I WAS WALKING INTO A TRAP WHEN I ORDERED GOT A PHONE FROM ORANGE. IT WAS A W81i FOR £40 A MONTH AND THE AGENT EVEN PROMISED CASH BACKS ON IT. THE FIRST BILL CAM AND IT WAS A SHOCKER £180. I CONTESTED AND THEY SAID IT WAS DATA CHARGES WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR £90 OF THE BILL. THE DATA CHARGES REPRESENTED INTERNET USE ON THE PHONE... FOR THIS DIRECT DEBIT WITHDRAWAL THAT DIDN'T GO, LLOYDS CHAREGD ME £35. C'MON, I DID USE THE INTERNET UNTIL I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE FROM ORANGE THAT INTERNET WAS FREE ON THE PHONE AND I ACTUALLY CALLED THEM TO CONFIRM A LADY CONFIRMED IT WAS BEFORE I SURFED WITH THE PHONE. WHEN I CALLED THEM I WAS THREATENED AND HARRASSED AND TOLD TO PAY IMMEDIATELY AND ALL THAT BUT I CONTESTED THE BILL BECAUSE ORANGE SAID INTERNET WAS FREE TO USE. AFTER A ABOUT THREE MONTHS, I.E. AUGUST I DID ORANGE A LETTER OF PROTEST AND REQUESTED THAT THE ENTIRE DATA CHARGES BE DROPPED. AFTER A LONG WHILE A LADY WORKING WITH ORANGE APOLOGISED AND SAID THE CHARGES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN WRONGLY CALCULATED AND REDUCED IT BY HALF BUT I STILL INSISTED THAT SHE DROP THE CHARGES ENTIRELY. BY THEN THE BILL HAD GOTTEN TO £270 SO I SENT THEM A CHECK FOR £120. MEANWHILE MY PHONE WAS NOT RECONNECTED AND LATER RECONNECTED FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK & HALF. TO DATE I DO NOT HAVE SERVICE FORTHE PHONE AND ALTOGETHER I USED THE SERVICE FOR ONLY 1 MNHT AND A HALF BUT I CONTINUE TO RECEIVE BILLS. THE LAST BILL CAME IN AND I WANTED TO PAY IT BECAUSE I COULD SEE IT WAS ACTUALLY COMING DOWN AND THEN I RECEIVED A LETTER FRO NCO EUROPE THAT I SHOULD PAY UP ABOUT £232.27 IMMEADITELY IN ORDER TO FORESTALL FURTHER ACTION BEING TAKEN AGAINST ME. ALSO THEY CONTINUE TO INTIMIDATE AND HARASS ME WITH PHONE MESSAGES. I CALLED THEM AND REQUESTED FOR A LETTER FROM ORANGE AUTHORISING THEM TO COLLECT THE MONEY AND THEY APOLOGISED AND PROMISED NOT TO WITHHOLD ALL CONTACT FOR 7 DAYS I HAVE CONTACTED ORANGE AND THEY SAID NCO IS ACTING FOR THEM BUT I ASKED THEM TO PUT IN WRITING AND I WAS SHOUTED DOWN. I TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH NCO, MY PHONE NO HAS BEEN CENSORED OR SOMTHING AS I CANNOT ACCROSS TO THEM. WHAT DO I DO? NCO AND ORANGE PPPARENTLY ARE ABOVE THE LW AND THEY CAN DO ANYTHIING AND GET AWAY WITH IT. THE ORDINARY CONSUMER IS LEFT DEFENCELESS WITH THE LIKES OF ORANGE AND NCO WHO PUSH YOU INTO DEBT AND THEN HARASS AND INTIMIDATE YOU WITH COUNTY COURT JUDGEMENTS. PLS CAN SOME ONE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!