AOL nightmare - please help

[tanah]

Imoved from the Uk to Canada in September 2008. I contacted AOl in August 2008 to cancel my internet service from the 26th September. I paid Septembers direct debit then cancelled all further debits.

 

This week I have received a letter forwarded to me from my Mum's address in the Uk ( no idea where they got this from) and its from a debt collection agency requesting £143 in behalf of AOL.

 

I manged to conact AOl via email as i could not find a number contactable from outside the UK on their website. The reply I got was disgusting. The man ( Adrian) admits I called in August but then inoforms me I was advised to phone again in September prior to my departure as I did not phone they continued to bill my account for 6 months before terminating it in February 2009.. he then claims they wrote to me ( at my Uk adress which i no longer lived at) requesting payment - as I didnt pay ( obviously) they passed it to a debt collection agency - he then writes , " I have reveiwed this claim and feel that it is upheld and we wish you to contact the debt agency and make payment immediately"

 

I am absolutely insensed - im furious - I madethe phonecall in August to hand in 4 weeks notice I said I was leaving on the 26th Sept - why on earth would I need to call them back before i left?? I had already cancelled my account ?? this just doesnt make sense to me at all. He admits i called them in August - they require 4 weeks advance notice - I left in September - it all adds up yet he is still saying i was told to call back in September prior to leaving the UK - i was NOT and if i was I would have questioned why i would need to call back at all.

 

I have writted back one furious email to them - and have asked this to be investigated as an offical complaint - it was obvious to them that the account was inactive after September when i had told them I was leaving the country - surely its not rocket science to work this out???

Ireally do not feel i owe thismoney at all and i am NOT paying it - can anyone offer me any advice please

[BankFodder]

The most important thing is that you seem to have evidence that you called. Mot people don't. This AOL story is pretty common. It happened to me once.

 

I think that you ned to get written evidence that you did call. You could ask them for a letter but this may well not be forthcoming. You should record your calls. If you could install a recorder ad try to get them to agree again on the phone that you did call, then this will provide you with what you need. An alternative to to send an SAR and ask especially for all screen notes referring to your account. Get everything else as well.

 

Once you have the hard proff you need, then I think that your only course is to send them a 7 day letter explaining exactly what has happened, give them a copy of your evidence and require them to correct the position immediately or else you will sue. Don't send this LBA unless you really intend to go ahead. Frankly I think that this is the only action which will command their attention.

Don't expect them to take any notice until you issue the court papers.

 

Your action would be for breach of contract - claim a small amount such as £100 for loss and inconvenience. Tuck a claim for breach of DPA into the same claim.

 

Inform all debt collectors that the matter is subject to litigation.

 

I expect that AOL will start to sort themselves out.

 

If you are not in UK at the moment, then you can do this on lin but you will need a very reliable friend or family to receive court documents fro you and to scan them to you as soon as they arrive.

[Conniff]

This is a [problem] on a global level. I believe they wait long enough for ex customers to ditch any paperwork and then attempt to collect non existant missed payments.

 

As suggested above, you should record the calls.