Problems with Telecom Italia

07/23/2011 - 06:26

Last year we encountered a problem with Telecom Italia. We had been paying our landline/Alice bill by bank direct debit. Once the problem (no relevance to this post) was resolved, we were given a new landline number and we assumed everything was fine. We returned to the UK for the winter months and briefly checked our �� online bank account. (our mistake for not fully checking direct debits) After some months we realised that our original number had been given to another household and --wait for it--- we had been paying their telephone bill through a direct debit set up by our bank without our permission or knowledge. Our new Telecom account was also active. Naturally we complained and stopped these payments (over 400 euros) It has now been over 3 months that we have been trying to get this money back. The bank are dealing with Telecom who persistently answer it is being looked into but it is a very difficult situation. My question is, should we seek legal advice? Don't really want to end up with a big bill but we are not sure who is responsible. Bank or Telecom.Has anyone had similar problems with banks or Telecom? Thanks

Topic

Tax and Finance

Location

Umbria

Comment

We had ordered a high speed internet line - at a cost of around E30 per month, we were delivered a modem, and a satellite dish was due to be installed. All payments were set up through our bank including the on-going monthly payments. However when it came to install the satellite dish - we were not in an area that we could pick up anything - so no dish installed. It took 12 months of Telecom Italia taking monthly payments, including the annual maintenance fee for a un-used modem that had been returned, before they finally stopped, and then around another 6 months to pay us back - which they did, but the cheques that they gave us were only valid for 60 days, and had we not been in Italy when they arrived they would have been invalid after this time and we would have to start the process again. So my advice would be - put your issue in writing to them, and then send them a reminder every couple of months, enclosing previous correspondence, and you will get your money back.

Thanks for that. Looks like we are in for the long haul then. I am just amazed that having received our bank details in the past, Telecom have been able to access our account without our authority and we don't seem to have any redress, never mind retrieving the 400 euros they have taken using the direct debit they set up. Never mind, on with the fight!