Broadband Backcharges (probably Uk Only) Got a bill dating back nearly a year

[mrdee 1]

Hi,

 

I have my broadband account with The Post Office Ltd.

(They also provide telephone services, which I do not have with them, but that still makes them a Telco).

 

The other week I got a bill for ?132.87, with an accompanying letter saying "The post Office apologised to a small percentage of their customers (of which I was obviously one) because they had been unable to send out a bill to them due to technical difficulties".

 

The first thing is, I cannot afford to pay that amount of money in one go, and it is not my fault nor my problem they could not send me their bill nor take their subscription fee.

 

Also, on closer inspection, it says the bill is for June 14 2008 to May 19 2009, in other words dating back almost a year.

 

I sent the Post Office a message, pointing out that I could not afford this amount all at once, and also making them aware how long their bill went back.

They sent me an email confirmation of my message, but nobody got in touch.

 

Then, yesterday, I got a letter of "Overdue Bill", saying I had not paid the requested amount of May 19 (I did not receive the letter until May 30), and that it might be necessary to restrict or suspend my services in case of non payment.

 

The fact is, I seem to remember being told and reading years ago that a telco could charge you for a period of up to going back 6 months.

I also got in touch with the Office of Fair Trading, but i have as yet not received a reply from them.

 

Is there anyone here who could inform me further about the rights I have in this case?

Surely they cannot just do that?

 

Any advice will be most welcome.

[rvalkass 5]

So they didn't charge you for a whole year? Did you not notice? Did you try to contact them and tell them you weren't receiving a bill, and that you hadn't paid? To be honest you should really have noticed and informed BT rather than just carrying on without paying.Your best approach will likely be to contact Ofcom (their phone number is 020 7981 3040) to ask for their advice, as regulator of the broadband market.

[mrdee 1]

OK,thanks for that.The thing is, so many bills come in, and most of them are paid by Direct Debit, so it is easy enough to overlook one.However, I should have looked more carefully and taken action sooner.By the way, it is not BT, it is the Post Office.But I don't think they can just do things the way they did it, it is not my fault they don't send me their bills, is it?

[rvalkass 5]

By the way, it is not BT, it is the Post Office.

Sorry, my mistake. The Post Office are still covered by Ofcom for their Internet and phone services, so I'd still ring Ofcom and ask for their advice. If anything you will be able to complain about the Post Office's behaviour and handling of their mistake at least, and prompt an official response from them.

But I don't think they can just do things the way they did it, it is not my fault they don't send me their bills, is it?

No, but you are responsible for making sure you pay them. You can both argue who is responsible for it, and you both have a point. It will eventually come down to the small print of your original contract with the Post Office. If it mentions the Post Office being required to send you a bill every month, and they haven't, then I don't think they have any right to demand the money now. If, however, it says you are responsible for alerting them to any problems, which you haven't done, then they can claim you are responsible.

Depending on how far you want to pursue this, speaking to your local Citizen's Advice Bureau or a solicitor could help you at least determine whether that bill stands.

[k_nitin_r 8]

Hi!Legally and ethically, you are required to pay for the services that you have received. You might be able to talk to them and mention that you can pay the amount in installments or you can just use your credit card!I'm guessing Ofcom would agree that you have to pay for something you've knowingly used. In either case, you're the one gaining here - you got to keep the amount in your bank account for a whole year and so you've earned interest on it!Regards,Nitin Reddy