2degrees sending good customers to the debt collectors?

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cryburn

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Wannabe Geek

#91047 5-Oct-2011 18:23

In June this year I headed away overseas so cancelled my pay monthly account. I got sent my last bill telling me it would be paid, as all others have, automatically by credit card. And that was the last I heard. Until last month when I got a letter from 2degrees debt collectors.

So I called 2degrees.

1st call to 2degrees: Told to call debt collection department on 0800 number - did not work from landline or 2degrees cell phone

2nd call to 2degrees: Will call back ASAP

3rd Call from 2degrees: use temporary login to my 2degrees to pay by credit card - didn't work. Promised debt collection department would call and letter sent to confirm debt not recorded against my name.

4th call from 2degrees: Missed

5th Call to 2degrees: cannot pay by credit card (despite being told in previous call I could and having paid every other bill by credit card. I do not use internet banking), not sure if they can email bank account number or new statement - must get bank a/c over phone. Eventually found they could email me a bank account - but not the overdue statement I never received because they didn't process my credit card. Suggested I ring my bank and set up internet banking. Told me I had 3 weeks to pay before it was sent back to the debt collectors. I reminded them they had to send me an overdue statement under the credit contracts act before they did this, but apparently this won't happen. And they told me no one will call me back about it and their debt collection department was "outbound only".

contrasted to:

1st Call to Debt collectors (after 1st call to 2degrees, as was past the date before legal action was threatened): Very helpful. Told me a hold would be put on it while investigated. They also told me that a lot of debts from 2degrees had the same problem and they had been talking to them about this.

Somewhat ironic a debt collection agency has far better customer service than 2degrees!

I love what 2degrees have done for mobile prices, but they really need to sort their customer service and billing issues out. Sending customers to the debt collectors without so much as an overdue bill and then giving them the run around when they try and pay it is a pretty sure fire way of loosing customers.

This doesn't really seem like a hard issue to sort out ... stop sending people to the debt collectors until the system is checked, check the debts you have sent, contact people with an apology, the overdue bill you should have sent and tell them how to pay, or get some goodwill and tell them not to pay because you have stuffed up big time. But no one at 2degrees seems able to do that!

Instead no one will take ownership of it. You can't talk to the people who sent the debt to get it sorted out (they can't accept calls, but won't call you either!). I do feel sorry for the frontline staff who seem to be lumped with dealing with someone else's stuff up!

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Master Geek

#529734 5-Oct-2011 18:27

Like Jetstar- cheap for a reason!

I'll avoid.

richms

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#529757 5-Oct-2011 19:36

Its crazy that they would make the debt overdue when you had given them instructions to charge your card. I would be sending them a letter advising to charge your card the amount as they should have done and that they have no authority to charge it any more than that as they might try to tack on some collection costs etc which you are not liable for as they cocked up.

Richard rich.ms

cryburn

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#529768 5-Oct-2011 20:11

To be clear, they did eventually agree it was a mistake and have retracted it from the debt collectors.

I've asked them to charge my card the original amount. I've offered to give them the card number again. But apparently because I am now on prepay, they can't accept my card. The ONLY option to pay is internet banking or they'll send it back to the debt collectors ..... And all for $38! Surely if their systems can't handle my payment that's their problem not mine. But that most certainly isn't their view!

richms

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#529778 5-Oct-2011 20:26

Their systems failing is not your problem. Hell, they could even go to their eftpos machine and punch the card number in if they showed any initiative.

They entered into the contract with you with the agreement to charge your credit card, and have not done so, you have no obligation to vary that contract because of their systems failures.

Best thing they could do is just credit the amount and call it an expense of having a halfbaked billing system.

Richard rich.ms

mattwnz

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#529785 5-Oct-2011 20:59

cryburn: To be clear, they did eventually agree it was a mistake and have retracted it from the debt collectors.

I've asked them to charge my card the original amount. I've offered to give them the card number again. But apparently because I am now on prepay, they can't accept my card. The ONLY option to pay is internet banking or they'll send it back to the debt collectors ..... And all for $38! Surely if their systems can't handle my payment that's their problem not mine. But that most certainly isn't their view!

You should ask for that to be escalated to their management.

cryburn

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#529808 5-Oct-2011 21:53

I did, but was told there was nothing more to discuss and they would not put me on to a supervisor again, call me back or give me a number of the debt collection department who were 'outbound only'. It sounded as if they had notes from someone saying to play hardball with me. I could understand this approach if I was refusing to pay after lots of notices and opportunities, but I am trying to pay and sort out their stuff up. And if they had put me on to someone who could help, I wouldn't be posting on here right now!

mattwnz

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#529814 5-Oct-2011 22:06

cryburn: I did, but was told there was nothing more to discuss and they would not put me on to a supervisor again, call me back or give me a number of the debt collection department who were 'outbound only'. It sounded as if they had notes from someone saying to play hardball with me. I could understand this approach if I was refusing to pay after lots of notices and opportunities, but I am trying to pay and sort out their stuff up. And if they had put me on to someone who could help, I wouldn't be posting on here right now!

Ask to speak to be put through to the manager of the company if you aren't getting anywhere. You don't just want to to speak to their underling. The buck stops with the CEO. I would probably now put everything in writing, eg. via email, so you have got a proper record of what has happened. Telephone conversations can actually be a total waste of time from my experience.

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Ragnor

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#529854 5-Oct-2011 23:54

Well posting it on GZ is a good start, next step hit their Facebook/Twitter and mainstream media.

Someone there will surely get a fire lit under their behind for the handling of this.

scottjpalmer

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#529866 6-Oct-2011 01:34

You could try emailing 2degreescare http://www.geekzone.co.nz/compose_messages.asp?recipient_user_id=56142 and referencing this thread and include your basic personal details (name, number, DOB). They will see it eventually and are usually very helpful.

nakedmolerat

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#529899 6-Oct-2011 08:15

i have the exact same problem. i have the automatic payment set up for my credit card. this was my last bill :-

this is the last statement i received from 2degrees after porting my number to vodafone. ~2 months later, i received a phone call that i did not pay my last bill. i almost threw a fit but they quickly apologize.

i offered them to give my credit card details over the phone but was told this is not possible. the ONLY option i have was to do a bank transfer! she emailed me with the bank details few days later and i transferred the money the same day. i emailed her to confirm if 2degrees has received the money but NEVER received any reply from her (almost 2 months now). i have called the customer service and the guy on the phone confirmed that this issue has been resolved.

i have just ported another number from 2degress to vodafone. will see if i encounter the same problem this time (hope not!).

timmmay

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#529922 6-Oct-2011 09:23

Email The Herald or Stuff.co.nz, i'm sure they'd be interested. They'll fix it real quick too.

You could always put your account into credit before you cancel it, but you shouldn't have to.

2degreesCare

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#529934 6-Oct-2011 10:00

Some customers have received these letters due to their final bill not being paid because the CC auto-payment option failed. This may have been caused due to moving their number to credit card expiry, porting out or moving to Prepay thereby deactivating the AP function.

We advise customers who have received these letters to call us on 0800 022022 or 200 from their 2degrees phone and we?ll escalate it to our Credit Collections team to follow up with D & B to retract the debt notice.

We apologise to customers who have received these letters in error. We have identified the causes and working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

^POB

cryburn

5 posts

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#529947 6-Oct-2011 10:43

Thanks for your reply 2degreescare!

I have called your 0800 number as suggested. The calls are outlined above in my first post. The initial notice annoyed me, but I understand mistakes are made, especially with relatively new systems. However surely in this case you should be bending over backwards to sort out affected customers, not giving them the run around?

Two very simple things that would have avoided me being so frustrated:

a) giving people more than one option (internet banking) to pay, especially given many have never paid you via internet banking before. The payment method they have always used in the past would be a great start!

b) Identifying which customers are affected (can't be hard!) and taking a proactive approach of contacting them, or at the very least putting a someone in charge of dealing with these customers rather than making them talk to different people every time.

Given the time it has taken both your representatives (at least 1 1/2 hours on the phone) and me I'm sure it has cost both of us far more than the bill was ever for.

I'd love not to drag this out in public but have been forced to because I was told no one would call me back and my only option was to pay by internet banking or be sent back to the debt collectors. My emails have gone unanswered.

Another thing that perplexes me: you can't automatically send a overdue invoice when a payment fails, but you can automatically send it to a debt collectors .... surely this is a big step and should have some sort of review before debts are sent to the debt collectors (at least to make sure you are complying with your legal obligations under the credit contracts act, let alone not sending off good customers to the debt collectors!)?

alasta

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#530057 6-Oct-2011 13:05

This is one of the reasons why I still have a cheque book. In a situation like this I would just send them a cheque with a rude note and if they don't like it then tough.

richms

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#530143 6-Oct-2011 14:58

alasta: This is one of the reasons why I still have a cheque book. In a situation like this I would just send them a cheque with a rude note and if they don't like it then tough.

Likewise, and for companies that insist on paper billing still. Quite a lot easier to prove a check was presented than to mess around getting the bank to provide details of an online payment. I had no luck with invoicing the place for the costs involved in proof of payment tho.

Richard rich.ms

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