Eurobell

When Eurobell came to Plymouth I thought great, free calls to all my friends and family who are Eurobell customers and a greater choice of tv channels via their cable packages.

We signed up with Eurobell just over 2 years ago and apart from it taking weeks to actually put in the phone line we had no problems and no need to call customer services.

We left it a few months and then decided to have their 40 channel cable ...
...it was not up to Eurobell to replace the channel with another. (The words rip off merchants spring to mind)

A few months ago we had a letter to say that they were to increase the cable charges up to £30.49 per month from the previous £27.99 for the 40 channels (more like 29 now) and the movie package that we receive. I'm not paying that for the rubbish channels we get 70% of them don't get watched as it is. On the phone again to cancle, ... more

When Eurobell came to Plymouth I thought great, free calls to all my friends and family who are Eurobell customers and a greater choice of tv channels via their cable packages.

We signed up with Eurobell just over 2 years ago and apart from it taking weeks to actually put in the phone line we had no problems and no need to call customer services.

We left it a few months and then decided to have their 40 channel cable packaged priced at £12.99 per month, which you would at that price and all those channels. Yippee we thought when the bloke came to installed the cable box all those extra channels to play with. Counting through the channels we noticed it was several short of 40 more like 30 channels!! but what they don't tell you when you get it they include terrestial channels and the other free channels if you had access to digital in the channel line up. Later that month we went to watch one of our favorite channels only to find it had vanished and a nice message on screen to say that it has closed and we would no longer be able to get it. Because we were paying for this channel I decided to phone up customer services to see if the channel would be replaced for another seems it was included in the monthly charges. Several minutes later finnaly we get through and a human voice is heard YEEHAA!! So the lady I spoke to said it was not up to Eurobell to replace the channel with another. (The words rip off merchants spring to mind)

A few months ago we had a letter to say that they were to increase the cable charges up to £30.49 per month from the previous £27.99 for the 40 channels (more like 29 now) and the movie package that we receive. I'm not paying that for the rubbish channels we get 70% of them don't get watched as it is. On the phone again to cancle, after waiting again to get through, I was told that we have to give 30 days notice. Ok I said this is my 30 days notice that was on the 21st of Feb this year. A few days ago we got our detailed phone and cable bill and guess what cable charges included on them billed up to the 12th of April (funny that as we paid a months advanced cable charges and that it would be long gone before April) We are now in the process of writing a letter to the manager regard this issue so watch this space.....the other issue is we had a little note at the top of our bill saying that a number of calls from December was not included on that bill and have been charged on this bill, am I seeing double the last bill said the same thing. (I think they are pulling a fast one)

27th March 2001
Well a guy from Eurobell finally turned up to collect the cable box, this should have went a week ago. The strange thing is that we were never informed when they was sending someone around to collect it.

25th April 2001
Recently we got a new phone bill that covered calls up to the 12th April and line rental up to the 12th May that stated our previous bill was still over due. Naturally I assumed that they were behind with their records so dismissed it.
Incidentally because we were over charged for cable that we sent back I only paid £50 in stead of the £67.26. This was paid by my Visa Delta card over the phone and was told that the amount would be taken from our bill by this time tomorrow, which was over a week ago.

Yesterday we received a letter dated 23rd April 2001 and in big bold red writing saying:

Urgent information about your Eurobell Account - Account Number *******
Followed by:

Dear so and so

Although we have sent previous reminders, our records still indicate that we have not yet received payment for your bill dated 12/03/01 for £67.26.

(For one we never got any reminders and two we had paid what we thought was owed to them)

Overdue: £67.26
Current Charges: £9.36
Total Due: £76.62

(I have noticed that this months billed is included even though we only got it 5 days before this letter was sent out to us)

To avoid further action the total amount due must be paid immediately. If we do not receive payment your services will be disconnected on 30/04/01 and we will refer your account to our solicitors to commence legal action for recovery of the amount due. Legal cost and interest will be charged to your account.

We are not aware of any reason why your bill remains unpaid. If there is a problem we urge you to call our Customer Services Department on 01752 ****** without delay.

(How noble of them)

Important information about ways to make an URGENT bill payment are shown on the reverse of this letter. If you have already paid your bill in the last few days please ignore this letter.

Thank you.

Credit Administration.

So that morning we decided to check our bank account online to show if payment had been taken from our account and yes there it was -£50 paid to Eurobell Holdings along with the date it was taken out of our account and a ref number.

I then rang up Eurobell that morning saying that we paid £50, only to be told they have no record of it. Well I do along with the payment reference number to be told there was nothing they could do until they seen it there in black and white. After a heated discussion I then told the guy that its strange that we have be getting all these problems with our bills etc since I cancelled my cable and that if it continued we would be changing to another supplier and then said good bye and put the phone down.

Not happy and wondering where our money had gone decided to ring again and asked to speak to the manager. To then be asked what's your account number and what did you want to speak to the manager for? My reply, well its about the crap service we have been getting and the s**tty letter we got today.

Was then put on hold till I was then greeted by the supervisor. I explained that we had paid £50 and gave her the ref number and all the other details. Leave it with me she said and I will investigate what's happened and call you back.

Later that day she called to say it appears that the money has been taken off of someone else's account, what's your card details so I can trace who's account and rectify this.

Got another call from her again to say that they have managed to trace it and that we will be getting no more letters from them. How the hell did that happen I asked? All I can say is that it must have been a really busy day as the other account number and account holder have no link what so ever.

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I would not recomend Eurobell to anyone and if your are with them then look very closely to your bills and record what actual calls you do make 

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