Cold Ash familys anger over Christmas visit from debt collectors
Naomi Chamberlain, aged 19, of Southend, Cold Ash, said that Vodafone had issued her with a bill for £214.49, despite the fact that she cancelled her contract with the mobile phone company six months previously.
Her problems started last year, when she claims that her monthly bill, collected by direct debit, had gone up despite her staying within her service limits.
Ms Chamberlain decided to cancel the contract, and said that she paid a fee to be released early from it.
However, Vodafone continued to take money from her account – it says because the contract was not cancelled and no fee was paid.
Ms Chamberlain insists that Vodafone had processed the fee and that the Newbury branch of Vodafone, in Northbrook Street, had sent the paperwork to Vodafone headquarters in Shaw. She also questioned why the company would have refunded her monthly fee on one occasion if the contract had not be terminated.
To end the direct debit, she decided to change her bank account and thought the matter had been dealt with.
However, just before Christmas, on December 17, the debt collection service FPC turned up at her house, with a bill from Vodafone.
The Chamberlain family have now contacted the Office of the Telecommunications Ombuds-man to deal with the dispute.
Ms Chamberlain’s father Andy said: “It’s so frustrating. What we have found with Vodafone is that they are very difficult to contact and nobody listens.
“It’s upsetting the whole family because we don’t know who to turn to.
“It has really affected my daughter – it has made her unwell.
“All of us have left Vodafone now.
Vodafone said that because the case had been referred to the ombudsman, a hold had been put on the debt collection.
Vodafone spokeswoman Jane Frapwell said: “We have no record of the relevant payment being made and the customer has not supplied any evidence despite our requests.
“Because we couldn’t come to an agreement with her, this case is now with the ombudsman who will carry out an independent investigation.
“We have put a hold on collection of the outstanding amount pending the conclusion of the ombudsman.”
