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Help - scary scary scary bill!

I'm in shock and not sure where to go for help - I switched to Tiscali in on 8/12 for my ISP and phone line. I've now had my service suspended as my son has been calling a mobile number a lot - problem is the mobile is in Southern Ireland and is classed as an international call!

We seem to have incurred a bill of over £700 in less than 6 weeks and I am desperate. When I checked the rates the international rate was from 5.6 per min and the mobile from 3.4 per min - even combined these are double the charges I have seen on the Tiscali site.

Can anyone tell me:

a) is it worth challenging
b) can I anticipate any sympathy or support in settling the account
c)should I bail from Tiscali at the earliest opportunity - we were previously with AOL/BT for line rental and have never had anything like this sort of bill before.

Any advice most welcome - we still have internet access as you can see but outgoing calls are barred - I'm inclined to leave it that way!

Help!
 
The first thing to do is to get an itemised bill and see where the charges are...

The next thing is to contact Tiscali and talk to them about it.
Check up on the call rates....You may be right on an error on their part
BUT.....Don't be rude or anything.....Play the pleading helpless preson....Sympathy may do you some good!

Don't do what I did a few years ago when we had a similar problem with BT and leave it and let it build.....Hoping it will sort itself out.

Next is to talk to your son....He has to accept that some of this is his fault.
Even if nothing more happens than he stops and thinks about the consequences of what he has done. (Is he old enough to help pay at all?)

I don't know what to expect from Tiscali about paying the bill....
It used to be that if you ran up the bill you had to pay it....Thats it.
But they may be willing to help you by allowing you to pay a small amout over a few months or whatever.
All you can do is ask.

Hope you get this sorted.....
As I said...I did something just like this a few years ago.....I know what you are going through.
 
isis,

Bail out from Tiscali as soon as you possibly can as they are the most complained about ISP in the country and have a record of incorrect billing. Tiscali even tried to bill several thousand ex customers once whose details should have been deleted under the data protection act.
 
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http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/talk/online-rates-sheet.pdf

Call rates are 26-32p a min which at peak rate 32p a min thats amost 37 hours on the phone I'd deffo ask for a itemised bill, may be a time to get internaltional calls barred etc, like some one mentiioned if it does come to the crunch plead ingorance maybe ask why these calls wasnt barred etc.

Overall dont get upset when talking to them, always ask for the person oppinion and say your sorry to ask for their help but you need to speak to some one who can discuss the "debt" properly.

"you never knew that the bill would be allowed to get so high compared to BT they give a 100 max with new lines before they start asking questons"

Never say you are not willing to pay the bill but question the procedures and even ask if the same is for everyone or is it due to how long you have been with Tiscali do they go off credit ratings etc like BT do.

With what the problem is i would recommend to speak to the accounts team leader and settle for no less due to the amount involved.
 
.... my son has been calling a mobile number a lot - problem is the mobile is in Southern Ireland and is classed as an international call!
.......
Help!

Before you speak to tiscali you would do well to talk to your son. You neeed to know exactly how many calls he has been making and how long they lasted. It's no good asking for clemency if he has been knowingly running up the bill.

Since I started paying my mother's phone bill (so that I could have internet access at home) my 88 year old mother has taken to phoning her friends during the day instead of in the evening as she did when she paid the bill - it's amazing how irresponsible people can be with the phone knowing that someone else will pick up the tab (remember all those long calls when you were a teenager!!!!)
 
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