Dodgy telecoms company (Atlas Business Services)

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
A few of you already know the following from facebook, but I've decided to put it on here as well just in case anyone else ever gets a call from them. Sorry for the long post, but if it helps just one person avoid using these scumbags it is worth it.

They call themselves Atlas Business Services . Well, sometimes, they are also Reseller UK Ltd. And better-rates.co.uk, and they answer the phone as GTEC but they are all the same people. 2 different addresses, but same phone number and company number for all of them:

Tel: 0843 636 6755
Company Number 07565517


34 NEW HOUSE
67-68 HATTON GARDEN
LONDON
ENGLAND
EC1N 8JY

Beckett House
Sovereign Court
Wyrefields
Poulton Business Park
Poulton Le Fylde
Lancashire
FY6 8JX

They are also sim-only ltd I think, same phone number but different company number and address.

Right, now I've got their details out of the way, on to the problem.

My OH was called at work recently by these guys, offering a fairly decent rate on a business line. She agreed to a 12 month contract over the phone and they said she'd get no early termination fee from her current provider (talktalk), but got a little concerned afterwards and did some googling. Didn't find much on atlas but talktalk said of course a cancellation fee would be charged, so she called back to cancel. They said this was fine, not a problem. Because she was very suspicious, she then called talktalk and asked them to make sure no transfer happened. They agreed too, all is well it seems.

Whilst we were on holiday a letter arrived from talktalk saying sorry you are leaving us, seems a second request was initiated to transfer the line when the first one was refused. Atlas were called (premium rate, they ignore emails), and my OH was told that the person who she talked to wasn't authorised to cancel anything so it wasn't done. She told them again she wanted to cancel, they said there will be a fee of over £800 as she was in a 36 month contract. OFCOM were contacted, they said the practice is known as slamming and is frowned upon but not illegal. However no contract exists, they can't prove a contract ever existed and therefore they can't charge her anything. End result, my OH has no internet at work (they didn't even send a router) and can't use her phone line in case that creates a contract that OFCOM says currently does not exist.

So talktalk were contacted again, they agreed to take her back and keep her number and set up a date to transfer her over, a few days before this date she receives another letter from them saying Atlas had initiated another request and they had to agree to it. They agree to try yet again to transfer her back to talktalk but the date has moved by a further 2 weeks so again no internet or phone at work.

Today she has received a phone call threatening to disconnect her line to ensure that she loses her business number unless she pays up. They've said they have no knowledge of her not wanting to be their customer or transferring back to talktalk, and have said unless she sends in voice recordings of it then it didn't happen.

This is blackmail, they know if she loses her business number it will cost her to change everything to the new one plus she could lose old customers that will think she no longer trades when the line is dead. We are approaching a solicitor to get this sorted out, I just wanted to make sure nobody else gets caught out by these bastards.

EDIT: It appears they also now go by the name of Together Telecom (Thanks LDD), same scutters different name.
 
Last edited:

Roland

Well-Known Forumite
Never agree to anything over the phone, always ask for it in writing.

Easy to say I know but the majority of these people and most of the legit companies can't be bothered to send the info in the post.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Thats the annoying thing, they aren't even trying to tie her to what she actually agreed to! I am quite frankly amazed that they can keep issuing requests to transfer and nobody can stop them, talktalk say they can only block one request and must allow the next one through unless they have been asked to block it again. Short of calling them daily I don't see how you can stop any company transferring you against your will.
 

biccies

Well-Known Forumite
Would it be worth sending Atlas Business Services a letter that formally states that you do not wish to use their services and request that they cease and desist contacting any other communications provider on your behalf. Send this letter from two different post offices and ask for proof of postage (free). Don't bother with recorded, tracked or special post. Sometimes these people will refuse to sign. There is a precedence set that courts will accept this as them receiving the letter. After all, the courts don't send their documents out via recorded delivery.

Just make sure that the letter is explicit and clear. At this stage I would not bother mentioning anything about court action but this will start your paper trail should that be needed in the future.

Possibly worth sending this to all addresses you know.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Thanks. Companies house show a few changes of address, pretty sure I have the most recent but will send it to all of them anyway and get the latest one they have listed.

EDIT: I thought proof of postage was simply that, and they didn't sign at their end anyway?
 

arthur

Nixon Garden Neatness
when entering into a contract on the telephone:

check your cancellation rights in your terms and conditions. These should have been sent to you in a letter or email when you bought the service
If your complaint to your service provider has not been successful, you can pass the complaint to a telecommunications ombudsman who will help you.

Ombudsman Services: Communications
Tel: 0330 440 1614
Textphone: 0330 440 1600
Fax: 0330 440 1615

E-mail: enquiries@os-communications.org
Website: www.os-communications.org
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
As it's business to business it's all a lot different to normal sales, much less protection. The ombudsman have told her to request the call recordings, they want to charge her for them and can't get them right now apparently. They also said they'd only allow her to listen over the phone and couldn't give her a copy without her bosses permission and he wasn't in.

I've advised her to also get the call he made to her earlier threatening to cut her off and take her number, I assume she is entitled to this even though he called her because she is in the call? Obviously phone records prove the calls took place but I'd like a copy of what was said.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I should add the ombudsman checked the atlas website and confirmed my oh had cancelled in compliance with all t&cs listed, so irrespective of anything else no contract exists.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Thats what she requested, they said it would cost £10 per recording and she'd have to listen to them over the phone rather than receive a recording. They're just a bunch of pikey bastards trying to extort money, the only issue is OFCOM can't stop them losing her number. Made me realise how pointless these bodies are, and why people think they can hide behind a telephone completely safe. Bit odd when the internet gives you so many details on them so easily but I can see why people not that technically savvy think it.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Just to confirm, they can charge a tenner but I can request multiple recordings? My oh hung up on them today and they rang back immediately and laughed at her saying you can't get rid of us that easy. I have nearly a dozen calls I need recordings of.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
I really think that you need to put this in the hands of a decent solicitor (obviously that excludes ALL the solicitors in Stafford). Would be worth looking to see if your OH's business insurance covers legal costs, in the same way that most home insurance does.

You're going to get nowhere with them because they are well versed at this and know how to wind you up and scam you even more. But with a decent solicitor, you ought to get somewhere.
 

captainpish

Well-Known Forumite
Id be tempted to travel down to their office and start turning tables and knocking heads together. It almost got to that stage with virgin media for me. For over a year they had been charging me for somebody else bundle, around £50 a month and just didnt want to give me the money back once i found out. Took over 20 phone calls to get sorted and over 4 months. Was lied to had phone put down numerous times, told the cheque was in the post etc. I sypathise with you. It makes you soo damn angry dealing with people over the phone who think they can just take the piss out of you.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Id be tempted to travel down to their office and start turning tables and knocking heads together. It almost got to that stage with virgin media for me. For over a year they had been charging me for somebody else bundle, around £50 a month and just didnt want to give me the money back once i found out. Took over 20 phone calls to get sorted and over 4 months. Was lied to had phone put down numerous times, told the cheque was in the post etc. I sypathise with you. It makes you soo damn angry dealing with people over the phone who think they can just take the piss out of you.

Tempting as it is I'd rather pursue it legally, although I may give him a ring at home tonight just to check what I have are his real details.
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
Oli and I happy to come with you of you need 36 stone of swivel eyed loon behind you when making your point mate.
 
Top