Authority For Services

[Grittar]

Hi All,
One of our admin staff cancelled our phone and internet services with BT and signed us up to another provider who stated they would cover any cancellation charges 'as long as it wasn't too much'.
After switching we found out that the charges were in the thousands and the new company refused to pay.
My question is were BT correct to let an admin colleague to cancel our contract? Should they not have got authority from a Director?
We have said we would return to BT if the charges were refunded in full but they are saying 'we can discuss it once you're back'. We've stated we need it in writing that charges will be refunded in full once we've signed up again but no response so far
I would be interested to hear your thoughts and advice on this

 

[NickGrogan]

How would BT or any other company know what level of authority the administrator has?

During the call they will have asked something along the lines of are you responsible for the telephone lines and they will have said yes. The salesperson will take them at their word, what other option do they have?

Ask the new telecoms company for a recording of the call, they will have one and see exactly what was said.

There should also have been followup emails from the new company, what did they say?

Generally to complete a sale, the comms company will ask for DD details. Does the administrator have those details.

Sounds like more of an internal training problem

 

[fisicx]

As long as BT have the correct authorisations they will process the cancellation. They are not privy to your internal organisation so won’t know if someone has the authority or not.

And the new company doesn’t give two hoots about the charges. It’s not their problem.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

they would cover any cancellation charges 'as long as it wasn't too much'.

'we can discuss it once you're back'.

So 2 bads will make a good?

Slightly different view - Did the person have authority to make the change? I would be surprised if the new contract didn't ask for a signature from a 'duly authorised person', as would the cancellation of the BT contract.

How have you disciplined the member of staff?

 

[MJD12]

Many credit agreements and contracts require a signature from a company director. If it states this in the contract and you haven't signed it then the contract isn't legally binding.

However, I signed a contract for a new phone system couple of years ago, as an employee, without authorisation from a director.

In my opinion it sounds like you'll need to accept these charges, and I agree with the above I'd prioritise reviewing your internal training.

 

[numbersrule]

This sounds like a speculative call from the other provider. The way those type of switches of provider work is that the new speculative provider offers to handle all the changeover. The new provider contacts BT on behalf of the transferring customer. I suspect the new provider may have circumvented some required procedures when cancelling with BT on behalf of the company in question.
The only internal training aspect to this is that account handlers need to resist speculative sales pitches.
Clearly, the new provider is not operating correctly.
Equally, you need to push back hard on BT and make sure they understand that BT themselves are partly culpable.

The whole switching system needs a big shake up. It really irritates me. It's become far too easy to switch which means the rights of customers are compromised.

 

[NickGrogan]

This sounds like a speculative call from the other provider. The way those type of switches of provider work is that the new speculative provider offers to handle all the changeover. The new provider contacts BT on behalf of the transferring customer. I suspect the new provider may have circumvented some required procedures when cancelling with BT on behalf of the company in question.
The only internal training aspect to this is that account handlers need to resist speculative sales pitches.
Clearly, the new provider is not operating correctly.
Equally, you need to push back hard on BT and make sure they understand that BT themselves are partly culpable.

The whole switching system needs a big shake up. It really irritates me. It's become far too easy to switch which means the rights of customers are compromised.

Nope, if it was harder to switch people would be here complaining that BT wouldn't let them leave, etc.

Can you explain how you think making switching harder would improve customer rights?


This goes against everything that pretty much every regulator is pushing for.

If the new provider circumvented the required procedures, that's on BT, and it seems unlikely.

It's not a matter of resisting sales pitches. If the administrator isn't responsible for the phone lines, then they should not talk to anyone about phone lines. Tell the caller that you're not responsible, and they'll be gone in a few seconds.

They will have had to provide bank details to complete the sale. Again, if they are not authorised, why are they sharing them?

The OP should be glad it was a phone company, not a scammer.

Serious staff training is required.

 

[MJD12]

The only internal training aspect to this is that account handlers need to resist speculative sales pitches.

I'm happy for my staff to forward me a proposal they might think would be beneficial to the business. But the problem here is that the employee of the OP has taken it upon themselves to sign a contract worth £1000's. Even if the telephone sales pitch promised the world, a written contract would have been signed.

 

[numbersrule]

Nope, if it was harder to switch people would be here complaining that BT wouldn't let them leave, etc.

Can you explain how you think making switching harder would improve customer rights?


This goes against everything that pretty much every regulator is pushing for.

I didn't say anything about making switching harder. Absolutely not. I'm all for having the option to switch if the customer so desires. Where I think the shake up is needed is in the area of unsolicited telephone calls and emails. What I say is allow the customer to switch at a time of their own choosing. The preference to stay with a provider should be based solely on the standard of service provided and should have nothing to do with how much time is left on a contract. This in conjunction with making all unsolicited calls and emails illegal would create a far better customer experience and this would thereby avoid customer rights being compromised.
We need to get to a position where customers can go and look for alternative services if they so desire.
Not have a world where customers are subjected to a constant and detrimental bombardment.

 

[NickGrogan]

It's become far too easy to switch

I didn't say anything about making switching harder. Absolutely not.

Clearly you did.

You're also suggesting restricting reasons why people can change suppliers, which is odd.

Are you in favour of making it harder to switch bookkeepers as well?

 

[numbersrule]

Clearly you did.

You're also suggesting restricting reasons why people can change suppliers, which is odd.

Are you in favour of making it harder to switch bookkeepers as well?

Hi Nick Grogan

I appreciate your dogged challenge as it is helping me to crystallise some thoughts.

When I said it has become far too easy to switch, what I meant was it has become far too easy for the consumer to fall into the trap of being bamboozled by unsolicited telephone calls and emails.

Folk should be left alone to make their own choices at the time of their own choosing.

Anybody would think there wasn't a natural demand for services.

Advertising should be made to be passive.

That would solve many of the world's problems.

 

[NickGrogan]

Hi Nick Grogan

I appreciate your dogged challenge as it is helping me to crystallise some thoughts.

When I said it has become far too easy to switch, what I meant was it has become far too easy for the consumer to fall into the trap of being bamboozled by unsolicited telephone calls and emails.

Folk should be left alone to make their own choices at the time of their own choosing.

Anybody would think there wasn't a natural demand for services.

Advertising should be made to be passive.

That would solve many of the world's problems.

Laws like PECR and GDPR?

Which of the world's problems would be solved by making advertising passive? Genuinely interested to know.

 

[fisicx]

@B2 Bookkeeper - what do you mean by ‘advertising should be passive’?

Are you suggesting there should be no active promotion of any goods or services?