A British Wi-Fi provider failed to automatically terminate their time-limited contract and then charged them with “subscription-free” data charges. Members of the British Armed Forces soldiers reacted angrily.
Wifinity, supervised by Ofcom, told former subscribers of the Ministry of Defense base that they will receive hundreds of pounds of data service bills that the former customers did not want and did not register, which caused a wave of anger.
These bills were subsequently “amended” to £10-30 without explanation, such as Register, What a former customer told us was a cynical attempt to induce the recipient to pay to avoid further trouble.
A Wifinity spokesperson told Register“Due to technical reasons, some Wifinity customers are still using our network even though the subscription has ended. We apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we are currently conducting a full investigation.”
The spokeswoman continued in the statement: “We want to assure our customers that, according to Ofcom’s guidance, we will only pay refunds to those who have continued to use the network in the past three months, even though their subscription has ended. “
A soldier named William told us that he had been on duty at the Royal Air Force station and purchased a 24-hour Wifinity subscription: “When I left at 6 in the morning, I never used it again. I received an e-mail The email said it was going to be there. However, September 24th did not… They tried to say that I used the Internet for more than 55 hours and 9GB of data was free.”
Wifinity bill sent to the British soldiers, shown as Register
Another soldier, Scott, said that he thought his device was connected to the commercial Wi-Fi network at his base, but he was surprised when he received a payment request.Scott told us that he “only for [Wifinity] Serve in another camp where there is no other choice.”
Although Wifinity sent emails to customers citing the “Ofcom regulations” that allowed the company to charge them for services they didn’t want and didn’t intend to use, it could not determine the regulations it relied on.
When register When asked, the company cited an unofficial version of the regulator Ofcom metering and billing direction [PDF], And section 4.8.4 on delayed billing.
The company appears to have admitted the error of the additional bill in a Twitter post:
Hello @fillyourboots @MiningWe recently contacted a small number of subscribers about a software failure that caused billing issues. If you receive this message and think it is an error, please contact us at support@wifinity.co.uk or send us your details.
-Wi-Fi (@wifinityuk) December 17, 2021
When register Asked why it was originally believed that the billing system malfunctioned and caused the former customer to be notified of the payment, Wifinity told register“We have never intended to put any of our customers at a financial disadvantage. We provide 24/7 customer service support for anyone experiencing financial difficulties. Only customers who have used the service will be charged, and Wifinity offers this service speed at a significantly reduced price.”
Ofcom was not impressed, told Register The regulations cited by Wifinity cover adding charging events to scheduled future bills if they are accidentally missed, rather than generating new bills.
A spokesperson for the connection service regulator said in a statement: “According to Ofcom’s rules, when a customer signs an Internet service, the cost of the Internet service should be clearly specified, including the length of the contract period and the process of renewal or cancellation. Contracts.
“Customers who think they have been charged incorrectly should file a complaint directly with the company at first. If this does not solve the problem, please submit their case to Ombudsman Resolve disputes”.
Wifinity (Undated) terms and conditions Explains on its website that its “fixed term” package is actually a monthly subscription:
A four-week recurring package-not a month-means that the customer has 13 billing cycles in a calendar year.
Alfie Usher, MD of the insurance business Power comparison Who emphasized Wifinity’s requirements on his military theme Facebook page “Fill up your boots”, let register Knowing that he could not comment because he lost his internet connection.
Wifinity’s website states that it provides paid Wi-Fi services at approximately 100 Department of Defense locations across the country.It also stated that the company, as a Fujitsu subcontractor, provided business connections to the Ministry of Defense, and in some way signed Armed Forces Convention, “The country’s commitment to ensure that those who have served in the military or have served and their families are treated fairly.”
There is nothing more “fair” than a “fixed term” subscription. It has no fixed end and charges you 13 times a year. Merry Christmas! ®
