MSE News: EE refunds Ј1m after mistakenly charging VAT on non-EU data

A question about : MSE News: EE refunds Ј1m after mistakenly charging VAT on non-EU data

Thousands of EE and T-Mobile customers are sharing a Ј1 million refund after being charged incorrect VAT rates...

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'EE refunds Ј1m after mistakenly charging VAT on non-EU data'

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• I was in Turkey during October and got charged VAT on both my personal phone (EE) and works phone (BT).
  Everything I'm reading is a little unclear about whether Turkey is EU or not.
  Can anyone help?
• I thought that new Ofcom rules came into play where it should cost the same to sign up with a company and to make a complaint or call customer services.
  The EE website lists an 03 number, which they state is free from landlines, if you want to join. Yet people who want to reclaim their Ј2 VAT are provided with an 07 or an 0845 number to dial?
  Surely that breaks the rules?
• Just tried to call them up but you get their awful automated phone service.... problem is they don't offer any relevant option to reclaim this money.
  My guess is they will deliberately make it difficult for people to reclaim and then they pocket all of the money that they don't have to pay back.
• I just called them too, firstly they said they could not find my account number as I am a former customer and asked me to login online to check it - which I can't do as my mobile number is no longer active I had with them!
  So I called back and didn't mention the VAT thing and just said I needed to find out my old account details, hey presto they found my account number!, then got transferred to another dept to talk about the VAT thing after I raised it and they guy says as a former customer I will get a bill through on the 8th if I have been refunded anything, again seems odd to me as I no longer have an account with them!!
  So will call up 10th Feb after this alleged bill has been generated no doubt to get fobbed off again!
• I also called them on that number (an 07 number) and got fobbed off. They're clearly not interested in paying refunds or helping customers find out if they've been overcharged.
  As others have said, the first issue is that there is no suitable option (the choices are: 1. Existing customers; 2. People who want to become an EE customer; 3. Top-up; and 4. Home broadband. The set of options at 2 are least bad and I did at least get through to a person in the end. When I did get through to someone, however, I was told that the problem has already been resolved, texts sent and bills repaid, even for former customers.
  When I pointed out that EE, the BBC and others are saying publicly that former customers have not been texted and have to claim, he denied it. Reading from a script, I assume, he told me there's almost no chance I was overcharged (despite the fact that I know I was roaming outside of the EU throughout this period). He also claimed that since I left EE so long ago (it was last year), he wasn't able to bring up my bills.
  I can't believe that there is a sincere effort on EE's part to repay the overcharged VAT.
• Frustrating isn't it, typically we will prob have to raise our cases with some Ombudsmen somwhere, wait 6 months, write about 100 letters then be told we're entitled to 15 quid back.
• Just spent 23 minutes on a call with Niamh at EE customer services. She , nor her manager, had heard anything about it an actually looked on the MSE website for info.
  The final advice they gave was for me to email Martin Lewis and say that the information he is providing is wrong!
  So I am no further forward and having been a T-Mobile customer since 2010 until Dec 2014 and spend half of my year in Spain would def be due a refund.
  Where do I go from here?
• I have spoken to someone (after great difficulty getting through to a person) and they couldn't find my account. Was then put through to their non-UK customer services team and she asked for my bank account number to identify me -I made it clear that I was on PAYG so they wouldn't have ever had any bank details from me.
  Long story short, she admitted she was on the wrong team for PAYG former account queries and was given a new number to ring (0800 0790 006). I asked to be transferred given previous problems getting through and reluctantly this was done, but the phone went dead soon after.
  I just rang the number above and spoke to a gentleman who said he had not heard about this VAT refund and maintained that he had no information about my account because I had left Orange. I asked how then was I supposed to claim a refund as a former customer (as the BBC website tells me to do)? The gentleman then just kept reading from his script and shouting over me when I tried to explain that I was a former customer seeking a refund. He then hung up on me.
  Has anyone had any more luck? Can we get some help from the MSE team on this?
• Just phoned EE and was told they haven't a clue what I'm taking about.
  Whilst in contract with EE 2010-2014, I have spent approximately 3 years on business outside of the EU, regularly making calls, text, and utilising data roaming. My monthly bills were aways around Ј200-400 per month over the back-to-back 24 month contracts. Without doubt, they owe me a refund!
  Any more information on how to claim this? EE customer services were pretty shocking during my contract terms, and have proved no different during the call I just made.
• I just spent 24 minutes on the phone having called the T-Mobile number provided in the MSE article. The first minute was navigating through the very frustrating menu (I ended up going through to account cancellations), the next 19 minutes I received hold music, a lady then answered so I explained why I was holding... without any comment / response, she then put me back on hold and was then cut off. Great response... NOT! Now off to bombard them with some customer service feedback via Twitter / Facebook!
• I also contacted EE on Twitter earlier following my horrible experience mentioned above, and they got back to me to say that former customers will be automatically refunded. I think this is a lie given both the BBC and MSE articles say the opposite.
  If you are also struggling with this, then I suggest that you contact BBC Radio Five Live and ask Martin Lewis to address this issue on his lunchtime slot next Monday. Their twitter address is @bbc5live.
  After today I actually think EE are somehow even worse now then they were when I left them...
• Does anyone have an E-mail addy for EE?
  The telephone lines don't have an option appropriate to sort this.. Shockingly!!
  The only E-mail is for broadband..
  I could of course use snail mail and NEVER get an answer..
  I left T-mobile/EE after about two years of very VERY poor customer service and unreasonable charges and actually took them to the ombudsman AND WON!!
  I see they haven't improved..
• So, I've just been on the phone to T-Mobile and have been tld that all ex and current customers will be getting an email/text by the end of the month informing them of the process in order to receive money back.
  Whether this is the case or not, I dont know but at least I know that if I haven't heard anythig by Feb I can chase it up.
  Although it was quite hard getting through to a Customer Service Agent as there was no option for this. I had to call as if I was an existing customer! Bit long winded to get through to anyone but definitely worth it if you get money back!
  Good luck everyone!