Is TOT Going to Put Me In Jail?

[Ebumbu]

Hi. Would like some practical advice for staying out of trouble, please. So, I cancelled TOT fiber-to-home perhaps a year ago, by phone. The service was too slow. I complained many times, in person, and ultimately got a different service (3BB) and stopped paying the TOT bill. This was after having an account in good standing for many years. The service had deteriorated and the price went up. 

 

After 6-8 months, I started getting demands for payment of 7000 baht for services rendered. The thing is, they cut you off after one month, so a 7000 baht bill isn't justified. I had cancelled by phone. And, there would be no service after one month of non payment. I called their office to make my intentions clear. I think it fell on deaf ears. 

 

Today, after a year of switching away from TOT, I got a certified letter in my PO Box at the local post office from TOT. I told the post office to return it undelivered. They did. Am I courting disaster, such as Thai police showing up and locking me in a dungeon? I don't want to pay what I don't owe, but it's a higher priority to stay out of Thai jail. Your suggestion? I'm not dripping with money, and a 7000 baht bill is significant for me. Do I go into local TOT office and negotiate for half or something like that? 

 

Thanks! 

[Pilotman]

the TOT contract is normally 12 months, so after that you are free to leave after one months notice. Did you return their router?  This you need to do. 
This you need to do. Check the terms of your contract, they may just be playing games, or so inefficient that they don't apply their own rules, which would not surprise me.

Edited November 10, 2020 by theoldgit
Edited to correct and merge two posts.

[BigStar]

6 years after I cancelled my TOT landline, they sent me a final bill for B300 accompanied by a legal threat to pay up. They have lawyers.

 

I paid and did so nicely.???? Go to the TOT office and have a talk w/ the ladies. 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by BigStar

[Kwasaki]

19 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

Your suggestion?

[Ebumbu]

I tossed the router. That was unwise, yeah. I'll go in and talk with the ladies. I literally don't know if they have the power to send a police captain and a squad of pickup trucks. It seems unlikely, right?

[userabcd]

When you signed the contract how long after you cancelled the service.

 

There are some penalty to pay if you cancel the service within 1 year of signing the contract to pay for the installation, equipment and service. This is described clearly when one signs up for the service.

 

The router equipment should be retained and returned to them.

[Ebumbu]

It gets complicated. They signed me up for a new contract with a higher cost. I never signed it. They asked and I refused. I felt it was a bait and switch. The technician was supposed to be "repairing" my existing service, and instead they were extorting a more expensive one. 

Nevertheless, they switched my service anyway. The technician just went ahead without a signature. The new service sucked from day 1. I'll go through my paperwork and visit local office. How about I offer cost of router only? If they agree, what do I need from them as proof of resolution? 

 

Can they arrest me if I were to ignore them? I'm thinking of the Jet Ski guys. ????   I won't ignore them, but I like to know what I'm dealing with and level of urgency. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Ebumbu

[Grumpy one]

The 7 grand is probably the price of the router you tossed.

If so go and pay it and get it put to bed.

[Ebumbu]

Just now, Grumpy one said:

The 7 grand is probably the price of the router you tossed.

If so go and pay it and get it put to bed.

 

Oh. That much? I'll find out. If so, yeah, that's on me. 

[userabcd]

2 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

It gets complicated. They signed me up for a new contract with a higher cost. I never signed it. They asked and I refused. Nevertheless, they switched my service anyway. The installer dude just went ahead without a signature. The new service sucked from day 1. I'll go through my paperwork and visit local office. How about I offer cost of router only? If they agree, what do I need from them as proof of resolution? 

 

Can they arrest me if I were to ignore them? I'm thinking of the Jet Ski guys. ????   I won't ignore them, but I like to know what I'm dealing with and level of urgency. 

Don't know it never happened to me. Suggest you go to see them and discuss and see if you can negotiate.

 

Do you have a Thai friend who can assist you with translation?

[Ebumbu]

4 minutes ago, userabcd said:

Don't know it never happened to me. Suggest you go to see them and discuss and see if you can negotiate.

 

Do you have a Thai friend who can assist you with translation?

 

For the letter or the contract or both? I'm looking for contract, but might be easiest to go into the office. 

 

[tinca tinca]

50 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

Hi. Would like some practical advice for staying out of trouble, please. So, I cancelled TOT fiber-to-home perhaps a year ago, by phone. The service was too slow. I complained many times, in person, and ultimately got a different service (3BB) and stopped paying the TOT bill. This was after having an account in good standing for many years. The service had deteriorated and the price went up. 

 

After 6-8 months, I started getting demands for payment of 7000 baht for services rendered. The thing is, they cut you off after one month, so a 7000 baht bill isn't justified. I had cancelled by phone. And, there would be no service after one month of non payment. I called their office to make my intentions clear. I think it fell on deaf ears. 

 

Today, after a year of switching away from TOT, I got a certified letter in my PO Box at the local post office from TOT. I told the post office to return it undelivered. They did. Am I courting disaster, such as Thai police showing up and locking me in a dungeon? I don't want to pay what I don't owe, but it's a higher priority to stay out of Thai jail. Your suggestion? I'm not dripping with money, and a 7000 baht bill is significant for me. Do I go into local TOT office and negotiate for half or something like that? 

 

Thanks! 

always CANCEL IN WRITING.......AND keep a copy of your letter...

[Tagged]

Everything have to be signed off with copy off id card or passport of the one who signed the contract. 

 

We signed off our dtack phone abb this spring, did all the paperwork they asked for, and now 6 months later we got a bill from them even we got the reciept on sms. I did not have that sms on my phone anymore, but lucky I still had the sim card, since they wanted us to make a copy of my gf id card, sign it, and send it back from the very same sim card. They really mess up things if they can. Christ sake

[Tagged]

However lesson learned, keep all paperwork handy as long you believe you need it, and a bit longer ???? do not forget the sim card

[userabcd]

10 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

 

For the letter or the contract or both? I'm looking for contract, but might be easiest to go into the office. 

 

The contracts are important and the communication you wrote if any. The contract you signed and the one you did not sign when they renewed and improved/upgraded your service, who requested the upgrade and did they provide other hardware.

 

For the contract you did not sign it may give you some leverage to negotiate. If the service upgrade was done within the time frame of the original contract, you need to see that.

 

Suggest you go to see them and be prepared to pay and finalise the matter.

Edited November 10, 2020 by userabcd

[robblok]

Your a little bit naïve to cancel by phone. There is no record of you doing so. You are not in a strong position.

 

Also its not necessarily true that after 1 month of non payment service stops depends on your contract and I doubt its that easy.

 

I think you were a bit lax, best thing to do like others said is go to the office see what the charges are for. Ignoring wont work.

[Ebumbu]

5 minutes ago, robblok said:

I think you were a bit lax, best thing to do like others said is go to the office see what the charges are for. Ignoring wont work.

 

I was probably angry. The new service (3BB) is perfect and half the price. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Ebumbu

[robblok]

Just now, Ebumbu said:

 

I was probably angry. The new service is perfect and half the price. 

Angry or not, even in my country canceling by phone is a risk as there is no record. Some companies allow it but most wont. This is Thailand they love paper.

 

Anyway i would just go to the office and see what it is about. But your not in a strong position. I am not sure if they can throw you in jail. 

[kingofthemountain]

14 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

 

I was probably angry. The new service (3BB) is perfect and half the price. 

I had exactly the same experience as you but in the reverse

 

i was with 3BB, one year of shi...ty service with no internet half of the time

tons of lame excuses on the phone and so on

at the end of the one year contract, i have tried to cancel it

they wanted my passport for that, no way i give it to them, i was pretty sure if i give them my passport

they will try to start me again for one year more.

 

So i say to them to go where the sun never shine and no router returned.

Of course few letters and call to thread me about payement, pursuits and so on.

 

After few weeks, tired of all this circus, i walked in one of 3BB shop and say to them i wasn't to go to pay

anything nor be again a customer for them, never in my life. It took 3 differents ladies and 4 or 5 phone call

during my stay in the shop (Around 1 hour) but at the end they give up, i had nothing to pay and no router returned.

 

I am now with TOT, i pay half the price and my internet is perfect

[Swimfan]

49 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

 

 

Can they arrest me if I were to ignore them? I'm thinking of the Jet Ski guys. ????   I won't ignore them, but I like to know what I'm dealing with and level of urgency. 

No. it would be a civil matter not a criminal one.

[petermik]

8 hours ago, Ebumbu said:

I tossed the router. That was unwise, yeah. I'll go in and talk with the ladies. I literally don't know if they have the power to send a police captain and a squad of pickup trucks. It seems unlikely, right?

Avoid going to the offices...you will be shot on sight

[Captain Monday]

5 minutes ago, petermik said:

Avoid going to the offices...you will be shot on sight

Not so. I had an issue with a 3bb wifi Router and took it in to ask for a new one.

They laughed at it it was a model from 5 plus years back. Got a new one free.

The old router was not wanted.

[Ebumbu]

10 hours ago, Swimfan said:

No. it would be a civil matter not a criminal one.

 

Cool. God forbid TOT leads me to barricade in my rental.  ????

[Susco]

I signed up with TOT I think 2 years ago. They had a promotion at that time in which new customer paid only 10 Baht for installation and equipment.

 

I know TOT sucks big time, but it was the only fibre available in my area at that time.

 

So when I signed up in their regional head office, I told them that I needed acceptable international speeds.

 

We did a sped test in the office, which was 25 Mbps to UK, so I asked them to write in the contract that if it went below that speed I could cancel and the cancellation fee of I think about 5000 Baht if cancelling in the first year would be waved.

 

So they came to install and I had more than 30 Mbps to UK. The next weekend I had about 2 Mbps to anywhere international.

 

The next weekend it was the same, so after 2 weeks I went back to the office, and they knew why I came, as I had spoken with the head of technical department already.

 

I paid 350 Baht for 2 weeks, and still have the router and fibre modem

[Ebumbu]

2 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

 

So they came to install and I had more than 30 Mbps to UK. The next weekend I had about 2 Mbps to anywhere international.

 

Check this out. From Dallas, USA, to Thailand. Wow. And about 1000 baht a month. It's legit. Upload is just as good. Not cached. And stable! 3BB. I was getting under 5mbps on TOT. I was ignored. 

 

 

[andygrr]

Generally in Thailand they will not accept cancellations by phone you need to go in with copies of ID / passport in the name of account holder and sign some paperwork. 

[FritsSikkink]

22 hours ago, Ebumbu said:

I tossed the router. That was unwise, yeah. I'll go in and talk with the ladies. I literally don't know if they have the power to send a police captain and a squad of pickup trucks. It seems unlikely, right?

You did everything wrong what you could do:

1) You can't cancel by phone, anyone can pretend to be a customer. you need a signed letter. You didn't do this so the running contract was still valid. 

2) Refusing to read the letter send to you

3) Throwing away a device which isn't yours. This is criminal damage.

 

Pay up and behave as they got you by the balls. Yes, the police and court will come after you if you don't settle this.

 

 

[FritsSikkink]

21 hours ago, Swimfan said:

No. it would be a civil matter not a criminal one.

Throwing away the router makes it a criminal one.

[rwill]

Instead of calling to cancel you should have went to the local office to cancel.  That way you would have had something in writing.  Plus as others have said you have to return the equipment.  They would have told you that.

[CM Dad]

The best solution to avoid problems both here in Thailand and worldwide is to do things in person and get and keep receipts.  I know this will not help with the issue posted, but offer my comments as advice for the future.