Narked to say the least

[simonp]

I've just received notification that Global Communications (A company who supply my freephone number for floorfillerz) have gone into administration prior to liquidation and my my freephone number will be cut off from tomorrow - Brilliant!!!!
All my advertising and literature features the freephone number as well as a mobile number. Surely if people call the freephone number and it's 'dead' the majority aren't going to bother with the mobile number.
I take it I have no redress whatsoever? Anyone any clues, all this administration stuff is out of my league?

[StarZSoundS]

I've just received notification that Global Communications (A company who supply my freephone number for floorfillerz) have gone into administration prior to liquidation and my my freephone number will be cut off from tomorrow - Brilliant!!!!
All my advertising and literature features the freephone number as well as a mobile number. Surely if people call the freephone number and it's 'dead' the majority aren't going to bother with the mobile number.
I take it I have no redress whatsoever? Anyone any clues, all this administration stuff is out of my league?

Blow Me Simon....


What a pain in the :Censored: for you!!!:bang: :bang: :bang:

[Rowleys]

Dam can you not keep the number and transfer to an other company or something

[JTRS]

If a buyer is found who takes it on as a 'going concern' you might be given the first offer to retain your number, however, the legal position is that you are a simple creditor (ie low priority behind the likes of the HMRC, VAT, local council etc), so any money you have paid to the Company for goods or services will only be refunded if there is any money left from the sale of assets after the non-simple creditors have had their pound of flesh.

JTRS

[Corabar Entertainment]

TBH, I wouldn't waste your energies at this point in looking into whether or not you have any redress (chances are the small print in their contract will leave you out in the cold anyway, and even if it were an 'unfair contract term', you'd still have to 'fight' to get anywhere).

Instead, put your energies into finding another supplier pronto to whom you can transfer the number!

Look into the small print once you're sorted.

EDIT: I was assuming the 'redress' angle you were speaking of was with regard to the short-notice, rather than the 'money-owed' angle that JTRS has assumed.

[Pe7e]

The chance of you getting cash compensation are about zero, your only hope is the receivers manage to find a buyer (in the same market sector), for the client list/business goodwill, and this buyer offers to transfere you their service. It's probably worth your while to contact the administrators, and ask them if any plans are in place to protect the clients interest

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

your only hope is the receivers manage to find a buyer (in the same market sector), for the client list/business goodwill, and this buyer offers to transfere you their service.

Simon did say that they are going to liquidate the company, so I doubt that will happen.

[Pe7e]

Simon did say that they are going to liquidate the company, so I doubt that will happen.

To liquidate a business, the liquidators do just that, they sell the assets of the bankrupt company for the benefit of the creditors, the client list is a valueable asset to a competing company, assuming the data protection act doesn't prevent it.

[simonp]

Thanks for the replies guys & gal - Further digging. It would seem a company called TTNC sold all the numbers to GCS who then 'resold' to customers with promises of 'lifetime number' and 'no other charges ever' etc etc.
There's a Q&A type thing here (http://www.ttnc.co.uk/gcsadmin.do#q1) if anyone fancies a gander.
From what I can work out, I still own/have exclusive use of the freephone number, however, I require a Telephone Operator to host it, hence why it's being disconnected.
So TTNC are offering to host on a PAYG package - i.e. more expense for a number I had 'Bought For Life' etc.

Yes Angela it was the short notice rather than cash as even I know there would be practically no chance down that avenue.

It would seem with TTNC you can pull out at any time, so I may just pay the initial charge of £25 and then bin it - giving me enough time to remove remove the freephone number from websites etc (already done Website & Yell).
It's just I begrudge paying out for something I've technically already paid for if that makes sense.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Simon: there are LOADS of suppliers out there you can port your number to (I've moved suppliers a couple of times to get better rates without having to change our number).

If I were you, I'd port it over to their recommended supplier as a stop-gap (as they are likely to be geared up to do the move quickly), but rather than binning the number, have a look around for a new supplier at your leisure and port it again.

[simonp]

Simon: there are LOADS of suppliers out there you can port your number to (I've moved suppliers a couple of times to get better rates without having to change our number).

If I were you, I'd port it over to their recommended supplier as a stop-gap (as they are likely to be geared up to do the move quickly), but rather than binning the number, have a look around for a new supplier at your leisure and port it again.

That makes more sense than my 'knee-jerk' reaction - will do - Thanks Angela

[Corabar Entertainment]

;)

[Disco Jimi]

I would check your bank statements as well, as a friend of mine also used them for his 0800 number (on the £99 one off fee for life, no call charges deal) and a few weeks ago they took some money from his bank account which was not authorised.

When Global Communications rang me several months ago to try and get me to sign up, I did ask them what would happen if they went bust. The salesman told me that the regulator would pass the number to another company to take over.

The Administrators will be looking to sell the business as a ‘going concern’, but I can’t see many people being interested, as most of the customers will be on the pay one fee for life tariff, so they will not generate any income for the new business as the fee has already been paid to Global Communications. The Administrators should be able to sell the customer data, and I presume whoever buys it will then contact all existing customers and ask if they want to switch to them, but I presume they will not do this for free and will want a fee and probably charge monthly fees thereafter.

Ofcom are the communications regulator, so hopefully they will step in and help customers switch provider and negotiate a good deal.

If there is any money due to you, this will rank as an unsecured claim. If you paid a one off fee, it would be very hard to prove how much of it is actually due back to you. In the vast majority of cases, the unsecured creditors do not receive a penny, so I would just write the amount off and forget about it as it is only a small amount.

The Administrators should write to you and include a ‘Notice of Appointment of Administrator’ and within three months of appointment they should send out their proposals which will give you a better idea of whether you will ever get any money back and what they plan to do with the business.

James

[simonp]

I would check your bank statements as well, as a friend of mine also used them for his 0800 number (on the £99 one off fee for life, no call charges deal) and a few weeks ago they took some money from his bank account which was not authorised.

Yes you've just jogged my memory, they took an unauthorised amount out in January and after quite a while I got through to query it, and got passed from one person to the next. I was then told a finance director would ring me (strange as the amount was only something like £55), but I never received a call back and have subsequently forgotten about it :doh:

[STEVE HANLEY]

Hi Simon

Does it cost your potential clients ringing your freefone number if their ringing you from their mobiles? It's just that 99% of all the phone calls I receive enquiring about the disco seem to come from mobiles.

Off topic.........Brilliant mix mate take a bow son:) ;)

[simonp]

Hi Simon

Does it cost your potential clients ringing your freefone number if their ringing you from their mobiles? It's just that 99% of all the phone calls I receive enquiring about the disco seem to come from mobiles.

No the freephone (0800) number didn't work from mobiles, only from landlines (I did mention this in the contact page on my website but not anywhere else I believe)


Off topic.........Brilliant mix mate take a bow son:) ;)

Cheers Steve, appreciated.