Problem with ARMS solved

Tom Reader

Jul 20th 2012, 16:01

So Francis Saliba M.D. who created the problem in the first place?
By reading your comments below, certainly not ARMS.
You admit signing an unsolicited form from ARMS, without reading the small print.
Do you normally fill in your bank details on unsolicited forms?
Why send a cheque as payment when your bill clearly states "Payment of your account will be
effected by Direct Debit through your bank account" in both Maltese and English?

What I find even more disturbing is that you are an M.D.! Whether you are a doctor or managing director you of all people should understanding the forms you are signing. If I was your patient or share holder/employee I would be very worried (even scared)!

Take responsibility for your actions and don't blame others for your mistakes

aldo Attard

Jul 19th 2012, 10:14

Though your problem Mr Barbara with ARMS now seems to be solved, my stallman with ARMS keeps on going.
You see the problem arose when one fine day I received an actual bill pertaining to the previous 6 months
worked on 4 in No persons in the household. Now I should state that some 15 to 20 days before the closing date of the bill, one in the household of 5 moved on and registered his ID in another address.
Not surprisingly the bill came out sky high compared to the norm.

I wrote and complained to ARMS writing several E- mails where I came to the conclusions that things were settled.
But to my amazement one other day I received a fresh new bill still with the disputed €76.66 added.
And I am still hanging in the balance.

This is a summary of the correspondence:-

ARMS Ltd,
Attn.
Jacqueline Pace
June 11, 2012

Dear Madam,

Regarding our last communications, which items you still can oversee down below, I have not yet received an updated bill which you promised you would forward from ARMS.
Instead I have received a bill covering from06 Apr 2012 -- 04 May 2012 which had nothing in dispute.
But worst still, to this bill it was added a balance in dispute of (Euro 76.66) which was supposed to be corrected and refunded.
Can you please see to it and issue an updated bill showing the actual total due. Euro 115.20

Please correct accordingly and revise the said bill dated 31/5/2012
Ref: Invoice No 15293889 Account No101000019105

Thank you for your cooperation,
Always yours
Aldo attard

May 26, 2012
Dear Mr. Attard,

Thank you for your email,
With reference to your email below, please note as already explained in my previous email dated 26th May 2012 you had to submit the form together with the meter readings as stated and instructed on form itself to receive full subsidy. Therefore no case for revision is applicable on account. All bills will be issued on four persons.
The previous remaining balance of €76.66c has been carried forward on last invoice issued.
Should you require further assistance please do not hestiate in contacting us,

Kind Regards,
Jacqueline Pace
Call Centre Agent

May 26, 2012

Dear Mr. Attard,

Thankyou for contacting us, please excuse our delay in replying to your email below.
With reference to your email here under, kindly be informed that mentioned invoices are issued correctly according to the application submitted on 13th March 2012. Please note that before submitting the form, as stated and instructed on form itself it clearly states to provide us the meter readings so that an actual bill will be issued prior to the update of the number of persons on the relevant account. Thus will issue an up to date bill till the 13th of March 2012 with full subsidy that is with five persons, and future invoices will be issued on four persons.

Should you require further assistance please do not hestiate in contacting us again,

Kind Regards,
Jacqueline Pace

May 16, 2012
ARMS Ltd,

Dear sir,

I received my last W & E bill in error; i.e. providing for 4 persons.
Actually the said bill should account for:

For 5 persons - till 13th March 2012

Electricity reading - 29475
Water reading - 3006

For 4 persons - from 14th March to 5th April 2012

Electricity reading - 29897
Water reading - 3019

I am sure you have the date where ONE in my household changed address i.e. 13th March 2012

Please correct accordingly and revise the said bill dated 10/5/2012

Ref: Invoice No 15164796 Account No101000019105

Total due approx. E 360.84 which I have already credited though E billing.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Always yours

aldo attard

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Jul 18th 2012, 15:35

I was stupid enough to use diect debit once with a local cable TV company. Never again. I battled with them for two whole months (phone calls, emails, etc) as, after my account was debited, the company kept on insisting that they had not received the money. I finally solved it when I had to go to my bank manager and plead with him to directly inform the Tv company that the money had been transferred two months before. No thanks - it seems that in Malta, the customer is always wrong and has to sort out himself problems created by the supplier. I prefer paying by cheque any time.

Mr Lawrence Mifsud

Jul 18th 2012, 11:02

Can we, please, have Mr. Saliba's version regarding his authorization form that ARMS say he filled in?

Alan Kay

Jul 18th 2012, 10:26

If direct debits go wrong it can be a nightmare. As an alternative - which gives absolute control - I put forward a system for payment that does need access to internet banking and is foolproof, having used it for many years in UK and here.

Using annual cost from last years bills - divide by 12 - remit this amount monthly in the "pay bills" dropdown of your internet banking portal. As bills arrive each payment is shown and offsets the amount due. - over a year the account will be in balance.

Of course, the account has to be up to date from the outset, and it does pay to add 10% each year for price increases

No doubt correspondents will now add the supposed unreliability/insecurity of internet banking to the equation - something I have not found in nearly 20 years!.

However, if the motivation to pay the bill in the first place is lacking, there isn't a means of payment that will cure that.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 18th 2012, 10:23

I confirm that that the problem is solved - but only because I raised the matter in the press and after I had exhausted all possibilites with ARMS customer care, to no avail.

I did not download any application. I signed an unsolicited form posted to me by ARMS offering a reduction on bills settled by direct debit when the small print stated that applying for the offer was in itself an authorisation to direct debit. I was not aware of that authorisation and my demand to be shown the document was refused - until I raised the matter in the press.

ARMS Customer care refused to accept my request that I be allowed to cancel the authorisation for direct debit. After I raised the matter in the press, not before, I was promised that an application to cancel would be posted to me. Up to now I have not received that form.

HSBC have already accepted my instructions to cancel that direct debit order - again only after I raised the matter in the press.

I never accused ARMS of actually withdrawing any money by direct debit - they withdrew funds on the strength of my cheques. Unreasonably ARMS wanted to retaining a right to withdrew the same amount by direct debiting of the same bill. That was unreasonable.

ANTHONY PAVIA

Jul 18th 2012, 10:15

Complete agreement with you on this one Peter. I have just received an estimated bill @ 3 times my average consumption for the last 4 years. When I contacted them, (and I must say their CC rep was very cooperative) and explained the problem, and vented my disgust at being charged 6% if I do not cough up the dough, I was advised that this rule does not apply to estimates. I was advised that I should calculate how much to pay and act accordingly. If I had DD active, this would not have been possible.

Peter Murray

Jul 18th 2012, 09:47

I would advise anyone not to avail themslves of this relatively small discount for utilising the DD service as when things go wrong it is the customer who has the problem of rectifying it which usually takes a lot of time and when you overpay it becomes a nightmare to get any monies owed back.