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They play on fear which is really outrageous but they would never dare to got to a court of law as they would be ripped apart. The advice from trading standards is normally just to ignore them, stand firm and they will go away in the end. You are in the right and better than them and anyway under the regulations can cancel the contract. They will threaten but that is it. If they phone just hang up and don't get involved in any sort of conversation as it is useless. Send them the registered letter ( you won't get a reply) and keep receipt etc but I wouldn't waste anymore money or sleep of them

Thank you for that. I appreciate all your help and reassurances. I am comforted by your suggestion that they would not dare to go to Court. Will follow all the advice here and let you know how it is going.

Abster: To add to Bill's advice: If you have a phone which displays the number, just don't answer at all. I ignored the last call in early November and have not had another since then.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't tell you how reassuring it is to have people to talk to about this. Just about to make my phone calls to Trading Standards, will let you know how it goes when I get through

I felt just like you did Abster - we all did at one point or another. It's amazing how somebody being 'nice' and explaining what's going to happen can feel so threatening. My TS officer rang TAPA direct and more or less told them that I had cancellation rights under the Distance Selling regulations. I haven't heard from them since, so take heart!

Its a horrible feeling to have. Very isolating, which is all part of their intimidating game, I guess?
I spoke to someone at TS today who logged all the information and said she would pass it on but said I may not hear anything if there is an ongoing investigation. I've also sent a letter off to TAPA by special delivery to make doubly sure it will get there tomorrow, I thought the Xmas post overload might be a potential delay.
I have had numerous missed calls today from unknown mobile and withheld numbers, I assume they have had their demand for money declined. Not answered anything so far. Must try and not forget to not answer!
Will send the email later today - feeling a bit jittery again.

This excerpt from the DSR's show that you have 4 ways to cancel and that cancelling by letter is from the day of posting not 2 days after it is received as TAPA try to say,
Try not to worry they don't have a leg to stand on and are just bullies with no legal position in law

(3) For the purposes of these Regulations, a notice of cancellation is a notice in writing or in another durable medium available and accessible to the supplier (or to the other person to whom it is given) which, however expressed, indicates the intention of the consumer to cancel the contract.

(4) A notice of cancellation given under this regulation by a consumer to a supplier or other person is to be treated as having been properly given if the consumer—

(a)leaves it at the address last known to the consumer and addressed to the supplier or other person by name (in which case it is to be taken to have been given on the day on which it was left);
(b)sends it by post to the address last known to the consumer and addressed to the supplier or other person by name (in which case, it is to be taken to have been given on the day on which it was posted);
(c)sends it by facsimile to the business facsimile number last known to the consumer (in which case it is to be taken to have been given on the day on which it is sent); or
(d)sends it by electronic mail, to the business electronic mail address last known to the consumer (in which case it is to be taken to have been given on the day on which it is sent).

Also if you do answer the phone don't engage them in any form of conversation just hang up

"This excerpt from the DSR's show that you have 4 ways to cancel and that cancelling by letter is from the day of posting not 2 days after it is received as TAPA try to say"

I haven't heard the above claim before. Did TAPA try to claim that they had to receive the cancellation within 7 days of someone completing the online form?

I really felt like that too. My stomach was tied in knots for a few days but then I stumbled across scam claims on the MSE site and then on this one. It was really helpful to see them.

So your bank/visa provider is actually withholding payment from TAPA. I assumed that they would just refund you and stop the card.  I thought that you had to wait 30 days before they would act on your behalf?

No - sorry to confuse, what I said earlier still stands and the 30 day thing still applies. My card is blocked to prevent anyone else demanding money.Its temporary.I'm reluctant to say too much at any one time as previous posts have said that TAPA monitor these pages and as you all have said at various points, some postings are so daft that they must have been done by TAPA. I know this makes me look flaky and as if I'm changing my story... I'm not,  I'm just nervous that they could pick up tips on ever more devious ways to avoid being caught from all our experiences.Or maybe I'm just nervous. Thank you for sharing with me how you felt, too. I feel like I'm on Red Alert and running round the corridors of the Star Ship Enterprise with the lights flashing all the time.

Thanks for the additional info. Theres so much of it to understand and pick out the relevant bits that I find it hard to concentrate and need to keep reading it before it sinks in. They really have no legs to stand on, do they? Only bullying ones.

Abster, you are NOT flaky - this is how they want you to feel. Honestly, they haven't got a leg to stand on. Just keep remembering we've all been there and we're all right behind you. Keep posting everything that happens - and I know it feels like its taking over your life - and someone will always be there to advise.

Hi abster: That's fine. Understood. It was just your ref to calls today from unknown numbers that made me wonder.

Stick with it as long as you do what the others suggest you will be fine and these scammers will get bored and move on to someone else. I fear for the others who are not so lucky in commign across this info and the vunrable section of society could be effected by this the most.

Thank you all again for your support. I sent an email off this morning and had the automated reply followed quickly by blocked and withheld phone calls. I haven't answered any. Also had voicemail from the very reasonable sounding Philip Medhurst asking me to give him a call. Also an email to contact him at my earliest convenience and he will do his utmost to assist me with my communication. I have not responded. It is not early enough  for my convenience. I confess it rattles me more that I understand. Am I right in thinking that i just ignore everything from now on?

I would if its getting you down though I would call BT and tell them your being harrased. They should change your number for free if you make it sound that its most unwelcome and upsetting you.

Continue to ignore the messages. TAPA rang me the day after getting my first cancellation email but only to insist that I was not allowed to cancel as it was allegedly outside the 7 day cooling off period (which it wasn't). My arguments got nowhere. Irvine just claimed that it was impossible to cancel and made threats of court injunctions. Don't speak to them as they will NOT listen. Their phone messages are always polite but subsequent live conversations are aggressive. With me they never blocked or withheld the number though.

Right. Firmness is in order then. I won't respond to email or phone. Will let you know what tomorrow brings.