My giffgaff PAYG mobile service was disconnected on the basis that I had allegedly used the service overseas for an extended, continuous or permanent period.
My SIM and account had only been active for a short period before giffgaff disconnected the service. Despite this, giffgaff stated that my device had been connected to international networks “over an extended period, far exceeding reasonable limits for temporary roaming”.
Giffgaff did not provide the exact roaming dates, the duration of the overseas connections relied upon, or the specific published term that defined my relatively short period of PAYG roaming as extended or permanent overseas use.
The response also referred to and declined a refund request that I had not made in my original complaint. This raised concerns that my case had been answered using a generic template rather than being properly reviewed on its individual facts.
Giffgaff relied generally on its Terms and Conditions and Fair Usage Policy, but did not identify the specific published time limit that my account had allegedly breached.
I requested a PAC and transferred my number to another provider solely to prevent the permanent loss or recycling of my mobile number. This transfer did not resolve my complaint and did not mean that I accepted giffgaff’s decision.
I asked the Ombudsman to review whether giffgaff had acted fairly, applied its published terms correctly, and properly investigated my individual circumstances before disconnecting the service.
五、我要求的补救
我在 Ombudsman 里主要要求:
1. Refund all remaining PAYG credit and the unused value of any active plan at the time my service was disconnected.
2. Provide a written explanation of the factual and contractual basis for the disconnection.
3. Provide a written apology for the inaccurate and generic handling of my complaint.
4. Pay reasonable compensation for the loss of service, inconvenience and poor complaint handling.
5. Confirm that transferring my number to another provider to prevent it from being recycled did not waive or resolve my complaint.
六、提交后经历了什么
提交之后,案件状态大致经历了:
Complaint escalated
→ Prepare Case
→ Awaiting Company Action
→ Investigate
→ Decide
中间有一段时间一直显示:
Awaiting Company Action
后来 Ombudsman 给 giffgaff 设置了 company action deadline。
之后我收到邮件:
giffgaff has had a chance to review your case and wants to offer a resolution.