Company 1 engaged in a contract with a prep service.
Initially, they were informed that Company 2 would secure better shipping rates via a courier.
Later, Company 1 discovered that they were being charged additional hidden fees on top of the courier fees. These fees were not disclosed upfront, and Company 2 did not provide detailed courier invoices, only stating a total amount to be paid.
In the contract says Annual fee xxx ex vat including carrier management.
Questions:
Are these considered hidden, undisclosed fees?
Is it misleading for Company 2 to not disclose these fees to the other party?
Should VAT be charged on these extra fees?
If people can claim back hidden fees from financial institutions when misled, shouldn’t this situation be similar since wrong information was provided?
Should Company 2 provide all courier invoices to show the actual charges?
Additionally, Company 1 had an annual plan that ended after 12 months. Company 2 is trying to charge a 60-day notice fee per month for more money than the amount per month was (annual/12).
What should Company 1 do in this situation?
Where should they seek advice? Possible options include a consumer advice service, the Financial Ombudsman, the Department for Business and Trade, or another organization.
What does the written contract between you and company say? It’s always cheapest option to work out the solution between parties involved instead of getting others involved.
Found in the terms (not in the contract): you will be offered a new annual membership. If refused, you will be enrolled in the same membership for another 60 days until further notice. Dividing the annual fee, it comes out to much less per month compared to what they want for the next two months during this “notice period.” Are they trying to rob again?
But this is not the only problem. The biggest issue is the hidden, undisclosed charges for a year. The contract says: Annual fee xxx ex VAT, including carrier management.
There is no transparency, only lies, and unfair treatment. It feels like being scammed by a business you are supposed to trust.
I’m not involving others but bringing awareness to such practices. Since this group is to help others and ask questions, I would like to see opinions and advice. I did contact FSB, and under some conditions, hidden fees can land the other party in court.
It seems too intense for any prep center to deal with clients like that. What is the prep we’re talking about? I don’t understand why any prep center would try to force you to pay for another two months’ subscription when you are clearly not happy with their service. Anyway, it’s still best to avoid involving third parties, as that can get expensive.
There’s nothing intense if you are transparent about any charges and everyone knows what you are paying for. Trying to charge even more per month than what was actually agreed upon is another issue. Hiding information and not telling the truth is the real problem.
I would not pay any undisclosed fees, especially if they say all fees are clearly specified. If you asked for any special services, yes…fees might be added but in the same time, they should had told you about. Otherwise not. If the carrier charged in addition, they must clarify what it is.