The Mobile Republic

Let's just say that The Mobile Republic are okay.

As like many others here, I got suckered into the SIM package where they pay the 12 months line rental (you pay the first 3, then they give you a rebate)

Whatta ya know? Month 4....nothing, nadda, zilch! No emails, their telephone number now doesn't exist! But the website is and some poor people could get suckered into buying a phone not knowing they won't see the phone or their money again.

I had a feeling this would happen the moment I said yes to the dutch telephone sales person.

I have called T-Mobile and they seem to have heard of the bad name themobilerepublic.com is giving them and will try their best to help me get my money back.

I don't need the extra line, I don't want the extra bill and I want my money back!

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!

This is my second view, I have been waiting for my rebates on my contract which was promised by the Mobile Republic.

I haven't had any of these, and they continue to ignore my emails.

I hope people all join in by contacting Watchdog here letting know exactly what cowboys these guys are.

NEVER EVER BUY FROM THE MOBILE REPUBLIC! I THINK THEY HAVE NOW GONE INTO LIQUIDATION WHICH IS 'GOOD'. Basically, I was supposed to get rebates of £30 for first 6 months and £15 for 6 months after that. I have recieved none of them. Contacted trading standards, the bloke did everythin he could but when the company is so poor there is only a certain amount they can do. They've now gone bankrupt so I probably won't recieve any money. SO ANNOYED! I'm now in a contract with no free txt messages or nothing! grrrrrr

The Mobile Republic - Well campers, take heart that at least one of us MAY have come out of this terrible company with a smile; let me explain.....

8th January this year I ordered a sexy Samsung E700 on Vodafone. Three months later and a bucket-load of tickets, that laughable system they use, and more than a few phonecalls, I still hadn't received my phone, but, I did receive a letter from Singlepoint saying they'd set my direct debit up for 30 quid a month and would be taking it in a weeks time. Hold on, I thought, 30 quid? My contract was for £17.50, and that wasn't my number, and a totally wrong tariff. So I did what everybody else should do, I rang my bank, explained I hadn't had a phone or even letter, and the amount was wrong, so the upshot was my bank, over the phone, cancelled the direct debit mandate. I rang Singlepoint and explained this, and they said OK (as if there was anything else they could do as I hadn't entered into any contract with them or signed any paperwork)

I also cancelled my order with Mobile Republic.

A couple of weeks later I got a letter from Singlepoint saying I owed them £30 as the direct debit hadn't been paid, giggle, and that I should ring up with a debit card to pay, and my account with them was closed. I then rang them and explained all, and was put through to a customer service specialist, who then agreed I didn't owe anything after having it cleared with a manager. A week later I had a letter from them confirming this.

So good news, my account was closed with Singlepoint too and everything was hunky dory.

The next day, an email arrived from Mobile Republic, predictably, saying my new sexy phone was being dispatched the next day. The phone did arrive too and they debited my account for £69.99. I was a bit livid and have tried for a month to get in touch, tickets and phone, but to no avail.

I am now sitting pretty though as I have a £3-400 mobile phone for £69.99 and I am now intending to sell it to get my money back, or just keep it as a spare. But one thing's for sure, until I'm refunded, in the next few days, and the cost of postage sent to me, there's no way it is being sent back.

All in all, if it turns out right, I'll be quids in, and the website for Mobile Republic, as of tonight, seems to be unavailable, hopefully they've gone bust.

Here is a letter that I have sent to Croydon Trading Standard. They are well aware of The Mobile Repulic, yet they still seem to be letting them trade.

Email Croydon Trading Standards on [email protected]

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Dear Trading Standards, (sent on 13th May 04)

Further to my conversation yesterday with [name deleted], I have attached a letter that I have sent The Mobile Republic - along with evidence of correspondence.

All I want from The Mobile Republic is for them to:

1) provide me with a returns number

2) Once they have received the good back (a phone-free sim card), for the Mobile Republic to call Singlepoint(Vodafone), and cancel my 12 month contract.

I am currently locked in a 12 month contract with Singlepoint as I am unable to get in contact with The Mobile Republic to get a returns authorisation number.

Please assist me in chasing this matter up as I have not been able to contact The Mobile Republic for 2 weeks now - either by phone (20 phone calls) or their online ticketing system (4 tickets without reply).

This has been an awful experience from the start - and has totally put me off using the Internet for making purchases. They have not provided the product to my requirements - which were clearly outlined when making the order. I hope the Trading Standards of Croydon - having acknowledged the numerous complaints about this company - will realise that this company will continue to treat their customers with the highest disregard.

If you need further evidence of many customers that have suffered at The Mobile Republic's hands, then simply click these links:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews.php?id=3345&level=reviews&p=1

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews.php?id=3345&level=reviews&p=2

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews.php?id=3345&level=reviews&p=3

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews.php?id=3345&level=reviews&p=4

I will also be contact BBC's watchdog with regards to this matter.

Regards

Kei

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(Letter to the Mobile Republic)

Customer Services Manager

The Mobile Republic

Square Root Centre

Windmill Road

Croydon

CR0 2XD

12 May 2004

Dear Sir/Madam

Invoice number: XXXXXXXX

I am writing to officially log a complaint about problems with my product and regarding the level of service I have received since purchasing it from The Mobile Republic recently.

I made an order for a phone-free sim card (contracted to Singlepoint/Vodafone) on 20 April 2004. Whilst making the online order, I categorically stated in the comments box that if my existing Vodafone mobile phone number could not be ported over to the new sim card, then I did NOT want the sim card.

On the 22 April 2004, I received an email acknowledging the order but informing me that the network refused to connect me. I was advised to choose another network or product. After this email, I understood that I would not be receiving the product/that the order be terminated. My online account details via The Mobile Republic website also showed (and still shows) the status of my order is still in the process of a credit card check and not ready for dispatch. However I still received the sim card pack in the post on the 30 April 2004. I contacted the Mobile Republic to enquire about my existing number being ported over. My request to have this number ported to the new sim card was not actioned and I was not contacted by the Mobile Republic to say otherwise. After being on hold for 25 minutes a Mobile Republic customer advisor told me that porting the number over to the new sim card was the responsibility of Singlepoint and not The Mobile Republic.

I immediately contacted Singlepoint directly and was informed that they could not alter the number on the sim card as the sim card had already issued to me and activated. Singlepoint advised me to cancel my contract with The Mobile Republic, and requested that you contact them to confirm the cancellation of the contract, to move my existing number over and then for you to reissue or reactivate the card. At this point I still wanted the sim card but only, as before, on the condition that I could retain my existing number. This information was sent via The Mobile Republics online ticketing system on 30 April 2004, again requesting that a customer advisor contact me to discuss the above. I gave clear instructions that if my existing number was not moved over, that I wanted the contract terminated and I would return the sim card. I have had no response to this.

Finally on this day as a last resort I called the 7 days returns number but could not complete the request for the cancellation because I needed to supply a returns authorisation code which I was not given because I was unable to get through to a customer advisor and had no response to my emails.

Since then I have logged further online tickets, and time and time again no customer advisor has responded. Copies of all email correspondence are attached. The queries remained unassigned until today (12th May 2004) when I discovered they had been closed for no reason. Whilst writing this letter I have received an email to apologise for the delay in replying to my ticket due to technical errors, but it has no reference to which ticket it is in relation to.

I now wish to return the sim card to The Mobile Republic and have requested a cancellation number in order to follow this through, again to no avail. I am extremely unhappy with the total lack of response from your customer services to resolve the problem I have highlighted to them. All I wanted from the outset was to purchase a sim card and have my existing number assigned to it. It has been a nightmare from day one. I should not have been sent the sim card in the first place because I was informed connection was refused by the network provider. I do not understand why after the sim card was sent I have been unable to get anyone to respond to any of my queries to get my existing number moved over. All it takes is for a simple phone call to explain to me what the situation is and what can be done to resolve the problem. I have been able to contact Singlepoint to explain the situation and they have in fact frozen this number based on the circumstances. They also have a full log of all my calls to them.

You contact your customers with an email confirming their orders and advise 'If you need anything be it product advice, troubleshooting or any form of help then visit: http://www.themobilerepublic.com/faqindex.asp' Customers are further advised to email the Mobile Republic '24 hours per day 7 days a week where an advisor will be waiting to help'. I have acted on this advice but have been hugely disappointed and frustrated at the lack of response from your organisation.

You appear to have a professional appearance from your website but this should not negate the fact that customer care is of utmost importance. Your established customer care protocol to deal with queries and respond within 24 hours is not met. From my experience callers are continually placed in a call-waiting system, emails remain unassigned, are not responded to and are terminated without being resolved.

I believe that The Mobile Republic has failed to reach their aims - that the customer comes first and that there is ease of contact. I have tried on numerous occasions to contact your customer services department but have been unable to get through each time and have been put on hold for ridiculously long periods of time (sometimes even close to an hour). Additionally, I contacted the customer services department via your email ticketing system, but again to no avail. I have received no response at all to any of my enquiries.

After conducting a little research on the Internet I have discovered that many others have similar complaints.

Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, with any goods purchased via the internet, the customer is entitled to a seven day cooling off period. I believe my right to cancel within this period was negated by the fact that I was unable to contact anyone at The Mobile Republic about this problem and to get a cancellation number. As a last resort, I contacted the Mobile Republic to cancel my order and have not been able to do this firstly because I get no response and secondly because your firm operates a system whereby I have to be assigned a cancellation number, which I was never given. Based on the above regulation and on the surrounding circumstances which have complicated by the failure in your customer care procedure, I trust that The Mobile Republic will honour my request for a cancellation of the order/contract and will allow me to return the product without incurring any charges. Singlepoint are happy to cancel the contract once The Mobile Republic have confirmed the return of the sim card.

I would be grateful if someone could respond to this letter with the utmost urgency. I would like to be sent 'a returns authorisation code' in writing. Once I have received this I am happy to return the sim card and this will be the close of this matter.

Yours sincerely

Mr Kei

Encs.

cc. Croydon Trading Standards

BBC Watchdog

I ordered a nokia 3310 smf mobile handset from The Mobile Republic in january for £71.99. I have not received my order yet. Can't get through to them as there is always recorded message. The only way to communicate with this company is by submitting tickets and that takes ages before you get reply. I contacted watchdog but they did not bother to do anything.

It appals me that companies can legally continue trading in the way that The Mobile Republic do. Complaints on this site and others go back 2 years or more yet people are still being caught by their slick website and the fact that comparison sites effectively collude with them by featuring their advertising. I was tempted by one of these and am still trying to get my money back 2 months after the event.

I have now, on the advice of Trading Standards, sent a letter to them recorded delivery, more in hope than expectation, quoting my statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act and Distance Selling Regs.

Buying goods over the internet will never be trusted unless companies are effectively regulated.

The Mobile Republic - I'll not bore everyone with another sob story. I ordered, they were out of stock, they have said I'll be getting a refund. That was February.

I have reported them to Watchdog but I don't hold up a lot of hope.

But, if you are still waiting for a refund go to https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco/index.jsp. That is the online version of Small Claims Court. You have to register which takes a short while and you have to pay £30 and have a postal address for the defendant (on a review below) and WHEN you win you get your refund and the court costs. Also you can charge them interest from the day they started to owe you money untill it is paid and late fees are charged.

The Email addresses of the main people in the company are on their website, so bombard them with complaints.

I ordered a 12 month contract mobile phone from The Mobile Republic in the vain hope that it would be delivered before Christmas, a lot of mobile phone suppliers take a day or so and I thought that this company would be the same. How wrong I was.

After placing the order on 19th December, I was told that the phone was in stock and would be delivered within 5 working days. After numerous emails requesting delivery of the phone I was then told that it would be delivered in good time for when my old contract ran out. How wrong I was.

Numerous emails were then sent requesting any information as to when the phone (Sony Ericsson Z600) could be delivered. The most information they were able to give me regarding this was that the phone was in high demand due to the festive season and rest assured it would be delivered within 24 hours of receipt at their offices. This then changed to 7th January. Needless to say this came and went without any phone. My phone did arrive 7 weeks after I first placed my order.

Happy now? Not so. I then needed to connect my phone to the network. This was supposed to take 24 hours. Again, numerous phone calls and complaints were sent in order to rectify the lack of connection. To connect my phone to the network eventually took 14 days.

Trade in envelope. This is so that you can send your old phone in and get money back for it. The idea is that it saves you having to sell your phone privately. At the time of placing my order, my phone had a value of £50, by the time they actually sent me my envelope it had decreased to £42. My envelope came 10 weeks after I placed my order for the phone. At the time of writing I have still not received my trade in money, this is 2 months later. Their customer service department needs serious work!!

Now I'm supposed to receive a bluetooth dongle to use with my phone. Apparently I am due to receive this 120 days after receiveing my handset. We can live in hope. Although past experience with this outfit makes me cautious.

Their customer service is appalling. They do acknowledge any complaints you may have (multiple) but as for sorting them out, so far I have not received any result.

As the previous reviewer said, please contact Watchdog if you are having problems. I have already done so and am waiting now to hear from them.

I can say in all honesty that you would be better off avoiding this company at all costs. It'll be worth paying a little bit extra to actually get what you order in a reasonable amount of time.