"I'm not going to pay your bill" - Germany

So a company has mistakenly billed me for a service I cancelled well within the proper time period. I'm not worried about that, but I do want to get it cleared up ASAP, so want to write them a letter to tell them why I'm not paying, so that I can get confirmation of it before we move.

Can anyone help me with the wording of saying basically the following:

I am unable to accept or pay your invoice, as I cancelled our agreement within the required notice period. Attached you will find documents showing said cancellation.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herrn,

da ich unsere Vereinbarung rechtzeitig (d.h. innerhalb der Kündigungsperiode) widerrufen habe, sehe ich mich nicht in der Position, auf Ihre Zahlungsanforderung eingehen zu müssen.

Im Anhang sehen Sie den Schriftverkehr, die meinen Standpunkt belegen.

Bitte bestätigen Sie mir schriftlich, dass Sie keine weiteren Rechnungen mehr in dieser Sache an mich schicken werden.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Most excellent, thanks Didsbury!

Da ich den Vertrag form- und fristgerecht gekündigt habe, wird die Bezahlung Ihrer Rechnung abgelehnt. Ich verweise auf den beiliegenden Schriftverkehr und bitte um schriftliche Bestätigung, dass die Forderung Ihrerseits nicht weiter verfolgt wird.

A little harsher than DD, but shorter as well.

I don't think the noun agreement is right between clauses here?

If you're using singular "den Schriftverkehr" in the first clause, it's technically incorrect to use the plural in the second clause. (Though you'd get away with it in colloquial speech, as it would be understood that you basically mean "the documents".) So I think it should be "den Schriftverkehr, der meinen Standpunkt belegt"?
Disclaimer: non-native speaker!

Do you have confirmation from them that they accepted the cancellation? Proof you sent them a request to cancel is not proof that they accepted it...

Tiggi's version looks better to me as well.

Fucking tell me about it, this is the second year I have tried to quit vodafone, any written cancellation requests get mysteriously lost in the post, at least until after the 3 month window where you are allowed to cancel.

And of course the bank wont simply cut the payments.

so why don't you send the letter by registered post

Yeah next time I take a day off I will.

Actually a lawyer told me that sending a registered letter is not enough, they can claim you send them an empty envelope. To be really sure you have to get a Gerichtsvollzieher to deliver a letter.

What do you mean the bank won't cut payments? The bank is obliged to cancel any direct debit if you request within 6 weeks.

Hmm I will have to look into that too, they told me only vodafone can cancel it. Same story when I tried to quit the gym, (although in that case I was still in the contract so it was fair enough I guess)

You're absolutely right Tiggi - not even my (proper) German colleague(s) noticed. But as you said, if it's too late Showem will still get away with it. Bavarians and grammar, tsssssssss...

@Tiggi - who gives a monkeys if the noun agreement is not quite right! It read alright to me and they'll get the message!! That Digsbury fella's mail does the job.

Well, Showem might, perhaps?
Of course the original does the job, I just happened to notice something that might optimise it, that's all.

Must remember your response next time one of my customers has a query though...

For those who need closure, I decided first to phone the company rather than sending a letter straightaway. I'm guessing it's a problem they've had before, because she didn't even question me, just told me to fax them the invoice with her name on it and "stornieren" and she would take care of it. Follow-up phone call shows she has the fax and has taken care of it.

So I'll just keep this thread in mind in the off chance that it still slips through the cracks. Thanks for your help though.

Pleasure and Bon Voyage then

Ksa you want to send it registered post with RückgabeSchein.This means that you get a piece of paper back when the recipient has received the letter.Your bank must stop payments and they can even reclaim wrongfull withdrawalls for up to 3 weeks after.When all said and done its your money

Hi gang, I have a similar problem, but slightly more complicated than Showem's.

I need to send a letter to cancel my Deutsche Telekom account, as they have been billing me since August for phone service that I have never received. It's a long story, but basically after making several appointments to have the service installed (and the technical people never showing up) I have been billed for nearly four months of service even though I've never actually had a phone line.

I want to request a refund for the amounts I have already been billed, and will enclose the relevant invoices.

I don't even want to bother calling because I never get through to the right department, so sending a letter seems the best way. Can anyone suggest a concise wording for,

'I need to cancel my account, as I have been billed for service I never received. I am also requesting a refund of the enclosed invoices.'

Many thanks in advance for helping me cut ties with this horrible company.

'I need to cancel my account, as I have been billed for service I never received. I am also requesting a refund of the enclosed invoices.'

Ich kündige den Vertrag fristlos, da ich die in Rechnung gestellten Leistungen trotz mehrmaliger Terminsvereinbarung zur technischen Einrichtung nie erhalten habe. Des weiteren bitte ich um Erstattung der beigefügten Rechnungen auf Konto ... bis ..."
Very important: Set them a deadline. After that, get a writ and impound their frigging bank account.

Also handy is to request eine schriftliche Bestätigung. Thanks for reminding me why I pay by bill, not DD

Thanks sarabyrd, that looks great! Will report back on what happens... and, for the record, not that it hasn't been said before on TT but...

Deutsche Telekom sucks. Hard.

gg - I had exactly the same problem. Applied for the line end of June, got connected end of August. Billed since June. I called them up, explained the situation and was told I would get a refund on my next bill. True to their word in my October bill the excess charges were deducted.

Send the letter Übergabe-Einschreiben/Rückschein.

True, Telekom once charged me for a website that I did not have. After I complained I got reimbursed with the next bill.

This doesn't have the same function. All the registered mail does is confirm they got it. It doesn't confirm that they will refund your money! They could receive the letter then disagree with it...

Yeah, but they can't say that they never got it or were informed of the deadline. If they don't react - no matter which way - you can take the next necessary steps.

That's true, but since you quoted me and then said to send it per Einschreiben, I thought you were linking your info to mine

It only confirms they received something. It doesn't confirm the content.
See above. The can say they were not informed of the deadline (unlikely, however, and there is probably no better way, but with an organisation as large as Telekom, anything can happen)

So do you have a better suggestion for how to ensure they can't deny having received the request, YL6? I'm not being cheeky, I'm being serious.

Edit: ah, you must've edited your post, I see now that you've indicated there is no better way. Pity, I was hoping you knew a failproof way to make sure I get my money reimbursed!

Um, there is the fax option, actually. That way you have a confirmation of receipt AND content... I have cancelled my DT account by fax, so I know that it is accepted.

On the other hand, you can put a little P.S., stating that they will also receive the original by post shortly, and send it with "einschreiben".

Y'know, I wondered about that. Good to know that someone else has successfully used the fax option to cancel... will do that first, followed by a letter via post.

Memo, do you remember which department you faxed the request to?

You are supposed to send it to the number/address on the most recent invoice, as each customer has different responsible billing offices.

Telekom really sucks.

We had ordered DSL in January, but cancelled a few days later as we decided for another provider.
Still got hardware and bills, sent them back, bills were cancelled, it all seemed to be OK. For a few months.
Then all of a sudden they charge us 68,00 € for providing DSL - which we don't have from THEM. When I phoned them they even admitted to have on their records that we have DSL via another provider. But still sent us invoices. Took me another 4 phone calls to sort thins out.

My colleage also had a problem to cancel a Telekom-contract.
She cancelled the contract of her cousin, that had died, and Telekom keeps on sending bills. It's not only annoying, it's also mentally very hard for her to phone and write Telekom again and again to tell them that they are requesting money for a service to a person who died months ago. And then getting reminder after reminder...

Am just thinking: almost everybody I know who is or has ever been customer of Telekom has at some point received a bill (so in most cases that means direct debiting) for a service that has not actually been rendered.
So if Telekom get away with this in only 1% of all cases, they make a huuuuuge amount of money with it...
Question just is: could they reduce their staff by (let's say) 80% if they just stopped sending bills for non-supplied services? And make even MORE money with that???
Even if they don't get away with it in any case, they still have the interest of the money they debited from people's accounts, cos it usually takes months before you get the money back from them...

So maybe the Telekom people are in fact not silly at all, but very, very clever.

After 20 years in the collecting business I still recommend Übergabe-Einschreiben/Rückschein above a fax. You have the signature of someone working for/empowered by your opponent, and if said opponent claims not to have received your letter it sheds a bad light on his organization. Courts like that kind of meaty evidence when it comes to proving a point.
Only asking for written confirmation of his receiving your letter is generally not very effective.

It seems to me reading threads in this vein that not only is the market in this country not geared towards the consumer, but that consumer power is negligable.

Out of interest, is there a regulatory ombudsman for the Telecom's industry? Are there any TV programmes similar to the British 'Watchdog' where consumers name and shame, or magazines such as 'Which' with consumer reports from experts in varying fields? If not, then there is a huge market gap that needs to be filled.

Am not watching Germany TV lately, but a few years back there was a programme called "Wie bitte?!" where people reported the bad experiences they had with companies - and Telekom always had a special report in every single episode...

Don't know why they stopped this programme, it was hilarious - and I think it actually helped quite a few people because it was so embarrassing for the rotten apples to be named in a TV show.
But didn't seem to improve much at Telekom apparently.

You're still not getting my point, but nevermind. I give up! Good luck GG anyway. I think I have to claim money back too, since they charged me for internet access before they sent me the hardware.

There is. http://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/enid/6c034...85bd5,0/xn.html


There are several. But I can't remember the names.

But I think people got fed up with hearing about Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Post every week.

Sort of similar, I've been billed by the Mieterverein even though I don't live in Germany and the money has already been taken from my account, so I prepared a letter in German but not sure if it's harsh enough to send. If anyone could take a look and clear up the grammar mistakes and suggest alternatives for the content, I'd really appreciate it. So annoying!

Beendigung der Mitgliedschaft xxx.xxx

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich habe Ihnen einen Kündigungsbrief am 02.07.07 geschickt, da ich am 13.09.07 nach England umgezogen bin, und habe daher kein Bedarf, Mitgleid bei Ihnen zu sein.

Sie haben mir am 03.07.07 geantwortet, dass die Kündigung erst gültig ist, wenn ich Ihnen meine amtliche Abmeldebescheinigung zuschicke. Das habe ich in November 2007 getan.

Nun habe ich neulich gesehen, dass Sie am 02.01.08 trotzdem €62 von mein Konto ohne Erlaubnis abgezogen haben.

Ich bitte Sie deshalb, dass Sie innerhalb von den nächsten 20 Werktagen das Geld züruck am mein Konto überweisen. Sonst müsste ich juristische Hilfe aussuchen.

Mit freundlichen Grüssen

Perfect. But if this was a Lastschrift (direct debit) you can protest it within six weeks after the debit.
EDIT: Oops, just registered the date of the debit.

Change that last paragraph to:
Ich fordere Sie auf, diesen unberechtigt abgebuchten Betrag bis 10. April (Eingang auf dem Konto) zu erstatten. Bei fruchtlosem Fristablauf werde ich die Angelegenheit meinem Anwalt übergeben.

Wow that's great Sarabyrd - thanks! Fingers crossed

6 weeks after a valid statement showing the debit, actually

If you've only just seen the debit, maybe you only just got a bank statement showing it? In which case you are within time to retract the payment.

Couple of minor grammatical corrections:

I logged into my account online which is when I noticed it. I can't remember seeing it on a bank statement but it's more than possible I overlooked it!