My small business has been a Customer of Veolia for over a decade, but I noticed that their charges had began to creep up. I had recently received a number of additional charges relating for my waste bin being ‘overweight’ so decided to shop around for a new deal after I was unable to get through to Veolia on the telephone. Needless to say I had underestimated how difficult it was going to be to exit the contract.
Having decided on a contract with Biffa, I arranged for the new bins to arrive and promptly contacted Veolia to cancel my agreement. I expected the contract to be 90 days which I was prepared to suffer, and after 20 minutes of being on hold, was eventually able to speak to someone. The person I spoke to said my case would be referred to the Veolia customer retention team; and I thought little of it.
Fast forward a few days and I received an email from Veolia’s customer services, telling me that my cancellation charges would be in excess of £1700. I was absolutely astounded. Within the email, I was sent a copy of the contract which was originally signed by the previous owner of my business some 16 years before; it was clear that Veolia were going to make it impossible for me to terminate the contract without a considerable payment.
It transpires that Veolia have some very onerous terms and conditions; one being that the cancellation period is 90 days’ notice in writing prior to the contracted date to exit on the contract date. As the notice period had not been received the contact has rolled over for a further 12 months. Incredible!
I had no idea of the terms of the contract as I inherited it from the business’ previous owner. Had I have realised the (frankly incredulous) contract terms, I would have reconsidered my options. It would seem that Veolia have an entire team dedicated to recovering these fees from unsuspecting business owners. Not a surprise, as there is clearly a lot of money to be made here.
Fast forward a month or so, and I started to receive emails from Veolia credit control demanding payment. I emailed the company immediately and explained that the account was in dispute and outlined my reasons, but I received no response.
After another month, I received a telephone call from the Veolia credit department. I explained the problems and was ensured a response after sending a length email explaining the issues. Again, no response.
It’s 20th of February 2024. I haven’t heard anything since. I’ll update this blog if and when I do.
Businessman, camping enthusiast, Formula One fan and Real Ale drinker.
