I have sympathy. I signed up with DST when I moved in February 2007 as I'd found some decent reviews which had been complimentary anout service levels and the price at the time was competitive. I'm not sure what happened but I think they must have sacked all the staff who cared about customer service.

When the 9 houses in my road lost their broadband last winter everyone else in the road was reconnected in a day. I remained without connection for weeks. That was bad enough but getting anyone at DST to care about the problem was close to impossible I never had a proactive call and rarely had a prompt call back. Every time I chased I was fobbed off.

I determined to cancel but was in the process of trying to sell my house at the time and I didn't want to get caught in a minimum contract period with a new supplier.

Once I had a date for leaving the house I gave notice of cancellation. It was within a month of my call to them so I advised them that they should charge me for the full month from the date of the call.

Similar to yourself I subsequently received a bill for line rental and call/broadband package for the month following the termination date and also the £19.50 "no notice" invoice despite notice having been given. Unlike you I had cancelled my direct debit back when I had had no service last winter.

I have lost count of the number of letters demanding payment, email replies and telephone conversations explaining the situation that have passed between us but all to no avail. At least now they have moved on from threatening disconnection (communication you see is not the strong suit of this communications company) and the latest demand merely threatens a county court summons.

I can only recommend that anyone and everyone avoids this company.

Long running thread on the subject below that may be of interest to you.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/community/forums/t/direct-save-telecom-any-good-or-not-4386.aspx

I have been a customer with Direct Save Telecom unfrotunately for approx 3 years now. When I was given my new telephone number I had numerous calls for another person who obviously had the number I was given before me! This was so annoying in the end that I contacted Direct Save and asked them to change my number..............this wasnt an easy task for Direct Save Telecom, I contacted customer Services and they said they would begin the process of changing my number. I didnt hear anything for weeks and had to contact them again! The process took well over a month and eventually I received a new number. However the first call I received to my new number was asking for a person by a different name...........I couldnt believe it! I have again been plagued with calls for this same person who has obviously had the number before me!! the sheer incompetence of Direct Save Telecom.

I decided to leave direct save and change to another provider, my new provider advised me that they would contact Direct Save Telecom on my behalf as notice of 28 days had to be given. Direct Save Telecom took £19.50 from my account without any prior notice or invoice and also have charged me £17.02 for line rental in advance that I have not used because I am now with another service provider.

I contacted Direct Save Telecom and spoke to Sanjeh who advised me that I had been charged the cancellation fee of £19.50. I advised him that my new service provider had given the notice required on my behalf, he said that because my new service provider are not their customer they could not accept their notice. They must have accepted my new service providers notice as we are nolonger a customer of Direct Save.

Direct Save said that a Manager would call me back and I am still waiting!! Please Direct Save could you just give me my money back!!!!