"Chris Morrison" <hidden@nospam.priv> wrote in message
news:1171940622_9029@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
> Unfortunately you have completely misunderstood the situation, albeit due
> to some significant
> details being left out by myself.
>
> First, there is no question of her refusing to pay, she has written to 3
> (I prepared the letter) and
> stated that she is more than happy to pay for the services that she has
> actually received and used,

So she already owes them money for previous months line rental?

> she has also stated that she will pay for the handset provided under the
> contract. although we know
> that it was fully paid for during the first six months of the contract.

Pay for the phone? It's hers anyway, all 3 want is what they are owed under
the contract and that is the remainder of the 18 months line rental.

> *She is NOT refusing to pay her bill or for the services she has used, I
> don't know how that
> conclusion was reached.*

So she already owes them money and is now refusing to pay for future line
rental? No wonder three have passed it to debt collectors.

>> The debt collection agency can add a reaonable fee.
>
> Says who? Please state the sections of the Acts or Parliament, detailed on
> the Statute Book of this
> land that provide for that.

A good source of information on what you can expect from debt collectors is
the Office of Fair Trading guidelines on the matter.

> My friend, who is understandably concerned as she has never had to deal
> with anything like this
> before, does not want something for nothing, she is not refusing to pay
> for what she has used and
> she has been a 3 customer for just over a year, so they have made more
> than enough profit from her.

But she is refusing to honour the contract she agreed to and wants to get
out of it without any penalty. Obviously three disagree with you and see
some more profit to be had by quite rightly expecting a customer to honour
the full term of their contract.

> She just wants to bring the contract to and end and pay for what she has
> used, no-more, no-less. I
> cannot see anything unreasonable in that.

You may not see anything unreasonable but obviously three do. She signed a
contract and three quite reasonably expect her to honour it. If she wants
out early then she'll have to buy herself out, nothing wrong with that.

You and she need to accept that she will have to pay off the remainder of
the contract.