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November 20 2020 Verastar Group have announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lee Hull. In his introductory blog Mr Hill states :- “The greatest organisations I’ve been part of over the last 20 years genuinely put the customer and the colleague at the heart of everything they do, and that’s my primary focus as CEO of Verastar." See Mr Lee's full introductory blog HERE |
NEWS UPDATES
April 2019 The Ofcom automatic broadband compensation scheme went live in April 2019 for telecoms providers and 5 UK providers have joined the voluntary scheme: BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media & Zen Internet. These companies will now automatically compensate customers when services do not work.
Why therefore would ANY consumer sign up to a telecoms provider that has NOT voluntarily signed up to the Ofcom automatic broadband compensation scheme? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47768666
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February 2019 - Indeed appear to have removed the review text from ALL the BAD 1 & 2 star reviews about working for Kinex / Verastar Ltd prior to February 2019 and only the good 3, 4 & 5 star reviews remain visible https://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Kinex/reviews
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January 2019 Deleted twitter accounts Please note that the Kinex and Clear Business Twitter accounts appear to have been deleted and no longer exist https://twitter.com/kinexuk https://twitter.com/clearbusinessuk (The Clear Business Facebook page was deleted some months ago https://www.facebook.com/pg/ClearBusiness)
MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VERASTAR LTD COMPANIES LISTED ON GOOGLE MAPS |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Clear Business on Google Maps All reviews about Clear Business / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Clear Business Water on Google Maps All reviews about Clear Business / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Kinex on Google Maps All reviews about Kinex / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Kinex on Google Maps All reviews about Kinex / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Kinex on Google Maps All reviews about Kinex / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Kinex on Google Maps All reviews about Kinex / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Unicom on Google Maps All reviews about Unicom / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Complaint about Interview at Verastar Ltd / Kinex on Google Maps All reviews about Kinex / Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Clear Business Water on Google Maps |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Kinex on Google Maps |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Unicom on Google Maps |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Unicom on Google Maps |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd t/a Woav on Google Maps |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd on Google Maps All reviews about Verastar on this site were deleted / removed from Google |
Multiple complaints about Verastar Ltd / Insurance Octopus on Google Maps |
November 2018 The Clear Business Facebook page which contained multiple customer complaints about Clear Business is no longer available and appears to have been deleted
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The
5* Trustpilot reviews about Verastar suddenly surged in April 2020.
Could it be because Verastar are offering a £500 prize draw / holiday for
Trustpilot reviews? The
Verastar group includes Unicom, Kinex, Clear Business etc |
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8 October 2018 It would appear that a Kinex / Verastar Ltd employee felt strongly enough to set up an alternative Facebook and Twitter Kinex accounts to describe his working experiences
https://www.facebook.com/kinextelecoms/ https://twitter.com/KinexTelecoms
The above grievance sites set up by a former Kinex employee on Twitter and Facebook no longer exist online as from 10 October 2018
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3 August 2018 Clear Business / Verastar Ltd acquire Aurora WELCOME AURORA
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23 July 2018 BBC RADIO 4 'You & Yours' consumer programme Unicom, Kinex, Verastar Ltd make the lead story
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10 July 2018 Daily Mail - Unicom / Verastar Ltd Hits Retired Mobile Customer with £10K Bill for 17GB of UK data
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27 April 2018 An unhappy Verastar Ltd customer has set up a petition on the calling for Ofcom, Companies House to take action on Verastar / Unicom https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/take-action-on-verastar-unicom
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14 March 2018 ‘Unaccountability in Scotland’ respond to Clear Business http://unaccountablescotland.org.uk/index.php/water-charges/83-clear-business-on-gaps
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6 September 2017 Unicom / Kinex / Woav / Clear Business / Verastar Ltd are mentioned in Private Eye in issue 1452 on page 7
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News Update July 8 2017 - SKY NEWS - Utilities firm Verastar revives £500m float after Ofcom fine.
A
provider of telecoms and utility services to small businesses is dusting off
plans for a £500m stock market listing two years after it was fined by
regulators for misleading its customers.
Sky
News has learnt that the owner of Verastar - which was previously called Unicom
- has lined up investment bankers at Jefferies to take the company public.
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News Update July 2017
-
Verastar Ltd acquires ‘Aimera’ one of largest independent Scottish water
providers
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News Update August 2016 TITAN TELECOM registered a change of name and are now known as Clear Business
Titan Telecom rated as POOR on Trustpilot. Click HERE to view
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News Update 18 Oct 2016 VERASTAR ACQUIRES OVO COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS
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News Update 6 Oct 2016 Verastar granted water and sewerage licence
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News Update 25 July 2016 Verastar enters UK insurance and media market after aquiring Insurance Octopus & Media Octopus
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News Update 1 June 2016 Unicom upset Tommy Cannon from Cannon & Ball fame. Click HERE and HERE
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News Update 12 May 2016 Unicom were mentioned in the latest issue of PRIVATE EYE magazine on 11 May 2016 and previously on 1 April 2016
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News Update 6 April 2016 Unicom / Verastar have launched another new brand under the name of WOAV TELECOM to provide telecom services to small businesses. Other brands under the Verastar / Unicom umbrella include Unicom Telecom / Kinex / Titan Telecom / Marble Telecom / Business Comms Solutions / Advantage Telecom / Crown Telecom / Optimum Calls / Premier Calls / Talk Plus Telecom / Elite Calls / Sunstone / 118 777 / Universal Debt Collection / Clear Business Water / Economy Gas / Woav Telecom
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News Update 31 March 2016 PRIVATE EYE magazine which was published on 29 March 2016 includes a piece about Unicom on page 16. The article mentions Unicom's image problem and also mentions the high rating score that Unicom have achieved on the Trustpilot review site compared to the low rating score on the Review Centre site. (Unicom subscribes to Trustpilot's paid business service)
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Update 19 March 2016 Unicom / Verastar Ltd acquire 'Business Comms Solutions Ltd' which also trades under the names of Advantage Telecom, Optimum Calls, Premier Calls and Talk Plus Telecom. Click HERE and HERE for more information
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Update Feb 17 2016 A former Unicom customer has uploaded a video clip on You Tube of the conversation his advocate had with Unicom to discuss a Court Claim Form he had received and this was his comment under the clip 'This debt was passed from Unicom, originally was about £45.. This was passed from debt collectors! Even despite cancelling with Unicom during the 14 day cooling off period, this was somehow put up to nearly 8 THOUSAND POUND! They sent me a claim form (drafted) claiming as such and admitted practically that A. The debt was over 6 years old and B. The "claimants solicitor" is not registered on the Law Society,
Click HERE to watch the Youtube clip (12 May 2016 This Video has now been removed from You Tube)
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Update January 2016 A former Unicom customer has created a detailed blog called 'Unicom Dispute - My Story' to describe the experiences he had with Unicom after he closed down his business. Click HERE to read his story
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Update 11 January 2016 BBC Radio 4 ran an item about Unicom / Verastar on the You & Yours consumer programme. The story was about a Sheffield dinner lady who commenced court action against Unicom to claim a refund of termination fees and to claim compensation for the harassment she had to endure due to Unicom's debt collection practices. Unicom settled out of court and paid the full amount that was claimed. The BBC Radio 4 programme can he heard by clicking on this link HERE
More details about this story can be seen by clicking on this link HERE and HERE
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Unicom have been featured a number of times in the past on Radio 4's You and Yours and the broadcasts can be heard by clicking on the links below
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27026272
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06wc6qp (The Unicom item starts at around 15 .00 minutes) First Aired 11 January 2016
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b063d55p
(The Unicom item starts at around 36.40
minutes) First aired 30 July
2015 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0639wy5
(The Unicom item starts at around 5:05
minutes) First aired 29 July
2015 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05tkvk6
(The Unicom item starts at around 22:10 minutes)
First aired 11 May 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04pvp7n
(The Unicom item starts at around 2.00 minutes and is the lead item)
First aired 28 November 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04pbmjb
(The Unicom item starts at around 18.00 minutes)
First aired 19 November 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04cf9gx
(The Unicom item starts at around 2:20 minutes and is the lead item)
First aired on 6 August 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b045bss8
(The Unicom item starts at around 6.30 minutes)
First aired 4 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b040hhnp
(The Unicom item starts at around 40 minutes)
First aired 14 April 2014
NEWS UPDATE 14 October 2015
Ofcom have launched an investigation into the difficulties of cancelling or terminating your phone or broadband contract and if it is not straightforward, Ofcom want to hear about it. For details please click HERE
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NEWS UPDATE 9 October 2015
Universal Utilities T/A Unicom registered a change of name at Company House and have renamed themselves to Verastar Ltd T/A Kinex. Interestingly, the VERASTAR.co.uk domain name appears to have been registered on 15 July 2015 which was just a couple of weeks before Ofcom's £200k fine of Unicom for mis-selling was announced.
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NEWS UPDATE 29 JULY 2015
Ofcom has today fined Universal Utilities T/A Unicom £200,000 for mis-selling landline telephone services
The decision also requires Unicom to take a number of steps to help compensate customers affected by the mis-selling and to guard against it happening again. Details of the Ofcom investigation can be seen here by clicking HERE The Unicom response to the Ofcom decision can be seen by clicking HERE
(This was Ofcom's third investigation of Unicom)
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NEWS UPDATE 6 May 2015
Ofcom have announced the
provisional rulings of their Universal Utilities / Unicom investigation which
was launched in March 2014.
Ofcom has determined that
there are reasonable grounds for believing that Universal Utilities Ltd (trading
as Unicom) has contravened GC24.3 of the General Conditions between 1 March 2013
and 8 July 2014. General Condition 24.3
states that ‘Communications
Provider must not (a) engage in dishonest,
misleading or deceptive conduct;'
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NEWS UPDATE 26 November 2014
Parliamentary Debate about Unicom Telecom raised in House of Commons by John Healey MP
John Healey MP raised an adjournment debate in Parliament about Unicom Telecom on Wed 26th Nov 2014 naming Unicom as a ‘shameful company that was ripping off his elderly vulnerable constituent (Mr Jones) for £3,500 in termination fees’. Mr Healey MP also criticised the Ombudsman Services for failing to protect his constituent. Mr Jones had battled with Unicom for two and a half years but within 48 hours of this matter being raised in The House of Commons, Unicom had released Mr Jones from the contract and waived the termination fees. Details can be seen by clicking HERE
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NEWS UPDATE 1 October 2014
Unicom was featured on BBC 1 'Rip-off Britain' on 1st October 2014 and although it is no longer available on iPlayer, a summary of the programme can be seen by clicking HERE
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NEWS UPDATE 24 March 2014
Ofcom UK opens investigation into Unicom's Sales & Marketing tactics following complaints from consumers as well as an assessment of evidence submitted by Unicom in the course of an own-initiative enquiry. (This will be Ofcom's third investigation of Unicom)
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Disclaimer: Any suggestions given on this site are our opinions and not a substitute for legal advice from a solicitor or an organization like Citizens Advice.