Hi All,

Recently I received an extortion letter(Inkasso) from DB asking me to pay up for a Bahncard. The way it works is that once you have bought a bahncard it automatically gets renewed unless you cancel it. And once they have sent the card you have to pay up for that. It doesn't matter whether you need it or you don't. I still can't believe that in a country like Germany these kind of things are happening. I was wondering if anybody had any experience with DB and would be willing to share their experience. And most importantly if anybody can suggest a way out of this obviously besides paying up.

Regards

Hi !

Letter from Inkasso is certainly not an extortion letter. When you sign up for bahncard it gets renewed automatically unless u cancel it. So your bahncard was renewed(as you did not cancel it) for which you have to pay. Since you did not pay that amount the DB sent you a letter through the Inkasso (Collection Office).
If your card was renewed you "MUST" pay and you are legally bound to do so. If you dont pay, your name will be registered as a defaulter which may cause further problem when you need some other things like applying for heating, Electricity or even credit card. These Inkasso offices are specializes in recovering the money and they will pursue you unless you have paid them or you declare yourself as "insolvent" in the court(Amtsgericht).Taking one into court happens only in extreme cases where amount to be recovered is larger but definitely NOT in your case.
I know this is really shitty and I personally believe its cheating customer the legal way. Thats why when you sign up anything you must read everything extremely carefully here in Germany. Almost all companies practice these sort of dirty tricks.
Having worked previously in SW firma that did datawarehousing for Inkasso offices - my suggestion is to clear the due amount and cancel the contract in an orderly manner. If you dont pay the risk is not so great but your name will then get registered in this Inkasso Office as defaulter.

hello hedger,
cool down! i was inthe same situation until nov 2005.There is a most simple way to get out of this....just call them and tell you are leaving permanently to your home country....if they really need an evidence...just go to a travel agent get a dummy reservation done...take a print out....post it to them...thatz all.....dont worry...try it out...

cheers

panna

@panna28

I have tried that out, they also want the Abmeldung Bescheinigung :-)

German rules suckkkk! They call them very essential because this way things are in order actually being a foreigner you need to experience them on first hand so is your case. The best way would be to pay that money and close the contract because any lawyer would suggest the same.

I have seen other similar cases with Mobile operator's so beware of such contracts too.

Usually German's have atleast one legal advisor who usually charges no fee for giving ou his tips on any issue. Before Germans go for a costly thing they will take his advisor suggestion, this way they also learn the hidden tricks. Having a permanent legal advisor at your expense will cost you nothing if you are willing to stay here longer.

you can't blame people when you haven't read the contract details enough man :-).
welcome to germany :-)

"There is a most simple way to get out of this....just call them and tell you are leaving permanently to your home country....if they really need an evidence...just go to a travel agent get a dummy reservation done...take a print out....post it to them...thatz all.....dont worry...try it out..."

yo-yo don't forget that they can sue you if they find out that you didn't leave the country ;)

"The way it works is that once you have bought a bahncard it automatically gets renewed unless you cancel it."

that's a usual thing here in Germany. nobody wants to work - everything is done automatically ;)



relating to issue:
1. did DB cancel your contract themselves? companies usually do that before they ask Inkasso to collect the money ... and if they did, how much money do they want to get (i mean for which period of time - till the end of the contract or till the end of the corresponding annual period)?
2. did you tell DB anything before they asked Inkasso to collect the money?

@-

"that's a usual thing here in Germany"

most of my contracts are not renewed automatically, so i cannot say that it is usual in germany.

"nobody wants to work"

of course i also want to work

"everything is done automatically"

i am not really sure about that, but atleast someone as to keep the power supply cable or push button to start the machine i guess. i think it all depends on the way how someone want to see.

"most of my contracts are not renewed automatically"

lol let me guess: you change you employer every month? :o

"of course i also want to work"

that's good. after all, somebody has to pay contributions to all those "gesetzliche Kassen" ;)

@-

"lol let me guess: you change you employer every month?"

not every month, but on average every year and it is true! and least was two months and maximum was two years

"that's good. after all, somebody has to pay contributions to all those "gesetzliche Kassen" "

oh, i just don't think much about it, but why not?

Hi. Can you give a feedback on how you solved this. Did you eventually pay? I am asking coz I also received a LETZTE MAHNUNG from a Inkasso company for some web services about a year ago. Any advice from anyone else in this forum also will be really helpful.

How did u settle this trouble finally??
Could you share your experience?
I am get into this trouble now. Headahce. Have you tried using dummy reservation print out or papers to Bahnof? Have they accepted?
I hope so, i hope this trouble would be over soon, beside paying up.
Thanks!

I really don't understand why you people are calling it "being in troubles": whenever you sign a contract, there is always an AGB linked to it where all the details like this automatic renewal is mentioned but you did signed the contract and thus agreed to its terms so you have to follow the rules, nobody is cheating on nobody and for sure, they aren't screwing you because you are supposed to know how it works.
Next time you want to sign a contract, sit down and read all the details of the AGB, it's your right and nobody will prevent you doing so. Whenever I get a contract to sign, if the AGB is too long or I don't have time, I even ask to take it home to read it before signing it, it's a "I read all or I don't sign at all" mentality i have now and they all have to bow to it.
So get your money out and pay, you can even pay and directly resign the contract to the next possible date so you won't be caught up in that anymore.

D.