A BUSINESSMAN AWARDED #5,000 DAMAGES AGAINST BRITI
A BUSINESSMAN AWARDED #5,000 DAMAGES AGAINST BRITISH TELECOM FOR
THEIR ‘CONSISTENT FAILURE’ TO PROVIDE A SATISFACTORY SERVICE, MAY
LOSE THE MONEY.
MR JEFF HAWKE, A FILM STUNT PILOT, TOOK THE GIANT MONOPOLY TO
COURT CLAIMING THAT FREQUENT FAULTS AND SLOW REPAIRS HAD LOST HIS
COMPANY BUSINESS.
ON ONE OCCASION A PILOT WORKING ON FILM ASSIGNMENTS ABROAD
EXPERIENCED ‘ALMOST TOTAL FAILURE’ TO GET THROUGH TO MR HAWKE’S
OFFICES, HE ALLEGED.
HE WAS AWARDED THE DAMAGES AT BRENTFORD COUNTY COURT ON AUGUST
29 BUT ON THURSDAY A REGISTRAR, SITTING IN CHAMBERS AT THE SAME
COURT, SET THEM ASIDE AFTER BEING TOLD THAT BRITISH TELECOM HAD
RECEIVED LATE NOTIFICATION OF THE EARLIER HEARING AND THEREFORE NOT
BEEN REPRESENTED.
AFTERWARDS MR HAWKE, AN EX FIGHTER PILOT WHOSE COMPANY,
VISIONAIR INTERNATIONAL, OF CHISWICK QUAY, CHISWICK, SUPPLIES PLANES
AND PILOTS FOR FILM STUNTS, PLEDGED TO FIGHT ON IN THE COURTS.
‘THE MINUTE WE FILE A LAWSUIT THEY DISCONNECT THE PHONES,’ HE
SAID.
‘THEY JUST WALK OVER YOU AND YOU HAVE NO RECOURSE AT ALL.
‘BUT I’M PREPARED TO GO ALL THE WAY.
I’D LIKE TO SEE IT TRIED
IN COURT BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT TIME THE SUBSCRIBER GOT A BETTER
DEAL’.
HE SAID HE OWNS 50 PLANES AND MAY HAVE UP TO 40 PILOTS
WORKING WITH FILM CREWS AROUND THE GLOBE.
HIS MANY FILM CREDITS INCLUDE ‘OUT OF AFRICA’, ‘A BRIDGE TOO
FAR’ AND ‘THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN’.
MR HAWKE SAID THAT ONE PILOT, VERNER RENAUD, OF SOUTH BANANA
RIVER BOULEVARD, COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA, WROTE TO THE COURT TO SAY
THAT WHEN HE RANG VISIONAIR FROM THE USA AND ELSEWHERE BEFORE APRIL
THIS YEAR HE COULD ONLY GET THROUGH ABOUT HALF THE TIME.
FROM APRIL, SAID MR RENAUD IN A DEPOSITION, HE EXPERIENCED
‘ALMOST TOTAL FAILURE’ WHEN TRYING TO RING MR HAWKE, AND BT OPERATORS
NEVER PROVIDED A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION.
MR HAWKE CLAIMED MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME DIFFICULTIES
RINGING HIS COMPANY AND THAT BT HAS GIVEN HIM ABOUT #2000 AS
COMPENSATION FOR PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS WITHOUT ANY COURT ACTION.
HE WAS AWARDED THE #5000 AFTER HE CLAIMED BT HAD CONSISTENTLY
FAILED TO PROVIDE A REASONABLE SERVICE AND FAILED TO RECTIFY FAULTS.
MR HAWKE ALSO SUFFERED LOSS OF BUSINESS, HE SAYS, WHEN
VISIONAIR’S PHONES WERE CUT OFF ALTHOUGH HE BELIEVES HE IS IN CREDIT
WITH TELECOM.
BT CLAIMS MR HAWKE OWES #1,304.
26 FOR NON-PAYMENT OF LAST
MAY’S QUARTERLY BILLS.
HE STRONGLY DISPUTES THIS AND SAYS A
GREATER CREDIT IS DUE TO HIM FROM TELECOM.
DEPUTY REGISTRAR COOPER MADE NO DECISION ON MR HAWKE’S
APPLICATION TO HAVE HIS TELEPHONES RESTORED PENDING FURTHER ACTION.
THE APPLICATION WILL NOW BE HEARD BY A JUDGE.
BT DID NOT DEFEND THE AUGUST ACTION.
SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER
ATKINSON ARGUED FOR BT THAT BECAUSE MR HAWKE SENT HIS ORIGINAL
SUMMONS TO THE WRONG OFFICE BT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO PREPARE A
DEFENCE.
THE SUMMONS WAS SENT TO BT’S WEST LONDON DISTRICT OFFICE
ON JULY 31, BUT BT SAYS IT’S SOLICITORS WERE UNAWARE OF IT UNTIL
AUGUST 22 WHEN THEY SENT A LETTER TO THE COURT.
THE LETTER
WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL AUGUST 27 – ONE DAY AFTER THE MONEY WAS
AWARDED.
MR HAWKE, SAYS HE FINDS IT HARD TO BELIEVE HIS SUMMONS WAS
NOT PASSED ON TO BT’S LEGAL DEPARTMENT EARLIER.
HE HAS SO FAR CONDUCTED HIS OWN DEFENCE BUT WILL NOW CONSULT
SOLICITORS BEFORE TAKING FURTHER ACTION.
ENDS
