Esat actively trying to lose customers?

bk

I am really annoyed with Esat, let me explain. (Sorry about the long story)

I first signed up with Esat about 3 years ago, about one month after Esat NoLimits launched and have been using them ever since and on the whole I have been very happy with them.

My average bill is about EURO 120 - 140 and I always pay on time so I think I'm a pretty good customer. However here is where the problems start.

Since I moved to Dublin about a year ago my Esat bill has been in another house mates name, he is now moving out so I'm trying to get the Billing name changed to my name on the account. You would think that it would be pretty easy, but it isn't.

It seems that the service I have been using all along "Esat BT Home Phone" is no longer available and you can only get "Esat BT Advantage" now. They are trying to say that just because I'm changing the name on an existing account that I can only go with this new service, which I don't want.

This is just more of the same from Esat, the address, the esat and eircom account number and the telephone number are all staying the same, so how can they force me to take a service I don't want?

The thing that is really annoying me is that Esat have been complaining to ComReg about high CPS churn rates, yet here they are trying their best to get rid of a loyal customer of three years and someone who has gotten many family, friends and business colleagues to move to Esat.

It looks like I'll be moving to UTV if I don't get satisfaction from Esat. Anybody have any ideas on how I should move forward with this and get it sorted?

DaithiSurfer

Underneath it all, all of these tel cos are as bad as each other.
I have been trying to cancel my phone calls from UTV for the last 4 months.
They keep telling me to send in writing and i have sent about 6 letters and they say they have no record of them.
Then i send an email every week and they say they don't have them even tho i have replies from them.
They just don't want to let me go and will not cancel it over the phone.
I don't know what to do now.
Consider yourself lucky you have your problem with esat.

bk

Hi DaithiSurfer, send them a registered letter, they can't deny receiving that as they have to sign for it.

dahamsta

Daithi, if you're not getting a satisfactory response to your cancellation request, you have every right to report it to Comreg. If Comreg won't do anything, you can go to the Ombudsman. Hopefully one of the chaps or chapesses from UTV will spot this and get in touch with you though.

adam

De Rebel

Originally posted by bk
Anybody have any ideas on how I should move forward with this and get it sorted?

A few quick thoughts...

(1) Wear them down....... Just keep phoning up until you get some drioid who knows no better and changes it for you. Worked for me in the past

(2) Make it in their interest........ Withhold payment on a bill until the last minute, then explain to them that they never acted on change of name request and so the bill got lost and if they change the name there will be no more problems. Also worked for me in the past

(3) Change it by stealth....... Get themm to "correct" the first name, then change the surname to a hyphenated form of his and yours. Unbeliveably this also worked for me in the past

(4) Joint ownership... Phone them and tell them that he whose name is currently on the bill is moving away for six months and could they ever stick your name on it as well, even if it has to go in the first line of the address, just to be sure that the bill doesn't get lost and that you can pay it on time. Have used this on a couple of occasions

Best of luck.............

Underneath it all, all of these tel cos are as bad as each other.

True. But the sad think is it took the P&T/BTE/TE/Eircom 70 years to get to the state they are in today. ESAT have managed the same shocking transformation in a mere 7 years.

Urban Weigl

Have you considered switching to a different provider, such as VarTec (13636)? Calls to the US (including cell phones) 6c a minute at all times. Calls to the UK 6c a minute. Calls to Australia and most of the rest of the world 8c per minute. National calls 3c a minute at all times.

That's what I'm doing.

bk

Originally posted by Urban Weigl
Have you considered switching to a different provider, such as VarTec (13636)? Calls to the US (including cell phones) 6c a minute at all times. Calls to the UK 6c a minute. Calls to Australia and most of the rest of the world 8c per minute. National calls 3c a minute at all times.

That's what I'm doing.

Of course I have, but I don't make international calls, mostly National calls, internet calls and calls to Northern Ireland. For these type of calls Esat is the cheapest operator. They charge 1.3c per minute for evening and weekend calls and include Northen Ireland as a national call.

That is why I would like to remain with them, I mean that is the stupid thing about this story. I actually want to remain with Esat, I'm happy with their service. They just seem to be making it as difficult as possible for me to stay with them. They have no one but themselves to blame for their high churn rates.

obewan

Can't you say by "email/letter" that you are a woman and just got married and now you want the bill in the married name?

Might be worth a try.

Mick.

sceptre

Originally posted by obewan
Can't you say by "email/letter" that you are a woman and just got married and now you want the bill in the married name?

Hello, I'm Brian and so's my wife

eth0_

IIRC all customers are being moved over to Advantage....the product you have/had doesn't exist anymore to sell...

eth0_

Originally posted by DaithiSurfer
Underneath it all, all of these tel cos are as bad as each other.
I have been trying to cancel my phone calls from UTV for the last 4 months.
They keep telling me to send in writing and i have sent about 6 letters and they say they have no record of them.

I've never had these problems with UTV...and i've cancelled UTVip twice (not for QOS reasons...) and both times I just emailed them, and got a mail back within a day or two telling me when my account would be de-activated...you don't need to post anything....have you really sent SIX letters? Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration....if they still say they haven't received SIX letters! But if you want to go down the pen and paper route, send it registered.
Or send an email to admin@u.tv and put a read receipt on it :-D

dahamsta

Ackshully, I should have said that too: I got BB a month or so ago and asked UTV to cancel UTVip but keep me on their telephony, and had no problems whatsoever.

Sceptre, I've been looking for an excuse to use that for nearly a week now, I'm really annoyed.

adam