Eircom winback resorting to outright fraud

dahamsta

A couple of days ago I got a phone call from Eircom's winback department. I've been with UTV for some time now, so this wasn't related to CPS and the biddy said clearly that they had noticed I was moving elsewhere for a broadband connection, and would I consider changing to Eircom.

I explained that I was already with UTV for telephony, and that I was quite happy with them and had no intention of moving to Eircom. When she asked why I wasn't interested, I explained that Eircom was simply too expensive. She then tried to tell me about their discount structure, at which point I interrupted her and said that I believed UTV was still cheaper.

Before she hung up, she asked again if I would reconsider, to which I clearly replied in the negative. So let's run over that again: She asked if I'd come back, I said no; she asked why I wasn't interested, which demonstrates that she understood my negative anwer. She asked again, I again said no.

This morning I received a letter from Eircom. It said, and I quote: "We recently contacted you regarding your decision to move to another phone company and were delighted to hear that you are interested in returning to Eircom. You will find exclosed a customer authorisation form..."

I don't regard this as deceptive behaviour, I regard it as fraud. Because I understand the system, I went to great lengths to be 100% clear about my wishes in this regard. I'm also fully convinced that this particular winback attempt was related to my bitstream request, and is the cause of the delay in my connection with UTV. I'll be saying all this to ComReg and Minister Ahern when I write to them this evening.

I know the story, I know what Eircom can and can't do. How many people out there that don't know have been taken in by this? They must be haemorrhaging customers to have to resort to tactics like this. Good.

adam

spongebob

1. Eircom don't care about Comreg because they know the supine Comreg will not uphold an individuals consumers right to protection from harassment and abuse of dominant market position and data protection norms.

2. Comreg will not allow the individual consumer to complain that Eircom are acting in breach of Comreg directives. Incredibly Comreg will tell you to complain directly to Eircom ?:(!

3. Comreg rarely listen to other operators save where the High Court is mentioned.

Adam.

I think that it is time for a stinking letter to Etain by Registered Post

In this case Comreg cannot provide a satisfactory explanation of how they upheld your rights (they can't....surely they can't) and immediately enforced their own lawful directives when requested to do so by you or found out how their lawful directive was breached and sacntioned the culprit.

Therefore Comreg will be in "Gross Dereliction" of their duties. This "gross dereliction" is also known as "Institutional Failure" which describes Comreg perfectly when it comes to upholding Consumer Rights as they are required to do.

Where a state body be it a regulator, a school or a health board, has 'institutionally failed' you may then raise the issue with the Ombudsman ....a well known presentable blond lady should you wish to <ahem> put your case Adam............ I think that it is time for an administrative audit of Comreg by the Ombudsman and that you have the necessary evidence and understanding to take a strong specimen case.

Left to their own devices Comreg will issue directives and witter about not having the power to enforce them. That is ridiculous ...bing kind.

M

seamus

Originally posted by dahamsta
They must be haemorrhaging customers to have to resort to tactics like this. Good.

adam

When people are being paid commission, they don't care what you have to say. Simple as that.

l3rian

The best way to show your not interested in something a call center rep is selling is to hang up straight away.

John Player

am with utv for phone, rep called out to the house and told me eircom had recently reduced calls and that they offer same hours online as utv for cheaper (180) silly me belived him and signed the forms,

checked it out on the web next day, the bastard told so many ****ing lies, wanna put in a complaint bout him but have no idea on who to call, any suggestions. dont wanna call someone who will jsut dismiss the complaint as soon as i hang up.


regardless as soon as i found out he was lying i called up eircom and cancelled the change back

dahamsta

I cross-posted this to the Irish Internet Users mailing list, and I'm finding it difficult to believe the reaction I'm getting. So far I've had three apologists tell me that it was probably a mistake, even though the only knowledge they have of the incident is what I posted. One of them was a Netsource employee that advised me to complain to my ISP, which is just plain irony squared. As if Netsource has a clue about dealing with customers...

adam

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by dahamsta
I cross-posted this to the Irish Internet Users mailing list, and I'm finding it difficult to believe the reaction I'm getting.

I've seen those posts to IIU mailing list, and I don't think the replies are from "apologists", all they're saying is that it's more than likely mistake on that girls' part.
I seriously doubt too there's any grand conspiracy on Eircom's part, the girl either made a mistake or was chancing her arm like seamus pointed out.
And comparing what happened to rape is a little OTT don't you think?

bk

Originally posted by Frank_Grimes
I've seen those posts to IIU mailing list, and I don't think the replies are from "apologists", all they're saying is that it's more than likely mistake on that girls' part.
I seriously doubt too there's any grand conspiracy on Eircom's part, the girl either made a mistake or was chancing her arm like seamus pointed out.
And comparing what happened to rape is a little OTT don't you think?

No, this is normal Eircom tactics, as an Esat CPS customer, I have Eircom call to my house about once every 2 months. They always claim that they are cheaper for phone calls. When I ask them to show me a price comparison list, they say "opps I've forgotten to bring it with me". It is at that point that I pull out the price comparison list I created myself (from Eircom, Esats and UTV's websites) and ask them to show me how they are cheaper. It is at this point that they their face goes white and they mumble that they must have made a mistake and that I'm right, Esat are cheaper for most calls.

It is not very difficult to see, just sign up with Esat or UTV and you will get to see it for yourself (btw you will also benefit from saving money).

bk

Originally posted by John Player
am with utv for phone, rep called out to the house and told me eircom had recently reduced calls and that they offer same hours online as utv for cheaper (180) silly me belived him and signed the forms,

checked it out on the web next day, the bastard told so many ****ing lies, wanna put in a complaint bout him but have no idea on who to call, any suggestions. dont wanna call someone who will jsut dismiss the complaint as soon as i hang up.


regardless as soon as i found out he was lying i called up eircom and cancelled the change back

John, send a registered letter to Eircom (Muck will tell you who precisely, I keep forgetting ) stating what happened and that you demand they cancel the contract within 2 weeks and respond to you.

If they do not cancel the contract or respond within 2 weeks, then get in contact with www.odca.ie
what the Eircom rep did is likely to be an offense under the Consumer Information Act of 1978:

Section 6 - prohibits a person in the course of a business trade or profession to make false (to a material degree) or misleading statement in relation to services.

flamegrill

I recently changed a residential line to a business line, and over the phone the biddy said "I see that you have cps on that account, I'll remove that for you...". I stick my snout in and say "Oi, no I wish to remain with my CPS carrier as I'm quite happy with them (utv)". So she said that was fine etc. I then rang utv about a week later to cancel my UTVip xl account and go to voice only (which is an option btw). The tech said that they were no longer the carrier for our calls. I flipped the lid, luckily he was able to get it back on almost immediately. But in fairness thats some under handed work from Eircom.

I wasn't impressed, but I took it no further.

Paul

_Kaiser_

I recently changed a residential line to a business line, and over the phone the biddy said "I see that you have cps on that account, I'll remove that for you...". I stick my snout in and say "Oi, no I wish to remain with my CPS carrier as I'm quite happy with them (utv)". So she said that was fine etc. I then rang utv about a week later to cancel my UTVip xl account and go to voice only (which is an option btw). The tech said that they were no longer the carrier for our calls. I flipped the lid, luckily he was able to get it back on almost immediately. But in fairness thats some under handed work from Eircom.

I wasn't impressed, but I took it no further.

Same here...I got a rather sizeable bill from eircom a few months back and when I checked my online account with UTV (which showed only calls to UTVIP), I discovered that eircom had somewhere along the line switched back the calls to themselves - which incidentially meant that I was in violation of the contract with UTV - but the UTV rep was able to put in the request to get it switched over again and all was ok, but like yourself, I didn't bother calling eircom on it (sitting on hold for ages while in work isn't really on )

spongebob

Originally posted by bk
John, send a registered letter to Eircom (Muck will tell you who precisely, I keep forgetting ) stating what happened and that you demand they cancel the contract within 2 weeks and respond to you.

If they do not cancel the contract or respond within 2 weeks, then get in contact with ODCA
what the Eircom rep did is likely to be an offense under the Consumer Information Act of 1978:

Humm

1. Manager of Winback Activities is Alan Cox, acox@eircom.ie
2. His boss is Phil Nolan phil.nolan@eircom.ie
3. Comreg should be cc'd a copy info@comreg.ie

That should do it. require that Alan respond to all recipients and not just to you , explaining how this happened , how he investigated fully and how he has ensured through his amendment of faulty internal Eircom procedures that it will not happen again to anyone, ever.

The ODCA has nothing to do with Telecoms, they are not responsible at all.

Comreg may have some legal obligations under the 1978 Act but I have not looked at or into it, maybe Sceptre could tell us a bit , it is an interesting angle ?

M

John Player

hehe sent em an email, will post if i recieve a response from the ****ers

honestly for the sake of an extra €10/€20 a month i couldnt give a **** but its just the fact that he came into my home and lied to me pisses me off.

regards
JP Blue

sceptre

Originally posted by John Player
honestly for the sake of an extra €10/€20 a month i couldnt give a ****

Ah well you should. 20 euros a month is as good to you as it is to them.

part of the reason that rip-offs in general continue is the idea that "shur it's only a few quid, I can well afford to get ridden". That's an issue for another forum though

l3rian

Being ripped for 20 euros a month, and claiming to not care is the root of the rip off Ireland problem.