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Premum Rate Customer Support Numbers and the Ofice of Consumer Affairs

  • 18-04-2004 4:35pm
    #1
    billy the squid
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,811 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi there

    I was just thinking is there a case to be answered by eircom for offering their customer support on a 1550 number.

    What I mean is, if for example, their server goes down and you are left without broadband for whatever reason (the exchange is hit by lightning or whatever) why should the customer have to pay extra to find out the problem, after all they are paying a subscription fee already not to mention the 3 cent per megabyte if they go over their download allowance.

    According to ComReg it has nothing to do with them so I am wondering should the Office of Consumer affairs intervene


Comments

  • #2
    dub45
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,450 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    I suppose that as long as Eircom advertise in advance of anyone signing a contract that the support no is 1550 that the Directory of Consumer Affairs will not be in a postion to intervene as in signing a contract the customer will have accepted the 1550 number.


  • #3
    Johnny Versace
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,166 ✭✭✭Johnny Versace


    I'm sure their terms of service cover things like this.

    Eircom have a legal team of about 40 people. They do think things through...

    Also, you gotta remember that 99.9% of technical support calls they receive will be problems at the customers end.


  • #4
    spongebob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,143 ✭✭✭spongebob


    2 points here.

    The ODCA is not responsible for per minute billed products where credit is extended. Stress to them that the product in question is a monthly flat payment product and not a per minute billed on credit type one .

    Secondly I agree that there should be a 1890 type number for basic connectivity issues. Once you are online Eircom could charge you for questions that you could then find the answer to on Boards .....or on Google if you were schtuck like. Having to ring a 15xx number to be told your exchange is down is probably plain wrong. That is an issue for Comreg however. Mail info@comreg.ie to find out what their policy is on having to ring a premium number for basic connectivity problems, especially if it is Eircom fault.

    The free numbers available are 1800512128 or 1800503303 if you need to make these basic queries. If you ring them they will tell you basic stuff if only to get rid of you ....but at least Eircom carry the cost of those calls.

    M


  • #5
    The Insider
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 495 ✭✭The Insider


    Fair enough point its a bit crap having to ring a 1550 number to find out the exchange is down, problem is 50% of customers who ring up with problems always insist that the problem is on the Eircom side of things.. if you had a 1800 number just to ring to see if there was something wrong with Eircom's service then you would have every customer ringing that number demanding support... to be honest if your interweb connection is working one min and down the next and you have not touched any configs etc then you can be pretty sure the problem is on Eircom's side, ringing them won't make any difference, they will be aware of the problem and will be working on it.


  • #6
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    I remember a while ago, ringing Vodafone's freephone number cos I couldn't get coverage all day. When I rang, there was an automated message about an outage.
    Great.

    A dedicated freephone line that just gave info about outages. How hard could that be to implement?

    I have no sympathy for people ringing a 70c a minute line, when all they need to do is reboot to solve their problem.


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  • #7
    spongebob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,143 ✭✭✭spongebob


    Originally posted by The Insider
    Fair enough point its a bit crap having to ring a 1550 number to find out the exchange is down, problem is 50% of customers who ring up with problems always insist that the problem is on the Eircom side of things.. if you had a 1800 number just to ring to see if there was something wrong with Eircom's service then you would have every customer ringing that number demanding support... to be honest if your interweb connection is working one min and down the next and you have not touched any configs etc then you can be pretty sure the problem is on Eircom's side, ringing them won't make any difference, they will be aware of the problem and will be working on it.

    Point taken, I am aware of the astonishing amount of wannabee l33T Muppets out there who don't know what a firewall generally does for example :D . The ESB has a good system though.

    1. Basic Connectivity report issues are free.
    2. A pre recorded voicemail goes straight up when issues are reported that may indicate a pattern, you hear this before you are put through to a human. EG. 11AM Monday 19th East Cork is down, engineers are on the way now.

    BTW 1901 is fsked this morning anyway, speaking of outages :D

    M


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