Meteor - Making Me Think They Are Idiots

Kintarō Hattori

I recently moved address and have been changing over the new details with the bank, ESB, NTL etc. One of the last I got around to was Meteor, whoom I have a bill phone with. I went into the shop on Henry street yesterday and told the girl I wanted to change my address.

Meteor Girl - You need a bill from your new address.
Me - I've only just moved and have no bills from the new address.
Meteor Girl - Shrugs her shoulders and smiles.
Me - I'd like to change my address as I have no access to my bill at my old address.
Meteor Girl - Oh you can access your bill online.
Me - Yep I know but my paper bill is going to my old address and I have no access to it. I have my passport with me as well as a Meteor bill from the old address and a bank statement.
Meteor Girl - You need a bill from your new address.

I have to say I think that's just about the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. There was no point in complaining to her or the manager as all these points are issued from head office and they can't over rule them.

I wanted to buy a phone from them a few months ago and it was cheaper online than it was instore. I mentioned to the assistant I didn't want to buy it online but would pefer to get it instore and was told that head office instructed them that they could not sell phones instore at the online price. I left and never did buy the phone.

Silly silly stuff. The bill issue has just pushed the boat out that little bit further and I don't think I'll be renewing my contract when the time comes.

Perfect fit

in fairness its common sense if you change a bill address you need new proof of address, who's to say you didn't make up the new address, believe or not people do actually do it.

if your renting your tenants agreement or letter from your letting agent will do, if you've bought then you would have something from the mortgage etc.

It is all dictated from head office tho but they are way more lenient when changing address with regards to what you use as proof

Spider_Piglet

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I wanted to buy a phone from them a few months ago and it was cheaper online than it was instore. I mentioned to the assistant I didn't want to buy it online but would pefer to get it instore and was told that head office instructed them that they could not sell phones instore at the online price. I left and never did buy the phone.

Silly silly stuff. The bill issue has just pushed the boat out that little bit further and I don't think I'll be renewing my contract when the time comes.

...of course they aren't going to give you the online price in-store.
The online price is an incentive to get people to buy online...
Online there is no need for them to pay for the rent of the shop, staff costs etc, so of course they want to entice you to shop online more. If they got every single customer to shop online they would be able to close heaps of their shops and save a fortune.
An online special offer price is just that. No shop is going to allow you buy goods instore at the online price.

Random

i agree in relation to change of address. Once you can prove who you are and if you've already been a customer for a while you should be able to give whatever address you like. You're still in contract and they'll still have your old address on file. Basically they are now sending your bills to an address you're not at.

Tallon

It is annoying, but unfortunatly its the only way, I went through the same crap with 3. As bad as meteor are, 3 are worse!

Kintarō Hattori

Perfect fit wrote: »

in fairness its common sense if you change a bill address you need new proof of address, who's to say you didn't make up the new address, believe or not people do actually do it.

if your renting your tenants agreement or letter from your letting agent will do, if you've bought then you would have something from the mortgage etc.

It is all dictated from head office tho but they are way more lenient when changing address with regards to what you use as proof

Ahh c'mon though, I've been with them nearly 2 years, I had my passport, my most recent meteor bill and a bank statement. That should surely be enough.

Spider_Piglet wrote: »

...of course they aren't going to give you the online price in-store.
The online price is an incentive to get people to buy online...
Online there is no need for them to pay for the rent of the shop, staff costs etc, so of course they want to entice you to shop online more. If they got every single customer to shop online they would be able to close heaps of their shops and save a fortune.
An online special offer price is just that. No shop is going to allow you buy goods instore at the online price.

They are a company who have both a high street presence and an online presence. I work for a retailer in the city and our customers come in frequently looking for items they have seen on the website. If I was to start charging them more instore we wouldn't still be in business. If you have a high street shop then you're prices on the website should be the same instore, otherwise you put people off shopping with you.

Spider_Piglet

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Ahh c'mon though, I've been with them nearly 2 years, I had my passport, my most recent meteor bill and a bank statement. That should surely be enough.



They are a company who have both a high street presence and an online presence. I work for a retailer in the city and our customers come in frequently looking for items they have seen on the website. If I was to start charging them more instore we wouldn't still be in business. If you have a high street shop then you're prices on the website should be the same instore, otherwise you put people off shopping with you.

Heaps of shops do it. They offer "special offers" on-line.
I have saved heaps by trying clothes on in shops, and then buying them off their website. (even more savings if bought from the UK website).

Meteor have a sort-of monopoly though. People on the meteor network can't really buy their phone in many other places (other than carphone warehouse etc. Of course there are websites like phonesonline.ie, but I'm guessing a huge proportion of people don't know about these).
So for most people, your two options are to:
A) buy it online, with a slight reduction, or
buy it instore for more
...this will obviously encourage alot of people to buy it online...which is what meteor want.

If you have a high street shop then you're prices on the website should be the same instore, otherwise you put people off shopping with you
I disagree completely with this.
LOADS of retailers offer cheaper prices online. Even VHI offer a 10% reduction if purchased online.
It is much cheaper for retailers to sell items on-line than instore. Offering cheaper prices online is a way of encouraging more people to shop from their website.

Ardent

I don't get the big dilemma here. You have no access to the bills being posted out to your old address - why not just view your bills online while you're waiting for proof of your new address? Surely Meteor show detailed usage online??

Perfect fit

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Ahh c'mon though, I've been with them nearly 2 years, I had my passport, my most recent meteor bill and a bank statement. That should surely be enough.

But companies cant have one policy for a customer that is with them 1 month and another policy that is with them 2 years, at the end of the day meteor are a business and they have to protect there own business from fraud/non paying customers, unfortunatly that means having the same rules for everyone including good customers like yourself, but ask anyone that has worked in a phone shop how many fake addresses they have been givin over the years and they will agree

120_Minutes

Have you tried ringing meteor customer care and changing the adress with them?

chrislad

Why don't you just change your address online? It can be done.

Random

chrislad wrote: »

Why don't you just change your address online? It can be done.

That online thing is very unreliabile. Anything submitted with it is basically ignored.

Source: 3 prepay accounts and a billpay account.

parsi

If every company refuses to change address until you can show a bill with the new address then you'll never be able to change - it's a bit Kafkaesque really.

Once you can prove you're the account holder then you should be able to change.

Regarding online/offline pricing -you don't have too many legs to stand on there seeing as usually the online price is discounted.

drunkmonkey

Tallon wrote: »

It is annoying, but unfortunatly its the only way, I went through the same crap with 3. As bad as meteor are, 3 are worse!

I recently changed addresses with 3 and there was no problem, they just verified it was me, date of birth etc and changed my billing address, couldn't have been simpler...

Walkman

As DM said with 3 you only need to call customer care, verify some account details and they wil change your details then and there (more needless 3 bashing and misinformation)

120_Minutes

*AHEM* I'll say it again.

120_Minutes wrote: »

Have you tried ringing meteor customer care and changing the adress with them?

January

120_Minutes wrote: »

*AHEM* I'll say it again.

And I'll say it too, rang them two months ago to change address and didn't even need my PIN number to do it... just changed address no problem...

who007

Ardent wrote: »

I don't get the big dilemma here. You have no access to the bills being posted out to your old address - why not just view your bills online while you're waiting for proof of your new address? Surely Meteor show detailed usage online??

Cos the girl told him he needs a bill from the new address to change his address? I sense the plot of Terminator 5 incorporating Meteor staff in it's plot...