Eircom- Paying for services not received

Sgt Murt

Hi,
I was just wondering where I stand with this particular complaint and what I should do. Iv been in contact with Eircom a number of times and the issue is now worse than it was before.
I ordered eircom broadband in late July this year. I explained that I didn't want a phone line and just wanted broadband but was told this wasn't possible as they only do broadband in a package with a phone line. I decided this was ok and asked them what the proceedure was. I was told that they first needed to reconnect my line (a service which they were offering for free at the time) and check if the package I wanted was available in my area. About a week later I hadn't heard back from them but a wireless router and contract came in the post. I thought this meant my broadband was ready but when I tried it out it wasn't working. I rang them and they said it should start working ten days after my line connection took place. On the letter enclosed with the contract it stated that if I used the service or signed the contract and sent it back I would start getting charged for the service, as I only wanted broadband I decided not to sign the contract until my internet service commenced. Later that same week I recieved a bill for my first months usage, for the month of august which wasn't even started yet!! I rang eircom and told them about this and also that I hadn't signed the contract or used the service so I shouldn't be getting charged. I was informed that contrary to what I recieved in the post they actually start charging from the conection date. A date I wasn't informed about and also a date at least ten days before I even recieved my broadband connection. I was angry but decided to let it go as It was only half a month extra or so. That bill in total was around €30. Later in early August I discovered that I would be moving house so around the 5th of that month I rang eircom to cancel the broadband (which I hadn't recieved yet). I was told that that was fine and that the contract was cancelled. As I had never used the service, had never even received broadband and had never signed or agreed to any contract I assumed that the bill I had received would be cancelled but about a month later in my new residence I recieved a new bill. This one was for over €200!! Apparently they had never cancelled my service and had kept charging me. Also now they were requesting a €100 deposite. I was furious and rang eircom again where I was informed that they had no record of me cancelling my bill but they had the last date I had contacted customer service on file. The man seemed very helpful and told me to ignore the bills I had received until now and he would send me a last finalised one. I told him I would not pay any bill as I had never used the service and never even recieved broadband. He asked me to hold the line and within ten minutes was back. He told me the best he could do was cancell my bill from the time they had recorded as my last customer service contact date. This would mean I would only have to pay for a weeks line rental or so. I begrudgingly agreed to pay this as I was just sick of dealing with them at this stage and I agreed to return the router I had recieved.
Then about a week ago I recieved my last bill. This was again for over €200!!! They had removed the €100 deposite but replaced it with a €108 cancellation fee. To date I haven't paid them one cent and am completely sick of dealing with them. I dont believe I should have to pay over €200 for a service I never even recieved or used!! Especially since I never signed or agreed to any contract!! I have not returned their router yet but am more than willing to once these charges have been removed.
I would really like to get this over and done with in my next conversation with them. Im pretty sure if I ring them now they will just give me a spiel and apologise, say they'll drop some of the charges and then two weeks later i'll recieve another bill even larger than the last. I was just curious as to my rights in this situation. If I know them before I ring then at least I wont have to accept any of the crap they spout.

Any help is appreciated, cheers.

Tom Young

I suggest raising this with the Commission for Communications Regulation: www.comreg.ie and see if they can assist you.

Thanks,

Tom

Discodog

A quick read here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055697593

will show you that Comreg may not be very helpful. In my case both Comreg & Eircom were wrong. You may find that you have to let it reach the stage where Eircom come after the debt but it seems that in many cases they don't bother.

But I would go through the complete complaints procedure with Comreg & keep all emails.

oppiuy

Heya, if ya wanna private mail me the home number at that address ill take a look at the account for you

Victor

oppiuy wrote: »

Heya, if ya wanna private mail me the home number at that address ill take a look at the account for you

As if its a good thing to give random people on the internet your phone number.

Discodog

Oppiuy may not be so random. The inference in their post & their occupation in their profile could mean that they are a Guard, a tax inspector or work for Eircom !

oppiuy

Well i may be able to help this Guy out as i have done with a few boardies in the past. It was an open invitation, they dont have to take it up..

nevaeh-2die-4

does anyone have a email address for eircom complaints for broadband .

thanks

curleysuek

My eldarly parents phone bill seemed to be expensive,and i noticed they were paying for broadband 40euro on the bill even though they dont have a computer and never recieved a modem or router (surely this is not completing the sale also)??

I contacted eircom about this and sure enough ,they found no internet activity on the line ever since nov2008 its now jan2012 ??

Who missold this product to them ? they are owed over 700 euro and eircom only offered them money back for 1 year .

How do i go about getting this money back ,it just seems wrong .

Procrastastudy

Polite requests in writing followed by com reg followed by small claims court.