Eircoms new PSTN contract

eircomsucks

So Eircom are now imposing a 6 month contract on any new PSTN lines or PSTN line activations to residential customers.

So if you want ADSL and need to get a phone line installed eircom will put you into a contract, if you want to leave to join Magnet, Smart or Vodafone, UTV, Imagine (phone & Broadband packages) eircom will charge you a contract buyout fee. (fee depends on time left in contract).

This new change has only come in during the last two weeks and imho is very concerning as in my view its anti-competitive and one would hope that this will be challenged by Comreg.

More info on www.eircomsucks.com and www.twitter.com/eircomsucks/

I have confirmed with eircoms official twitter account that this will effect customers should they get a eircom PSTN line installed and then choose to change to one of Vodafones Phone & Broadband packages.

Judging by the info in the Boards Broadband forum atleast one user appears to have been told by an eircom employee that this new rule has been introduced because if a customer moves to another provider eircom don't get a penny (this as we know is a lie).

We all know alot of consumers will sign up to eircoms phone line find themselfs in a contract and as such just get ADSL from eircom instead of shopping around and getting a better value phone/broadband package from another ISP.

After the 6 months is up the customer is unlikely to leave eircom (unless they are in anyway techy) as otherwise they'll fear the loss of their e-mail address, won't want the downtime or won't want the new ADSL contract with the new supplier.

If however this PSTN 6 month contract a customer is free to get a eircom line installed and choose the best provider for them (such as Vodafone or Smart), once they move they'll never have to deal directly with eircom again. (unless they choose to).

This new contract only serves to restrict competition in Ireland which is never good

watty

Indeed the other operator makes hardly any profit or even makes a loss.

eircom make almost as much profit with voice calls or bitstream (maybe more as less costs associated with billing and customer service?) though a bit less with LLU (a tiny % of customers).

This should be illegal. It's greed. There should only be a penalty charge if the line is given up altogether inside 6months and it's a subsidized install . Not for transfer of line to a different operator, who is then paying eircom.

Sponge Bob

Is this in Dublin or nationwide. There is a free line rental offer in Dublin ( only) if

1. You stay with eircom
2. Your line was inactive on or by the 31 / 12/ 2008

Actually it is free for 10 months and connection is free.

You may go with any BB provider but not in a BUNDLE. You could go with Digioweb for example.

eircomsucks

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Is this in Dublin or nationwide. There is a free line rental offer in Dublin ( only) if

1. You stay with eircom
2. Your line was inactive on or by the 31 / 12/ 2008.

The new 6 month contract applys to all new PSTN lines, this includes
- New installs where line works are required
- Re-activation of exisiting PSTN lines in premises
- Your a residential customer

You may go with any BB provider but not in a BUNDLE. You could go with Digioweb for example.

This is correct, you could stay with Eircom for PSTN services and avail of ADSL from your choosen provider however you can't
- Subscribe to products from the likes of Magnet or Smart (LLU)
- You can't avail of bundled products from likes of Vodafone, UTV, Imagine etc

As you can't avail of bundled products this mean you can't avail of some of the best value products available on the market and at the very least you don't actually have a proper "choice".

Sponge Bob

Is 'this' product shown and listed here ??

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/internet_special_offer.pdf

or here

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/sn1_pt1.pdf

Because every standard connection deal or variant thereupon should be in those two docs.

I note they have given up on the old 21 day notification procedure hissy fit style since Comreg waved the limp wrist at the Meteor bundles.

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/pending.pdf

Sponge Bob

Comreg are now backing eircom even though this new product iwas only published on 09 December and no 21 days notice was given of its introduction see:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055765345

It is overridden by the special offer anyway...which has no minimum term. ( page 4)

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/internet_special_offer.pdf

eircom must give 21 days notice of any new special offer changing that special offer

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/pending.pdf

Nothing there either. Save those

Sponge Bob

Comreg are busy trying to fanny regulate their way out of this but the special connection promotion still applies and they must publish a 21 day notice of intent to change that and so does the 10 month free line rental in Dublin till this weekend.

This from the BB forum earlier.

Originally Posted by comreg to zoro
Dear Mr. Zoro,

Thank you for contacting ComReg.

Eircom do own and maintain the majority of fixed lines in Ireland. As the Universal Service Provider, Eircom must allow other operators access to and use of their lines. These obligations do not prevent Eircom from applying a minimum term to their service when a line is connected / reconnected,.

From November 30 2009, all telephone lines connected by Eircom will be subject to a minimum contract period of six months. This means that if you get a telephone connection with Eircom on or after that date, and you switch telephone provider before the six months is up, you will be liable for cancellation penalties (also known as early termination fees). In practice this means you will have to continue paying Eircom for line rental until the end of the six month period.

Under the Universal Service Obligation, Eircom, on receipt of a reasonable request, must provide telephone lines to every premises throughout the State.

You can request a telephone connection through any telecoms operator, but other operators do not have an obligation to provide you with one. However, there are processes in place which mean that any operator can arrange connection on behalf of their customers, so customers do not necessarily need to connect through eircom directly and they do not need to commit to a 6 month contract with eircom. If you are requesting a connection through another operator check the terms and conditions to see if a minimum contract period applies. You can contact Magnet directly in order to request that they provide you with the service, but as stated they are not obliged to carry this out.

I hope this clarifies matters for you. Should you have any other queries or require any other assistance from me you can call our Consumer Team on 1890 229668 or 01 8049668. Your ComReg case number is ZoroRocks.

Yours sincerely,

Maria Power
Commission for Communications Regulation