Livid with Meteor

FreudianSlippers

Don't know if this is the right forum so apologies to the mods in advance if it's not.

So basically I know I'm in a legally correct position but I don't want to go in guns blazing just yet. I'm hoping that some of our resident mobile gurus can tell me how to handle this.

In February 2010 I decided to go back with Meteor because I liked their smart phone plan.
I signed up for Connect 500 as this was before Smart started.
When Smart came I asked if they could transfer me over to the Smart 500 plan and they were happy to oblige. I griped to them that I really wanted free meteor calls and texts as the bulk of my calls and texts are to meteor (my OH is meteor too).

They said that unfortunately there were no plans like this etc.

Jump to perhaps 3 weeks later and I see ads for Bill Pay Smart with free calls and texts to Meteor.
:rolleyes: typical I think.

So I get back on to Meteor and ask them to go through my bill with me and I talk to the guy about the whole previous switching to Smart etc. and he tells me that I could switch to the Smart 200 plan and avail of the free calls and texts to meteor.
I'm delighted, now I'm spending 30 quid less a month and I'm getting my free calls and texts to meteor.

I must not have been using my phone that much because my bill seemed appropriate, in the 40s ish.

This month it's 80+ euro. So I go through the bill.
Basically I'm not getting free calls or texts to Meteor.

I rang them today and the girl was nice and confirmed that I was not getting Meteor free calls and texts - I explain the situation to her and she puts me on hold for ages.
She comes back and says "well free calls and texts weren't around when you signed up"
I explain that the guy I spoke to before (who switched me to the 200 plan) specifically told me that I would get them. I said it's the whole reason I downgraded. Why would I go from a plan that was working for me to a lower plan and get raped by charges?!

She puts me on hold again and asks if I knew the name of the person who downgraded me... I actually laughed. I said "you just told me your name and I don't remember it, no offence... I don't even remember what month I switched it. Isn't this all within your knowledge?"

She tells me they can see when I switched plans but cannot see the name. She then says her supervisor said that if I could tell them the guys name they could help me, but otherwise...

So I don't really know what to do. I'm actually furious and kind of astonished that this is happening. I'm not trying to con them or anything - sure I'd even pay this month's bill if I was assured that I was now on the free calls and texts to Meteor.

Can they actually demand that I know the person's name? It seems wrong and totally messed up - they should know who does what whether or not there are "notes" on the account.

I should also say that I'm pretty happy with Meteor in general. Few problems here and there with delays in Android updates and a problem with roaming which was sorted by a very helpful guy (who also confirmed that I am getting free calls and texts mind you!).

I'm stumped basically. Any advice?

ardmacha

Ask them (in writing) for all tapes and records of dealing with you under the data protection act.

FreudianSlippers

ardmacha wrote: »

Ask them (in writing) for all tapes and records of dealing with you under the data protection act.

I was thinking of doing that... just hoping it wouldn't have to come to that tbh.

Random

i've moved this thread to consumer issues. their charter now applys. thanks

Nonoperational

I thought the free calls and texts offer was for new customers only? (I could be wrong on this).

January

Think you're going to need to ask for the calls

wobbles

Did you change plans during your billing period? ie your plan is billed from the 5th to the 4th the following month. If, say you changed plan on the 8th, the change wouldnt come into effect till the 5th of the next month. But they should have informed you of this before you changed.

To be honest it sounds like your call got bounced to the prepay department who may not have been familiar will bill accounts. Id give them a call back just to be sure

Kristopherus

Oisin, Meteor record all calls to their Customer Service dept. Its within their gift to be able to trace all calls, so I wouldnt stop there. Insist on them recovering the call(s) you made to them.
Also, you may be able to get your own back, as the saying goes, by going on to http://www.hssroi.groupscheme.com/ and downloading the Discount Voucher for Meteor from their Offers page. This voucher gives 20% off all 12 & 18 month monthly tarrifs.

FreudianSlippers

wobbles wrote: »

Did you change plans during your billing period? ie your plan is billed from the 5th to the 4th the following month. If, say you changed plan on the 8th, the change wouldnt come into effect till the 5th of the next month. But they should have informed you of this before you changed.

To be honest it sounds like your call got bounced to the prepay department who may not have been familiar will bill accounts. Id give them a call back just to be sure

I changed in about October but my usage was so low that I didn't notice I wasn't getting the calls and texts for free.
Now the past month has been high usage so my bill was shocking.
I investigated and noticed that I was being charged for calls and texts.

I realise that the promotion was supposed to be for new customers but the guy I spoke to said I could get it and that I would.

I suppose I'm going to have to ask for the calls indeed and issue proceedings.

I wish it didn't have to come to this. I've posted on Meteor's forum too and I've had success there before (with my Android problems) so maybe they can get this sorted too.

FreudianSlippers

Kristopherus wrote: »

Oisin, Meteor record all calls to their Customer Service dept. Its within their gift to be able to trace all calls, so I wouldnt stop there. Insist on them recovering the call(s) you made to them.
Also, you may be able to get your own back, as the saying goes, by going on to www.groupscheme.com and downloading the Discount Voucher for Meteor from their Offers page. This voucher gives 20% off all 12 & 18 month monthly tarrifs.

Thanks, but I'd have to extend my contract by another 6 months and at this stage I'm not so sure about that

Kristopherus

OisinT wrote: »

Thanks, but I'd have to extend my contract by another 6 months and at this stage I'm not so sure about that

Blast it, I forgot about that bit:)

nxbyveromdwjpg

Somebody in meteor downgraded your package, there is a login attached to that order, they can see who did it absolutely no problem. You having to remember the name of the agent is ludicrous, believe me it's on their screen.

FreudianSlippers

Kristopherus wrote: »

Blast it, I forgot about that bit:)

Thanks, though. If I do get this sorted out I may surprise them with this in a few months

FreudianSlippers

nm wrote: »

Somebody in meteor downgraded your package, there is a login attached to that order, they can see who did it absolutely no problem. You having to remember the name of the agent is ludicrous, believe me it's on their screen.

Thanks I thought so too.

I couldn't believe it when she said it to me. I told her to think about it. Why would I go from paying 50quid a month happily and not using all my minutes/texts to paying 30 a month and going over by quite a bit if I didn't think I was getting free talk & texts.

She said she knew what I meant, but she couldn't help me. I'm going to see what happens here with Meteor forum and talk to someone high up.

I do genuinely find Meteor quite good (not as good as O2 now but their smartphone plans are ridiculously expensive) but this situation is ludicrous IMO.

January

I used to work in a call centre (not Meteor) but we all had log ins and any time we went into a file a record was made on the file, we were told it was to stop us abusing data protection because if we were in a file we shouldn't have been in we could get into trouble.

So it's very easy to get the name of the person you were talking to, they have it there already, they are just being awkward.

androma

I just recently swapped from meteor prepay to bill.got a lot of advice from friends in both carphone warehouse and meteor.Apparently this problem was very common.(people not getting free meteor calls/texts outside of bundle).From what i understand reading the website,it is as already stated for new customers but also only for people changing to meteor through the online method.
Friend in cpw told me a trick they use to avoid it was switch you to vodaphone etc then back,therefore qualifying.
However my friend in meteor seemed to say you get in anyways nowadays.And im pretty sure,it wasnt that he was cutting me a good deal!
I ended up going for the 400 smart plan and get free calls/texts to meteor outside of the 400 along with 2gb download.NOTE:Theses free calls are only for first 12 months out of 18 month contract. This purchase was on the 15th december ( in case that helps).
Sounds like you have a good point for arguing anyways.stick with it.

wobbles

adrieanne__x wrote: »

I used to work in a call centre (not Meteor) but we all had log ins and any time we went into a file a record was made on the file, we were told it was to stop us abusing data protection because if we were in a file we shouldn't have been in we could get into trouble.

So it's very easy to get the name of the person you were talking to, they have it there already, they are just being awkward.

Not so sure on that one. I did work for meteor and when they brought in the new system (which was crap to work with) you could see that a feature (tariff, promo etc) was changed but that was system generated and i cant remember i it was linked in any way the CSR.

The recordings will tell all. But they can take a while to be sent out to you

FreudianSlippers

I think this has been sorted out by a boardsie that works for meteor. If so, this guy is a legend and is what most Meteor customer care should be like.

January

wobbles wrote: »

Not so sure on that one. I did work for meteor and when they brought in the new system (which was crap to work with) you could see that a feature (tariff, promo etc) was changed but that was system generated and i cant remember i it was linked in any way the CSR.

The recordings will tell all. But they can take a while to be sent out to you

If it's computer generated then it should have a date that it was changed, all you'd need to do was check the file and see the date that matched up with the person who made the change.

Glad to hear you're sorting it out though, fair play to the guy who works for meteor

uppishhauk

If a price plan change in done by costumer care then yes there will be a name attached to the action but if it done in store it won't, but the store themselves have records of who signed up who etc
if the person who signed you up said you will get talk and text then meteor has to give it to you but the person will need to own up to it