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Eircom Phonewatch complaint - who do you report them to?

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  • 23-05-2011 11:13pm
    #1
    jackco
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭


    I've a major complaint against Eircom Phonewatch for mis selling to vunerable people and I want to report them. I've tried reporting them to ComReg but they say it's not them and they don't know who I should report them to!! Surely someone must regulate monitored alarm companies. Has anyone got any answers???
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Shield
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,783 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    Moved from the Help Desk to Consumer Issues with redirect expiring in 7 days.


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    #3
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    Try the psa website. All alarm monitoring and installer's were meant to come under there perview. www.psa.gov.ie


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    #4
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    lucyfur09 wrote: »
    Try the psa website. All alarm monitoring and installer's were meant to come under there perview. www.psa.ie

    I somehow doubt that porta-cabins is are going to help. Possibly you mean http://www.psa.gov.ie/

    If a product is being miss-sold, then you need to contact the National Consumer Agency. Not every industry is regulated, in fact, most are not.


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    #5
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    Sorry bout that, will edit now. :)


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    #6
    eircom: Tony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,226 ✭✭✭eircom: Tony


    jackco wrote: »
    I've a major complaint against Eircom Phonewatch for mis selling to vunerable people and I want to report them. I've tried reporting them to ComReg but they say it's not them and they don't know who I should report them to!! Surely someone must regulate monitored alarm companies. Has anyone got any answers???


    Hi Jacko
    if you PM me your details I can chase this for you and can get Phonewatch to contact you today.
    Tony


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    #7
    eircom: Mark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭eircom: Mark


    Hi Guys,

    Apologies posted in the wrong thread :P Sorry for the confusion caused.

    Mark


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    #8
    godtabh
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,209 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    What have Meteor got to do with it?


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    #9
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,475 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    godtabh wrote: »
    What have Meteor got to do with it?

    Have to query this too, why is Meteor involved in a Eircom phonewatch sale?


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    #10
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    GSM alarm not phoneline. Probably sold where there was no Meteor signal and all :D


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    #11
    godtabh
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,209 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    I thought phone watch only operated under a landline? I know there is gsm systems out there all right but not operated by eircom


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    #12
    Paulw
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 13,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    godtabh wrote: »
    I thought phone watch only operated under a landline?

    They had a GSM service since 98, but it wasn't widely sold. They always push the landline service, since it's more reliable.


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    #13
    eircom: Mark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭eircom: Mark


    Hi Guys,

    Apologies posted in the wrong thread :P Sorry for the confusion caused.

    Thanks, Mark


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    #14
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Paulw wrote: »
    They had a GSM service since 98, but it wasn't widely sold. They always push the landline service, since it's more reliable.
    They push it so they can gouge the highest line rental in the world out of the customer as well. Were it a 3g service it would be unreliable of course, but it ain't.


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    #15
    Paulw
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 13,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    They push it so they can gouge the highest line rental in the world out of the customer as well.

    Incorrect.

    Eircom PhoneWatch is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eircom. PhoneWatch make no money from line rental. Their income comes from sales of alarm systems and alarm system monitoring.

    The Eircom PhoneWatch system will work with any PSTN phone operator. It will work with Perlico, Magnet, BT, etc just fine. So, you don't need to be a customer of Eircom to have a PhoneWatch alarm system.

    The GSM system they use would be no more reliable on 3G than it is on 2G, due to the technology.


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    #16
    Gulliver
    Registered Users Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭Gulliver


    Paulw wrote: »
    Incorrect.

    Eircom PhoneWatch is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eircom. PhoneWatch make no money from line rental. Their income comes from sales of alarm systems and alarm system monitoring.

    The Eircom PhoneWatch system will work with any PSTN phone operator. It will work with Perlico, Magnet, BT, etc just fine. So, you don't need to be a customer of Eircom to have a PhoneWatch alarm system.

    The GSM system they use would be no more reliable on 3G than it is on 2G, due to the technology.

    But as Eircom own the local loops don't they get the line rental no matter what PSTN operator you use? Also I think the previous poster was suggesting that if it were a 3G-based service it would be unreliable, due to patchy 3G coverage, not that a 3G service would be better.


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    #17
    Paulw
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 13,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    Eircom do, PhoneWatch doesn't. They're separate companies.

    There are other alarm monitoring companies, that also require a PSTN line, and these companies have nothing at all to do with Eircom.

    It's all down to the technology, nothing more than that. PSTN is still the most reliable way to transfer the signal when the alarm system is triggered.


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    #18
    Gulliver
    Registered Users Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭Gulliver


    Paulw wrote: »
    Eircom do, PhoneWatch doesn't. They're separate companies.

    There are other alarm monitoring companies, that also require a PSTN line, and these companies have nothing at all to do with Eircom.

    It's all down to the technology, nothing more than that. PSTN is still the most reliable way to transfer the signal when the alarm system is triggered.

    Maybe I'm missing something here. Eircom own the local loops - all operators have to pay them rental.

    Eircom own Phonewatch as stated on the Phonewatch site.
    Phonewatch Site wrote:
    In 1993 Nynex sold its half of the company to Telecom Eireann as part of a strategic realignment of their business. Today we are a wholly owned subsidiary of eircom.

    It is a separate trading entity but is owned by Eircom at the end of the day.

    If Eircom own the PSTN line system and this particular security company then it makes good business sense to push a phone line system and not GSM.

    I do agree that in most cases the PSTN system is more reliable, but living in a rural area with very old phone lines, I have seen crosstalk, localised unexplainable intermittent outages and line quality so bad as to make a landline to landline conversation unintelligible. Unless the line is fairly new, it could be just as unreliable as GSM. I'd want a GSM backup just in case.


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    #19
    Paulw
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 13,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    Gulliver wrote: »
    Maybe I'm missing something here. Eircom own the local loops - all operators have to pay them rental.

    It is a separate trading entity but is owned by Eircom at the end of the day.

    Yes, that's what I said earlier. Eircom PhoneWatch are a wholly owned subsidiary of Eircom group.
    Gulliver wrote: »
    If Eircom own the PSTN line system and this particular security company then it makes good business sense to push a phone line system and not GSM.

    But, all home alarm monitoring systems rely on firstly PSTN lines (worldwide), and some also have GSM options.
    Gulliver wrote: »
    I do agree that in most cases the PSTN system is more reliable, but living in a rural area with very old phone lines, I have seen crosstalk, localised unexplainable intermittent outages and line quality so bad as to make a landline to landline conversation unintelligible. Unless the line is fairly new, it could be just as unreliable as GSM. I'd want a GSM backup just in case.

    The quality of the PSTN line is fine for the alarm monitoring systems. Although some lines were terrible for voice conversations, they worked fine for alarm system monitoring.

    Yes, in most parts, GSM is now almost as reliable in more rural locations.


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