AES - Wheelie bins gone from weekly collection to fortnightly!

Access

Anyone else on here pissed off about the bins going to a fortnightly collection with AES?

Its like getting half the service for the same price. We would always fill our wheelie bin each week as we have a growing family, but its overflowing every fortnight now and christmas time was ridiculous with the amount of rubbish that is normally produced around that time of year anyway.

They say its because they are going to a pay by weight model in July?!?

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom

Where are yo getting that info from. I never received any confirmation of this from AES and cannot see it on their website.

Access

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom wrote: »

Where are yo getting that info from. I never received any confirmation of this from AES and cannot see it on their website.

This has been in since christmas on our route (outside Navan) - Got a letter before christmas week and its getting to be a hassle over the past few weeks.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2015/01/09/4034943-anger-as-bin-collections-go-fortnightly/

Vego

Errr maybe go and change supplier ....panda are local and cheaper tag a bin not so local also cheaper

martinr5232

Tag a bin have sold a lot of theyre route to Aes and i dont think panda collect in all of meath they dont in my area anyway so there is no options for a lot of people.
I wouldnt mind we changed from aes to tag a bin because of aes putting up prices looks like they can do what they want now.

Access

martinr5232 wrote: »

Tag a bin have sold a lot of theyre route to Aes and i dont think panda collect in all of meath they dont in my area anyway so there is no options for a lot of people.
I wouldnt mind we changed from aes to tag a bin because of aes putting up prices looks like they can do what they want now.

Martinr5232 is right... We have no other options on our route. So its not that easy to swap Vego.

chewed

As well as AES, Mahons are also going fortnightly, yet not reducing their prices!

There's nothing on their site as well. When I rang Mahon's I was told it's all to do with new EU regulations for food/bio waste. She told me I would be getting a 3rd bin for food waste. Yet, there was nothing on the letter about this! She said I should have got a letter explaining the reason.

On the (only) letter I did receive, it states "In 90% of the households covered we have determined that a bi-weekly collection of the waste and recycle bins is sufficient to meet your needs". This seems to contradict what I was told on the phone! I'm still waiting to receive the letter explaining the food waste bin.

niallb

I'm with Mahon's too, and only paid up for another year in November.
I'm planning on calculating how many lifts I paid for and requesting them to extend my contract out that far rather than try to get a refund.

Happy to hear about a 3rd bin though.
I'm pushing the amount of compost I can cope with at the moment

Dubh Geannain

Thorntons are doing the same for 2015.

Doesn't quite work for us who put the bin out roughly every 3 weeks

As it's charge per lift. They will be getting an overflowing bin every 4 weeks as opposed to a half full bin (or 2/3's if you're being anal) every 2 weeks.

chewed

Does this not sound like a cartel between all the different waste companies?

Access

Wait for it... Give it a month or two and the ditches in the countryside will be full of black bags again. Illegal dumping will escalate again no doubt!

Dubh Geannain

chewed wrote: »

Does this not sound like a cartel between all the different waste companies?

No harm in contacting the newly formed competition and consumer protection commission. I'll let you know how the response goes.

Dubh Geannain

Done:

It came to my attention that my current waste provider "Thornton's Recycling" , who cover Co. Meath, are reducing their rate of collection for general waste from weekly to once every fortnight.

Our household typically fills one wheelie bin every three weeks so we are faced with the options of putting a 2/3 full bin out every two weeks, which will cost us more due to the extra lifts involved. Or, putting an overly full bin out every 4 weeks, which will cost us less but with the added risk of the bin not being collected due to overfilling.

Investigating our options in terms of providers it turns out that two more providers in the area are just this year (2015) also moving to fortnightly collections.

When dealing with rubbish one might expect to encounter a furry friend from the order Rodentia. However, I hope this is not the case with regards collusion between several providers of what is, give or take, the same service.

My query, is, is there sufficient grounds to make such an accusation based on the details provided above. And if not, what should be my next course of action as I don't envisage simply leaving this be.

PS: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=94160617#post94160617

Thank you for your query to The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. We will respond to you within 3 working days. - See more at: http://www.consumerhelp.ie/index.jsp?p=109&n=158&a=396#sthash.nFZVmtTA.dpuf

Brianmeath

It's a fair joke. You will pay us the same amount as last year for half the service.

PauloMN

chewed wrote: »

As well as AES, Mahons are also going fortnightly, yet not reducing their prices!

There's nothing on their site as well. When I rang Mahon's I was told it's all to do with new EU regulations for food/bio waste. She told me I would be getting a 3rd bin for food waste. Yet, there was nothing on the letter about this! She said I should have got a letter explaining the reason.

On the (only) letter I did receive, it states "In 90% of the households covered we have determined that a bi-weekly collection of the waste and recycle bins is sufficient to meet your needs". This seems to contradict what I was told on the phone! I'm still waiting to receive the letter explaining the food waste bin.

It seems Panda are taking over Mahons, as I found out when I rang Mahons to send me a 2015 collection calendar. Got a letter from Mahons last week explaining about the brown bin and the bi-weekly collections. No mention of Panda in that letter for some reason, but if you ring Mahons you get put through to Panda.

I seem to remember getting a letter from Mahons about 3 years ago saying we were shortly getting a brown bin, but nothing ever happened.

We hardly fill our waste bin in the winter, so the bi-weekly collection doesn't bother me, but I wish they'd collect the recycle bin more as that's the one we fill most. The waste bin can get filled quick enough in the summer as I put grass cuttings into it.

I guess Mahons/Panda will move towards a pay-by-weight and per-lift system as per the others also now, rather than the single annual sub.

washiskin

I got that letter form AES before Christmas & emailed them saying I expected the bill for 2015 to reflect the twice monthly collection. got no reply so decided to wait for the letter looking for payment to arrive - when it did I was expected to fork out 300 lids for the privilege. Rang them and some impudent little get told me I was indeed privileged to have enjoyed a weekly collection before this and I could take it or leave it with a discount, I said expecting the same money for half was a bit rich to which he snapped that that was the service other routes had been getting & now it was this route's turn.

Was considering going with Panda (very reluctantly) but if they are going bi-weekly too I don't see much point.:mad:

BTW, marked increase in black sacks appearing in the local ditches already.... :mad::mad:

Dubh Geannain

There you have it:

Dear Mr. Dubhgeannain,

Thank you for contacting the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission with your contract query for waste disposal.

In the first instance, if the company wish to amend their terms and conditions and change the type of bin they provide as part of their collection service, this would be considered a commercial decision by the company. It would be considered good business practice that the company notify their customers of any changes to their contracts and we understand that the company did inform you of the changes of collection. If, however, you feel that this is a significant alteration to the original contract, you may be entitled to cancel the contract without penalty and move to a different provider. This should be discussed with the company in the first instance, if you wish to proceed in this manner.

You can find general information on waste service contracts on our website, here;

http://www.consumerhelp.ie/waste-collection-services

With regards to the environmental regulations and the safety aspect of your issue with the bins not being collected within certain time frames, we would suggest that you refer this part of your complaint to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government:

http://www.environ.ie/en/ContactUs/

Based on the information provided in the attachment enclosed with your email, this is a civil matter to be resolved between the parties involved and therefore not one in which the Commission can become involved. However, if you have any additional evidence in relation to the competition aspect of your complaint, you can submit a complaint regarding this issue, here;

http://www.tca.ie/Complaints.aspx

We would also suggest that you review your areas waste management plan:

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Waste/WasteManagement/FileDownLoad,37567,en.pdf

We hope you have found this information useful and if you have any further consumer related queries please do not hesitate to contact us on 1890 432 432 or (01) 4025555.

Yours Sincerely,
<snip>

The content of this E-Mail is provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon in that regard.

Summary,
(1) Need additional evidence in relation to the competition aspect of the complaint for the CCPC to get involved. Otherwise it is just a civil matter regarding contracted services.

(2) In terms of the health and safety aspects of the bins not being collected as often then we can contact the Department of the Environment.

Irish Aris

I was also a tag-a-bin customer. I live in Grangerath, Drogheda (which is in co.Meath).

In the schedule they sent me, they still mention same collection pattern, weekly for general waste, fortnightly for recycle.
(I will admit that I haven't checked it yet, as I wasn't always around the last couple of weeks, will see what's the story during February).

That thing with the fee paid in advance is really handled from their side.
I created an online account with AES yesterday. I discovered that I could make a payment online for whatever amount I wanted. To me it looked like a top-up account of sorts. So I paid for 5 months. Now my account shows that I still owe them 147 EUR for 2014, but also that my service is covered until the end of June. A bit confusing, I have to say.
But I do agree that the way they have created the bill, it looks like they are looking for the whole year's fee in advance.

elBootho

Once you get the brown bin you'll have little need for the main bin any more. You'd be surprised how much of it is food waste and that'll be all going in the brown bin.
The pay per weight model on the black bin is going to be mandatory, it's in the new regulations that came from an EU directive designed to reduce landfill and get people recycling compostable waste.

Access

elBootho wrote: »

Once you get the brown bin you'll have little need for the main bin any more. You'd be surprised how much of it is food waste and that'll be all going in the brown bin.
The pay per weight model on the black bin is going to be mandatory, it's in the new regulations that came from an EU directive designed to reduce landfill and get people recycling compostable waste.

Yeah, but it doesnt explain why we are paying the exact same for half the amount of collections.

BorneTobyWilde

Best thing you can do it use food bin and recycling bin and get rid of the black bin. No need for a black bin, unless you have nappies.

Soups123

Just as an FYI I went out to Thorntons on this and they gave me a second black bin, They collect both bins every second Tuesday which does the same job for me just with the hassle of having two awkward looking things out the back window

ali123

Completely disgusted with Mahons,

As of this week our collection is changed to fortnightly due to the Compost bin.

Rang to see when we would be getting our Compost bin and was told 2-3 months!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone received these yet from Mahons?

What are we supposed to do til then.

Anyone recommend any other bin collectors in the Trim area as I will definitely be changing in June.

chewed

ali123 wrote: »

Completely disgusted with Mahons,

As of this week our collection is changed to fortnightly due to the Compost bin.

Rang to see when we would be getting our Compost bin and was told 2-3 months!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone received these yet from Mahons?

What are we supposed to do til then.

Anyone recommend any other bin collectors in the Trim area as I will definitely be changing in June.

I was wondering when we'd get the compost bin as well. I received the letter explaining the collection dates, but not a mention of the compost bin.

PauloMN

ali123 wrote: »

Completely disgusted with Mahons,

As of this week our collection is changed to fortnightly due to the Compost bin.

Rang to see when we would be getting our Compost bin and was told 2-3 months!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone received these yet from Mahons?

What are we supposed to do til then.

Anyone recommend any other bin collectors in the Trim area as I will definitely be changing in June.

That's ridiculous, they should not introduce the new collection schedule if you don't have a compost bin.

We got our compost bin about a month ago (I'm in Trim). Still had not got the collection calendar for 2015 after numerous phone calls up to last week. Finally got it the other day.

ali123

I just think its a disgrace feel like we are being badly treated as we don't have many alternatives.

I couldn't believe it when my husband called them and they said it could be three months.

Trim is hardly that big and if it is such an issue to deliver a few thousand bins then set up a collection depot, I'm sure most people would prefer to collect their bin than have to wait 3 months.

I'm wondering if I rand as a new customer would I be told the same?

nirvana78

I couldn't help but fill you in on our bin collection situation. We are based in Offaly and up until last week were getting both bins collected each week by Mahons. Out of the blue get this letter saying they are discontinuing the service and will pass on our name and address to AES. AES only collect every fortnight, so now we're going to be paying at least the same amount of money if not more for half the service!!

coolabula

nirvana78 wrote: »

I couldn't help but fill you in on our bin collection situation. We are based in Offaly and up until last week were getting both bins collected each week by Mahons. Out of the blue get this letter saying they are discontinuing the service and will pass on our name and address to AES. AES only collect every fortnight, so now we're going to be paying at least the same amount of money if not more for half the service!!

I'm in westmeath and I'm the same situation. Mahons posted me a bill for €312 for the coming year, then a letter saying aes are taking over collections. Mahons are part of panda now and I can still keep my account with them even though aes are managing collections. So I can pay mahons €312 for a reduced service or go online and switch to aes for €294!!!!
Still not sure if tags might be the way to go, I have heard nothing about brown bins

Access

We dont start getting charged by weight till June as far as i can gather.

So that is roughly 6 or 7 fortnightly waste collections between now and then.

So i am filling every spare inch of room on top of my normal waste with rocks, old bricks and anything else i can find behind the shed.

Aes are charged per tonne landfill levys so a few extra kgs from me till june might not be big to them but would at least make me feel better!

chrysagon

cartel springs to mind!

And you can forget customer service,they don't need to provide a smile with their service as theres a lack of competition!!

Jonnykitedude

I called them and demanded a bigger bin as they are only colleting every two weeks....sent me out the larger bin no problem. I was told that charges are coming in around June/July time.

scudzilla

Imagine how bad the fly tipping is gonna be when charges come in

washiskin

scudzilla wrote: »

Imagine how bad the fly tipping is gonna be when charges come in

It's already happening, some Linden Village swilling scumbag has been off loading between 1 and 4 bags on the back road between Kentstown and Rathfeigh. I swear if I see who it is I won't bother the litter warden again, I'll just upend the bags on the step of their door and see how they like it. :mad:

Access

washiskin wrote: »

It's already happening, some Linden Village swilling scumbag has been off loading between 1 and 4 bags on the back road between Kentstown and Rathfeigh. I swear if I see who it is I won't bother the litter warden again, I'll just upend the bags on the step of their door and see how they like it. :mad:

Just made me think of my neighbour, he found three black bags in the hedgerow in one of his fields last summer. He went through the bags with gloves, mainly ****ty nappies and heineken bottles (Drunk babies? ) among other rubbish, but he did find a document with an address of a house in a nearby estate.

Following day, he went down to the house and threw the bags into the guys front garden emptied the contents all over the lawn, went up and rang the doorbell and a woman came out - she wondering what was going on was handed the document and he asked her was that her partners/husband etc. document and she said yes, so he told her what he had done and left.

I bought him a pint after i heard that!

scudzilla

Just rang Mahons, as I'm a tag customer who pays as and when I need my bin emptying then I will not be getting a compost bin. Idiotic company

chrysagon

AES don't suppy compost bins..just micky mouse bags

Little CuChulainn

scudzilla wrote: »

Just rang Mahons, as I'm a tag customer who pays as and when I need my bin emptying then I will not be getting a compost bin. Idiotic company

Mahons are terrible. I rang them back at Paddys weekend to find out why my bin wasn't collected. She said it had been resceduled to the previous Saturday. I asked why I wasn't informed. She said "Oh, you must be a bin tag customer." I rang them two weeks ago to ask again why my bin wasn't collected. They answered the phone with "Hello, Panda Waste". Apparently Mahons were bought out by Panda and have switched to fortnightly collection. When I asked why I wasn't told she said "You must be a bin tag customer". Obviously they don't give a **** about tag customers.

AnCatDubh

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Mahons are terrible. I rang them back at Paddys weekend to find out why my bin wasn't collected. She said it had been resceduled to the previous Saturday. I asked why I wasn't informed. She said "Oh, you must be a bin tag customer." I rang them two weeks ago to ask again why my bin wasn't collected. They answered the phone with "Hello, Panda Waste". Apparently Mahons were bought out by Panda and have switched to fortnightly collection. When I asked why I wasn't told she said "You must be a bin tag customer". Obviously they don't give a **** about tag customers.

Ummmm.... We're a tag customer and we had a letter from them explaining changes and also a schedule of collections.

Compost bins not yet available yet though for tag customers (unless they've recently been made available). It will take a bit of getting used to. At the moment its more of an issue of the availability of tags to buy. For a few months now there appears to be a very limited supply in the lead up to a mid week collection day. Really you need to buy a week in advance to be sure.

I've attached the collection schedule for you - hope that helps.

Little CuChulainn

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Ummmm.... We're a tag customer and we had a letter from them explaining changes and also a schedule of collections.

Compost bins not yet available yet though for tag customers (unless they've recently been made available). It will take a bit of getting used to. At the moment its more of an issue of the availability of tags to buy. For a few months now there appears to be a very limited supply in the lead up to a mid week collection day. Really you need to buy a week in advance to be sure.

I've attached the collection schedule for you - hope that helps.

Thanks. That's great. I rang them to see why I didn't get one of those in January. She said they don't send them to tag customers. Maybe I should be taking it personally.

we'llallhavetea

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Thanks. That's great. I rang them to see why I didn't get one of those in January. She said they don't send them to tag customers. Maybe I should be taking it personally.

i'm a tag customer and was sent out a letter too. are you in the schticks? i'm in an estate, but my mam is in the arsehole of nowhere and when her bin wasnt collected two weeks in a row and on the second phone call to mahons, she was told, sorry! we're not collecting there anymore!! mental...

Little CuChulainn

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

i'm a tag customer and was sent out a letter too. are you in the schticks? i'm in an estate, but my mam is in the arsehole of nowhere and when her bin wasnt collected two weeks in a row and on the second phone call to mahons, she was told, sorry! we're not collecting there anymore!! mental...

I'm in an estate. I'm going to switch to Thorntons I think. They have an annual charge of 50 but they supply a compost bin and the per collection cost is lower. They are only fortnightly as well but I'll keep my Mahons bin for those times when I want to put out extra rubbish.

we'llallhavetea

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

I'm in an estate. I'm going to switch to Thorntons I think. They have an annual charge of 50 but they supply a compost bin and the per collection cost is lower. They are only fortnightly as well but I'll keep my Mahons bin for those times when I want to put out extra rubbish.

good thinking batman. are their tags only €8.50? i am actually managing better than i thought i would with panda/mahons, but if i were to miss a collection i would be fairly fcuked!

Little CuChulainn

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

good thinking batman. are their tags only €8.50? i am actually managing better than i thought i would with panda/mahons, but if i were to miss a collection i would be fairly fcuked!

That's my issue too. Especially with them not informing me of changes tot he schedule. I think Thorntons are computerised and they charge per collection automatically and you pay it online. €9 for waste, €4.50 for compost, recycle is free if your account is in credit. They also do an option to charge by weight in some areas.

meath4sam

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

That's my issue too. Especially with them not informing me of changes tot he schedule. I think Thorntons are computerised and they charge per collection automatically and you pay it online. €9 for waste, €4.50 for compost, recycle is free if your account is in credit. They also do an option to charge by weight in some areas.

Thortans have also gone to fortnightly pick up and today I got a email saying they are increasing prices to 9.90 and 4.90. Half the service then make them pay more???

Access

Dumping of bags of rubbish/household items has always happened now and again out our road, but its visibly more evident the past month or so.

Does the council see at all that this is going to put substantial strain on resources having to pick up this rubbish by them after? and that is just our road... how many roads are there around the county?

Spotted two full bags of just beer bottles and cans dumped yesterday on way home from work... Why the feck couldn't the muppet that dumped them put them in a fecking bottle bank instead.

Utter scumbags.:mad:

Dubh Geannain

My waste charges from Thorntons have got a lot more expensive this year.

I must have missed the change in their billing. Now € 9.90 a lift instead of € 9. Fine. But then it looks like 20c per kg over 40 kg. Is that correct?

€14.30. That's what the last bin lift cost me due to excess weight surcharging.

Going to have to get the two kids to start doing their business where nature intended.

meath4sam

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

My waste charges from Thorntons have got a lot more expensive this year.

I must have missed the change in their billing. Now € 9.90 a lift instead of € 9. Fine. But then it looks like 20c per kg over 40 kg. Is that correct?

€14.30. That's what the last bin lift cost me due to excess weight surcharging.

Going to have to get the two kids to start doing their business where nature intended.

Yea it's a joke they half the service of black bin then increase price. I emailed them and they said it was due to the price of diesel and land fill charges.
Diesel has been at its cheapest compared to the last few years so that's BS.

chewed

meath4sam wrote: »

Yea it's a joke they half the service of black bin then increase price. I emailed them and they said it was due to the price of diesel and land fill charges.
Diesel has been at its cheapest compared to the last few years so that's BS.

I did the same as one of the previous posters and asked Panda for a bigger bin if they were only collecting every 2 weeks, which they provided no hassle.
Although I agree with you that this price hike wreaks of a cartel!

chrysagon

lack of competition, they have the monopoly!

mr_edge_to_you

I recently received my letter from AES advising of the change to my contract. Suffice to say I wasn't happy so I rang and asked them what the story was and what could they do. The answer was nothing to both.
Anyway, I rang up Thorntons and have get myself setup with them. I now have 3 bins - general, recycling and food. It's about €40 a year cheaper too and so far the customer service has been far better than AES.And the food bin is a huge plus! Getting much more for my money.

chrysagon

That's what needed, people to shop around, because when companies have the monopoly, customer service/satisfaction takes a back seat.