An Post Problem

seenitall

Hi folks,

Maybe someone here can shed a light on my problem with An Post service and if there is any feasible recourse for me in my problem with them.

Yesterday I went into a (large) post office and bought my normal €20 credit for Three. Or so I thought. I said what I wanted and handed over the money and got the normal pay-as-you-go voucher number slip. I did notice that the lady behind the counter who was dealing with my transaction, was somewhat distracted by her chat with her colleagues but thought nothing of it, I got my credit and was on my way. Later on, I try and activate the voucher no. and it’s not working, many times over. I’m obviously a bit slow because it took me quite a while to realise that what she gave me was a postmobile slip and not Three, so that’s why it wasn’t working. These slips really look pretty much identical, if you don’t actually read what it says on it, at first glance. I never had this problem before, as I always say I want Three network credit and that’s what I get, there is no reason for me to ask for any other one as that’s my only phone and network I use. Plus I never even knew of the existence of postmobile, so I wouldn’t know to ask for it in the first place.

So I thought, easily sorted. Wrong. When I went back today, the person behind the counter tells me they don’t do refunds on phone credit but they’d see what they can do. Next comes out a manager and asks me if I asked for Postmobile when purchasing. No, I didn’t. Next he says that I will have to talk to the lady who sold me the credit, tomorrow when she is in. I’m pretty much dumbfounded by this point so said yes, I’d return tomorrow. But this sounds bad to me, and my apprehension is that I won’t see either my credit or my money out of this. My supposition is that the manager just fobbed me off and is expecting to see a cat fight between the lady and myself tomorrow, where she either gives me the €20 out of her pocket (not very likely!) or I end up an outplayed eejit walking out of there defeated and €20 lighter in the pocket but with a useless postmobile credit voucher no. for my efforts (much more likely).

Ok, how can this be? I know they have the means to easily check if the voucher number has been used, and if it hasn’t surely I have a case here for a swap for a Three credit slip - I’m not out to scam them, it was an honest mistake made (by their employee) in the moment of purchase.

Any thoughts on this? What is the tack I should take when I go in tomorrow? I hate this situation, I’m really bad with this kind of confrontation

Bikerman2019

Because you bought a top up code - a long number. It is a known scam where people do this, copy down the code and then return it leaving the retailer scammed.


You have been caught up in this now. Go back and see that lady tomorrow and see how you get on. Alternatively, you may be able to sell it on.

KBurke85

Honestly I think you need to chalk it down as a lesson learned. You should have double checked the slip you were given before you left the store. If the mistake was noticed at that point it would have been easier to rectify.

Hopefully you can sort something with them but I'd be skeptical

Sleeper12

Do you know anyone on that network that wii buy it from you?

seenitall

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

Because you bought a top up code - a long number. It is a known scam where people do this, copy down the code and then return it leaving the retailer scammed.


You have been caught up in this now. Go back and see that lady tomorrow and see how you get on. Alternatively, you may be able to sell it on.

Ok, I get that. But that’s why I’m wandering why can they not check that the voucher number hasn’t been used (it hasn’t), and then just cancel it - it is their mobile network after all! And voila, they haven’t been scammed, and can refund me. It is the 21st century...

seenitall

KBurke85 wrote: »

Honestly I think you need to chalk it down as a lesson learned. You should have double checked the slip you were given before you left the store. If the mistake was noticed at that point it would have been easier to rectify.

Hopefully you can sort something with them but I'd be skeptical

Yes, shoulda, woulda, coulda. In 20 years I’d never had a problem like this as I relied on the person behind the counter giving me what I have asked for and it worked perfectly for 20 years. But there comes that day... a lesson learned, as you say.

seenitall

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Do you know anyone on that network that wii buy it from you?

Well not that I’m aware of, no... my social life at the moment is not great, work-wise even worse. But I’m starting to think in that direction now, thank you.

Darc19

€20 would get you 10 weeks of unlimited use with 48 which is the three network and their sim would most likely work in your phone.

But good chance it will be rectified when you talk directly to the person.

L1011

seenitall wrote: »

Ok, I get that. But that’s why I’m wandering why can they not check that the voucher number hasn’t been used (it hasn’t), and then just cancel it - it is their mobile network after all! And voila, they haven’t been scammed, and can refund me. It is the 21st century...

Admin effort of that would result in a significant loss on the transaction

On €20 credit, they will have made cents. Possibly actually nothing if you paid by card - that is how limited the margin is.

lauzzels

Postmobile is their own network.. surely they are able to have it cancelled and give you a refund???

swampy353

lauzzels wrote: »

Postmobile is their own network.. surely they are able to have it cancelled and give you a refund???

As said above there was a scam going around. Even got to the point where, ppl would go back after not using the code, have it confirmed it wasn't used, get refund and top up after getting the money back using a pic of the code.
With margins been so tight, any mistake will cost the retailer dearly hence the rules around top ups been strict and inflexible.

Would suggest that the op registers a card with 3, then you just send a text to top up. Or move to 48 if they are topping up more than once every two months

dam099

L1011 wrote: »

Admin effort of that would result in a significant loss on the transaction

On €20 credit, they will have made cents. Possibly actually nothing if you paid by card - that is how limited the margin is.

That's true but if the mistake is with An Post shouldn't they eat that loss? Its a cost of doing business that for every couple of thousand transactions one might require some additional work to resolve.

lauzzels

dam099 wrote: »

That's true but if the mistake is with An Post shouldn't they eat that loss? Its a cost of doing business that for every couple of thousand transactions one might require some additional work to resolve.

Totally - it's not the customer's fault if there are people scamming credit, nor is it that the postal worker made a mistake. Really OP I would go back and pursue this further, if the Post Office aren't any help maybe try a different one?

s_carnage

At the very least they could offer to cancel the phone credit and then when the refund comes back from Postpoint (who I assume is their top-ups provider) they can refund you the money. Might take a couple of weeks but at least you can get a refund that way.

seenitall

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not checking the page sooner after the initial posting and replies, thank you to everyone who replied.

So, the update is a positive one in the end It took a few days to get the refund, but just as was speculated here by myself and others, the processing consisted of someone somewhere checking that the voucher number was still intact and then (presumably) cancelling it. Then my post office was notified and they then phoned me to go and collect the €20. The lady behind the counter who I dealt with (originally when buying the thing, and subsequently) couldn’t have been more lovely, it’s just the manager guy who was kinda off-hand, and that set me on edge a bit that day.

So that’s the story, Thanks again everyone (Darc19 and swampy353, thanks, I might check those options out).