New Meteor Broadband Trial
As a Meteor Mobile "valued customer", I was invited to test Meteor's new mobile broadband service for them before it rolls out in February. For this I get to pay 30 euros a month for their one month pass – or so I thought...
I received the modem on the 27th of November, and proceeded to top up via my bank account by 30 euros to avail of their One Month Pass. In the booklet, there was an explanation on how to top up by a voucher from a shop, but I top up via my online banking as it is more convenient. You could also use Top Up direct, but I already use my credit card number for my actual talk and text Meteor mobile (which is a different number), and I didn't want to mess it up, so I chose the option of topping up via my online banking.
I received a text message confirming the top up, and that my balance was 35 euro (my 30, plus the 5 euro one day pass provided with the usb key modem).
I then found out that the modem wouldn't work. I assumed this was teething problems, as they are still only testing the service. The modem finally connected on the 3rd of December. On the 4th of December I tried to connect again, and I got a message saying I needed to top up.
I called the dedicated broadband customer service line and I got a clueless man telling me my balance was zero. When I asked him to check my top up history, he confirmed I had topped up by 30 euro, but as I was on a day pass I went over my daily limit and was charged for going over it. He said that I should have sent a text message to 50103 with "30 day pass" after topping up as it states in the booklet. I have checked the booklet, and it doesn't say this ANYWHERE. It also doesn't state anywhere that Top Up Direct and Voucher are the ONLY ways to top up their mobile service!! The fact that you have to physically go to a corner shop to buy a voucher every month kind of defeats the purpose of a MOBILE service. Not providing a variety of ways to pay sends the message that they don't want our money. Well they have taken 30 euro from me, and they won't receive a penny more!! I'm sticking to my current provider, 3 mobile, who are cheaper, and have an excellent customer service - they even seem to train their staff!!!
He then went to talk to his supervisor, and said that "all he could do" was give me another "complimentary" one day pass. I then asked him were there many more people testing their broadband before roll out in February and he said "quite a few". Remember that I am paying THEM to help THEM test THEIR service!!
Meteor has obviously sent their staff to the O'Leary school of customer service. One thing they don't seem to be aware of is that they are latecomers in the mobile broadband market, and that at least one of their competitors is a lot cheaper for monthly broadband. Their crap customer service and unreliability won't wash in a recessionary climate with three other competitors sharing the market! They seem to forget that I ported my number to them from o2 a few years ago because I had to deal with one of o2's trained monkeys in their contact centre! And they had only ripped me off by ten euros! I ported my number once, and I can do it again!
They will doubtless run a zippy annoying advert in the new year advertising their crap service, but they are obviously only wanting to appeal to the narrow fickle market of impressionable teenagers who are easier to rip off. I do hope Karma eventually bites Meteor on the ass and they get their monies worth!
So before even launching in February, Meteor Broadband have proven themselves to be expensive, unreliable, and have a bad customer service. A small market like Ireland with FOUR different providers is not a place for amateurs. The other three mobile companies have nothing to worry about, as there won't be any real competition with Meteor's "also ran" effort. I hope they choke on my 30 euro!