Dublin City Council - Bin Collection Privatised/Greyhound Megathread

HeidiHeidi · 16-02-2012 3:01pm

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shane-ross/shane-ross-stench-as-rubbish-firm-wins-3017015.html

This was posted on another thread - Shane Ross with some background on the whole transfer debacle. Gobsmacking, depressing stuff.

eboarde · 16-02-2012 3:28pm

DCC also collected all my bins (incl Green) yesterday a day after I emailed them.

Thanks DCC

Elmer Blooker · 16-02-2012 5:05pm

The Fool wrote: »

Looks like they are collecting bins and leaving a "warning letter"
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0216/dublin.html

I'm fully paid up and my black bin was collected this morning but there was a label attached to the bin -
We have collected your bin on this occasion. To ensure continuation of service please ring ........
Funny isn't it? They think they're doing you a favour or something!

ElectroSpex · 16-02-2012 6:57pm

The bins on our street (in Drumcondra) still haven't been collected.. left them out last night and this morning all the bins on the road are still full. This is ridiculous, I really need those flippin' bins gone!

Rasmus · 16-02-2012 7:37pm

ElectroSpex wrote: »

The bins on our street (in Drumcondra) still haven't been collected.. left them out last night and this morning all the bins on the road are still full. This is ridiculous, I really need those flippin' bins gone!

Do you know why they didn't? Since they collected in other areas?

Fizzlesque · 17-02-2012 12:54pm

On the 1st of February I sent my first email to Greyhound informing them I wouldn't be availing of their service and enquiring about the removal of the unwanted bins. It's now the 17th of February and I still have unwanted bins in my garden. I have been asked by three different Greyhound staff members (via 3 seperate email response) to forward my address, which I have done three times; on the 6th of Fsebruary, and again on the 9th of February, and today. Fingers crossed third time is lucky and this fiasco will soon be over.

If it's this difficult for them to systematically read and respond to email queries, and subsequently remove the bins, I don't envy those of you who are depending on them to collect your full bins on a regular basis.

ElectroSpex · 17-02-2012 1:37pm

I really have no idea why they haven't collected them. It's our landlord's responsibility to sort out bin payments but I know that's done, considering they don't understand why they're not collecting the bins either and have had to come down and empty them themselves a couple of times.

Fizzlesque · 17-02-2012 2:14pm

Latest information regarding the (permanent)removal of bins: I have received an email telling me that ALL bins will be removed this weekend - either Saturday or Sunday.

Also, I have a query re. Boards.ie.

Does the site periodically (sometimes very short periods) log your account off? I've had to log back in many times even though I didn't log myself off. Is this normal?

DeadSetKid · 17-02-2012 2:28pm

Hi, does anyone here live in the Liberties area of Dublin or know anyone that lives in the Liberties area of Dublin (Dublin 8ish) that is/was effected by the bin mix-up?

I am doing a short article for a student newspaper on the issue

Thanks a million,

Jonathan

cruais · 17-02-2012 2:38pm

We recently bought our house a few months back and never received any information in the post from greyhound. It's an old house and all my neighbours have received and I think paid everything as their bins are being collected.

I have contacted greyhound 3 times and received no response from them. So now I am left with a bin not being collected, while they are releasing press statements saying if houses have not registered, it's too late now and your bin won't be collected.

Does anyone know what I should do? I'm at a loss end now.

I looked up oxigen.ie but they don't seem to collect in Dublin!

neonman · 17-02-2012 3:05pm

Living Clontarf area (D3) and I'm trying to find a waste company that will collect our black/green bins as I'm not to keen on giving Greyhound the business. As of yet I can't find one.

Does anybody know of one?

Fizzlesque · 17-02-2012 4:53pm

cruais wrote: »

I have contacted greyhound 3 times and received no response from them. So now I am left with a bin not being collected, while they are releasing press statements saying if houses have not registered, it's too late now and your bin won't be collected.

Does anyone know what I should do? I'm at a loss end now.

I looked up oxigen.ie but they don't seem to collect in Dublin!

My advice would be to thank your lucky stars you haven't signed up with Greyhound and investigate a few of the alternatives. Oxigen do collect in Dublin - when this fiasco first kicked off, Greyhound were the only company servicing North Dublin and, I presume due to demand, there are now a few others servicing North Dublin.

I'm not well versed on who charges what or who is good to go with as I've decided to take care of my waste management needs myself but some of my neighbours (Finglas area) have had Oxigen bins delivered this week and there are a few posts on this thread (bit of a trawl to read it all, but worth doing if you're confused about which company to go with) or Google 'waste management Dublin' and ring a few of the companies that come up.

Most of all, don't panic. You can bring a bag of household waste to Northstrand or Ringsend recycling centre (costs €4 - plastic/paper etc is free) in the meantime if your bin is full.

Forget Greyhound, they're useless. I've been trying to get them to take away my old/unwanted bins and the level of incompetence involved in that small matter has made me real glad I'm not relying on them to empty my bins on a regular basis.

Good luck.

tk123 · 17-02-2012 5:00pm

ElectroSpex wrote: »

The bins on our street (in Drumcondra) still haven't been collected.. left them out last night and this morning all the bins on the road are still full. This is ridiculous, I really need those flippin' bins gone!

They don't collect them under cover of darkness lol - they've been collecting ours up off Botanic ave in the ealry afternoon. In fairness they used to do them around 6:30-7:00..

Ernest · 17-02-2012 5:48pm

neonman wrote: »

Living Clontarf area (D3) and I'm trying to find a waste company that will collect our black/green bins as I'm not to keen on giving Greyhound the business. As of yet I can't find one.

Does anybody know of one?

Not certain about Clontarf but, in nearby Raheny, Oxigen definitely are interested in new business. Their rates are good but it depends on what your usage of bins is. Also there is a neighbour who has been using Panda for a long time. So there is a choice if you don't like Greyhound.

vicadd · 17-02-2012 7:01pm

I'm in Raheny. Rang Oxigen up on Tuesday, they delivered new bins on Thursday and sent me a text that night to remind me to leave out bins to be collected today. Pretty good service and great customer service on phone and email when I contacted them with queries.
€20 a month for Green and Black bin which works out cheaper than Greyhound as we put our bins always go out when due to be collected.

tomasrojo · 17-02-2012 8:53pm

tk123 wrote: »

They don't collect them under cover of darkness lol .

Bizarrely, they do collect them after dark. They finally picked up my brown bin at 1745 this evening.

They weren't going to pick it up; they stopped the truck, looked at my bin and started driving away, but luckily my wife was passing on her way home from work, stopped them and remonstrated with them until they emptied the bin.

I've no idea what they're up to.

tk123 · 17-02-2012 9:06pm

Wow that's LATE! Madness too - they'll hold up the traffic! I paid mine when we got the letter - i must log in and see if I've been charged for the 2 collections - since they're collecting others for free! :rolleyes:

Andrew Campbell · 17-02-2012 9:18pm

Having trawled the Internet searching for quotes from service providers I thought people might like to see what I found out. I realise that this is not the whole picture but is the information as appears on each company’s website to the best of my knowledge, please post an update if you know different and I'll amend accordingly. Having unsuccessfully tried to cut and paste the tables into this post I've resorted to attaching them as a word document. i hope you can open it, However here are my results based on my projected usage
city bins per lift rate €138.00
thorntons240ltr bin €146.00
access pay by lift 240ltr €152.50
greyhound 140ltr bin €162.00
greyhound 240ltr bin €170.00
access pay by lift 140ltr €172.50
access Budget €195.00
city bins fixed fee €199.00
ozo Band A 140ltr x 26 €248.00
city bins per kg €286.00
access standard €295.00
panda DL/R €304.00
ozo Band B 240ltr x 26 €306.50

Quite a variety of prices
If people want to post up their own estimated annual usage i will gladly do the calculations for them also

Esel · 18-02-2012 3:23am

Fizzlesque wrote: »

Also, I have a query re. Boards.ie.

Does the site periodically (sometimes very short periods) log your account off? I've had to log back in many times even though I didn't log myself off. Is this normal?

You have to click / tick the Remember Me box to stay logged in. If you do, however, be aware that anyone else using your computer who accesses Boards will appear to be you .....

Esel · 18-02-2012 3:29am

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shane-ross/shane-ross-stench-as-rubbish-firm-wins-3017015.html

This was posted on another thread - Shane Ross with some background on the whole transfer debacle. Gobsmacking, depressing stuff.

How the f... can this *edmondesque clique be stopped?

The Toff · 18-02-2012 12:22pm

tk123 wrote: »

They don't collect them under cover of darkness lol - they've been collecting ours up off Botanic ave in the ealry afternoon. In fairness they used to do them around 6:30-7:00..

They collected mine close to midnight, in Drumcondra.

aphex™ · 18-02-2012 3:51pm

Greyhound took over the bins in South Dublin a while ago, you didn't hear any uproar about it. Just figure out how it works and pay it.

Cheezypuf · 18-02-2012 5:02pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I have bags,and according to the letter I got from Greyhound/DCC about the changeover, and the girl I spoke to in Greyhound on the phone, there will be no €100 standing charge for collection of bags (for now anyway, who knows what'll happen in six months time).

Glad to hear that. I got no letter from anyone, and neither did my neighbours. I had presumed / hoped that as I buy bin tags I won't be required to register and leave €100 on deposit with them to avail of a free service.

When they collected the green wheelie bins the week before last they put notes on them saying that they wouldn't collect them again unless people had a barcode that can be obtained by registering on their website.

I emailed them a week ago for clarification, but needless to say they have failed to respond. There's a conflicting message emerging about the requirement for registration for users of bin tags and green wheelie bins. Greyhound don't seem inclined to communicate on this or any issue.

I'm very unimpressed. Not just with Greyhound, but also with DCC for creating this situation. Have we really no political recourse?

jinx9000 · 21-02-2012 3:48pm

Ernest wrote: »

I know that the deal that Dublin City Council did with Greyhound included the transfer of ownership of "our" bins to Greyhound. That means that Greyhound now own these dirty old bins. Therefore those who decide not to opt for Greyhound's service (and get new bins from another provider) cannot reasonably be expected to pay Greyhound €30 to take away Greyhounds property. On the contrary such households should be charging Greyhound rental for storing their dirty old bins.

chop up the bin and put it into your last greyhound recycle bag lift!

jinx9000 · 21-02-2012 4:41pm

Redkilkenny wrote: »

All Black & Brown bins have a chip embedded in them which is scanned when presented to the truck to see if the account is up to date.

Green bin service was free to all with DCC - didn't matter if you paid or not so they never bothered putting chips in the green bin - Greyhound won't collect your green bin if your account isn't in order so they send a label for the green bin for paying customers. So only the green bins require a new label.

Hope this makes sense;-)

it was on rte news. its a sticker with a barcode. remove the stickers and the whole system falls apart!

my bin has no barcode anywhere so without that, they cannot check who's paid what!

Esel · 22-02-2012 1:45am

No code, no lifty.....

donegalgirl28 · 22-02-2012 11:18am

Reluctantly went with Greyhound as they will work out cheaper and my rubbish is piling up! Will stick with them for a year and then hopefully Thortons will service my area and I can switch over to them.

Ernest · 22-02-2012 11:53am

aphex™ wrote: »

Greyhound took over the bins in South Dublin a while ago, you didn't hear any uproar about it. Just figure out how it works and pay it.

Yeah, I just love compliant uncritical citizens. They do what the're told and don't ask awkward questions all the time......

lensman · 27-02-2012 12:12pm

Finally got my greyhound info pack & top up card in the post today, actually I got two identical info packs !! what a waste of paper, oh but waste is their business isn't it ?.....blackhorse avenue D7

HeidiHeidi · 27-02-2012 5:56pm

Philip Boucher-Hayes seems to smell skulduggery in this deal between DCC and Greyhound.... I'm afraid I've no idea how to post a link to the programme, but they had an item on it on Drivetime RTE1 from about 4.40pm to 5.53pm today, including an interview with the Assistant City Manager (or some such title).

They seem to think that the rules were bent, or manipulated, in Greyhound's favour in the course of the bidding process.

Not sure who to believe, tbh.

podgeandrodge · 27-02-2012 9:51pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Philip Boucher-Hayes seems to smell skulduggery in this deal between DCC and Greyhound.... I'm afraid I've no idea how to post a link to the programme, but they had an item on it on Drivetime RTE1 from about 4.40pm to 5.53pm today, including an interview with the Assistant City Manager (or some such title).

They seem to think that the rules were bent, or manipulated, in Greyhound's favour in the course of the bidding process.

Not sure who to believe, tbh.

It starts 12 minutes into the program and you can click onto 12 minutes with your mouse.

Goto this link and select "latest show"

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/drivetime/

WithCheesePlease · 28-02-2012 3:26pm

Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but just in case...

I registered with greyhound and paid the first instalment of €50 and also put €50 credit into my account - so €100 in total. I registered for the automatic top-up while I was at it. This all came out of my bank account fine - €100. Then I noticed that an additional €50 had been taken from my bank account a week later. Even before I had a bin lifted by them. I called greyhound about this and was told it was an error on their side (!!) and that the amount was debited back to my account again. Very dodgy.

Did this happen to anyone else or was it just me? How could that even happen?! Doesn't instil me with a lot of confidence I have to say...

Ye might want to check your online banking if you've signed up for automatic top-up...

keane2097 · 28-02-2012 3:34pm

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but just in case...

I registered with greyhound and paid the first instalment of €50 and also put €50 credit into my account - so €100 in total. I registered for the automatic top-up while I was at it. This all came out of my bank account fine - €100. Then I noticed that an additional €50 had been taken from my bank account a week later. Even before I had a bin lifted by them. I called greyhound about this and was told it was an error on their side (!!) and that the amount was debited back to my account again. Very dodgy.

Did this happen to anyone else or was it just me? How could that even happen?! Doesn't instil me with a lot of confidence I have to say...

Ye might want to check your online banking if you've signed up for automatic top-up...

Sort of thing happens all the time, happened with my gym membership last month.

Degsy · 28-02-2012 3:36pm

See what happens when they privatise a public service?

Let it be a warning to those economy experts who want to outsource everything from fire fighting to labour exchanges.

They'll soon learn.

ANXIOUS · 29-02-2012 8:30am

The bins that aren't paid up aren't being collected today. There was a lot of bins left between pearce and Harcourt street this morning. Looks fairly unsightly.

John Mason · 29-02-2012 10:51am

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but just in case...

I registered with greyhound and paid the first instalment of €50 and also put €50 credit into my account - so €100 in total. I registered for the automatic top-up while I was at it. This all came out of my bank account fine - €100. Then I noticed that an additional €50 had been taken from my bank account a week later. Even before I had a bin lifted by them. I called greyhound about this and was told it was an error on their side (!!) and that the amount was debited back to my account again. Very dodgy.

Did this happen to anyone else or was it just me? How could that even happen?! Doesn't instil me with a lot of confidence I have to say...

Ye might want to check your online banking if you've signed up for automatic top-up...

something similiar happened to me but i didnt get the money back.

I signed up on the telephone with a credit card and agreed for the account to be automatically topped up wuith 12e.

They took the 50e charge and an extra 30e. Greyhound could not tell me why they had taken an extra 30e as it matched nothing on their system.

I have cancelled the automatic top up there and then and demand the refund of the 18e as it was a fraudlant transaction on my account.

I was told they could not refund any payments to my credit card and I would need to send them my bank account details in order to have the money refunded. There is no way I am giving them my bank account details.

I am considering reporting the charge to my credit card company at the moment.

Trampas · 29-02-2012 1:40pm

Most other counties have private bins service without any issues how did Dublin CC make a mess of this.

29-02-2012 5:06pm

Bins weren't collected Monday in Harold's cross. When I rang Monday They lied and said they would be collected Monday night having missed the original Monday AM pickup.

Now they won't say when they will be collected except to say that it will be sometime within the next 48 hours. Am I supposed to leave the bloody things out all week?

SilverLiningOK · 29-02-2012 6:51pm

Anyone else have issues with online account balance ?

Paid €100 at post office, 50 of that being standing charge portion and 50 credit. Since then, have had one black refuse bin lift (charge 6.00). Balance now showing as -6.00. Surely it should be 44.00. Simply calculation 50-6=44. How can one know what's going on if this private company are behaving like a crowd of complete amateurs ?

January · 29-02-2012 8:08pm

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

Anyone else have issues with online account balance ?

Paid €100 at post office, 50 of that being standing charge portion and 50 credit. Since then, have had one black refuse bin lift (charge 6.00). Balance now showing as -6.00. Surely it should be 44.00. Simply calculation 50-6=44. How can one know what's going on if this private company are behaving like a crowd of complete amateurs ?

They will only let you pay 50 of the standing charge portion if you sign up to automatic top up. If not you have to pay the 100 standing charge up front.

Chocablock · 29-02-2012 8:16pm

irishbird wrote: »

something similiar happened to me but i didnt get the money back.

I signed up on the telephone with a credit card and agreed for the account to be automatically topped up wuith 12e.

They took the 50e charge and an extra 30e. Greyhound could not tell me why they had taken an extra 30e as it matched nothing on their system.

I have cancelled the automatic top up there and then and demand the refund of the 18e as it was a fraudlant transaction on my account.

I was told they could not refund any payments to my credit card and I would need to send them my bank account details in order to have the money refunded. There is no way I am giving them my bank account details.

I am considering reporting the charge to my credit card company at the moment.

You signed up for 12 euro top up so it pays for the service charge and top up in installments of 12. So 4 12's is 48 which doesnt cover your service charge so it adds another 12 which is 60, 50 for service and 10 credit. Because this 10 is below the 12 top up amount it will take another 12 which should leave you with 72 taken out of your account. Dunno why it took 80 total

Chocablock · 29-02-2012 8:18pm

Also saw on news about South Dublin greyhound customers waivers being up. Fair enough they made a bollocks of DCC switch over but people cant expect a private company to give a free service. The prices there given old waiver customers are there cost price as far as I know

nudger · 29-02-2012 8:42pm

Chocablock wrote: »

Also saw on news about South Dublin greyhound customers waivers being up. Fair enough they made a bollocks of DCC switch over but people cant expect a private company to give a free service. The prices there given old waiver customers are there cost price as far as I know

I think the wavers are ok until the end of year for the DCC takeover, are they stopping Dublin south now or at end of year?

SilverLiningOK · 29-02-2012 10:34pm

January wrote: »

They will only let you pay 50 of the standing charge portion if you sign up to automatic top up. If not you have to pay the 100 standing charge up front.

That just isn't on. Why should auto top up be any different ? No way am I giving a company who I don't trust my card details. If they had direct debit option like DCC, that would be different. Looks like I will have to visit post office again and pay enough for a couple of lifts. Not too much, as they have enough of my money. Black bin is only put out when it's full anyway, which is usually 4-6 weeks.

Dr_Colossus · 01-03-2012 12:07am

Slightly off topic in regards to Greyhound/DCC but has anyone used Allen Waste?

I used to live in Dublin 8 until recently and worked off the DCC bin tags at €3 per label and no standing annual charge. We had a green wheelie bin which was collected fortnightly without any separate charge and since we only used to put out a black bag on average once a month it was a cheap and efficient system.

I've recently moved address to Dublin 7 and the area is all wheelie bins - black, brown and green which are rather unsightly outside everyone's front doors. However the standing charge is what I've an issue with, don't understand why the wheelie bins incur a fixed annual charge in addition to a lifting charge which in itself is quite expensive. I'm all in favour of the user paying but someone who only periodically puts out refuse still has to pay a yearly standing charge. I believe you should either have a fixed yearly charge and no additional per lift charge or else a cost per lift and no annual charge but not both.

Given my displeasure with the annual charge I've been researching other refuse collectors and hence came across Allen Waste. I saw an occasional bag on the streets amongst all the wheelie bins Tues morning on my way to work and discovered they had labels marked Allen Waste. The information on their website
http://allenwasteremovals.com/household.php
is rather sparse so I rang the number this evening and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they operate a similar service to the old DCC bin bags. No annual charge and you can purchase bin labels in shops at €3 each for black bag general household waste. You've to text your address to the number on their website to register, advising them to check your street for bags for collection. When I enquired about green recycling waste they advised they also did this on a weekly basis and that the waste just had to be placed in clear plastic bags.

Have yet to try purchasing the bin labels and registering my address so just wondering if anyone else here on boards is a customer of Allen Waste and how do you find their service? Also where do you obtain your clear plastic bags for the green recycling waste?

Thanks

Chocablock · 01-03-2012 1:38am

Chocablock wrote: »

Also saw on news about South Dublin greyhound customers waivers being up. Fair enough they made a bollocks of DCC switch over but people cant expect a private company to give a free service. The prices there given old waiver customers are there cost price as far as I know

DCC are till end of the year and South Dublin are up end of March. Both got 1 year on waivers. Greyhound really do love bad publicity

Lawliet · 05-03-2012 3:42pm

Any updates on this? Despite having the right tags none of the bins on our road in Drumcondra have been taken since the week before last, yet the recycling was picked up as normal.

kylith · 07-03-2012 3:42pm

Does anyone know Thornton's schedule for Dolphin's Barn? The website isn't being very helpful.

eboarde · 07-03-2012 3:47pm

I'm in Rialto and Thorntons pick up on Wednesdays

kylith · 07-03-2012 3:52pm

Cheers.

Dublin City Council - Bin Collection Privatised/Greyhound Megathread

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