MSE News: Primus customers hit by service woes

Former_MSE_Helen · 28 January 2013 at 5:47PM

"Complaints about home phone and broadband provider Primus have escalated over the past few weeks..."

Read the full story:

Primus customers hit by service woes

Guys_Dad · 28 January 2013 at 7:07PM

To quote from your article

"We often feature Primus deals in our weekly email and guides on the site, as it offers some of the the cheapest line rental, calls and broadband packages."

Well, MSE, stop featuring them and explain why along the lines of "Primus offer very competitive deals but we are unable to recommend them at present because of....." and spell it out.

You need to give informative information rather than simply highlightins prices.

Fletchasketch · 28 January 2013 at 8:01PM

Broadband ordered on 19th Dec, have heard nothing other than original confirmation email, email has been ignored and can't get through on the phone. Woe is me!

savemoney · 28 January 2013 at 8:05PM

I just left them on 17th and went to Plusnet I did have phone CPS service. I did email them before I left and also rang them I managed to get through after around 45 mins and they confirmed they did get email but need to give a months notice well doesn't matter as the switch went ahead anyway

I been with them over 2 years and cant say I have ever had a problem but that aid I never needed to ring them but I was aware they are slow to answer phones

chanz4 · 28 January 2013 at 8:05PM

maybe they have gone bad due to they cant handle their rapid increase in custom base?

xmen2 · 28 January 2013 at 8:48PM

I was a customer with Primus with a broadband and telephone bundled package. I can only say they are without doubt the worst company i have ever dealt with in my life.

The customer service problems have been ongoing for many months, not just through the snowy period and i had Primus try to con me saying i had been using 3 times the amount of data i actually had been. That is to say i had a 10GB package and they were saying i was using 30GB therefore charging me three times the amount.

When i queried this i was told in no uncertain terms that there monitoring of my usage was accurate, which i have proven by moving to plusnet and being able to monitor my own usage and using my computer the same as being totally without foundation.

My advice stay clear of them!!

Doc_N · 28 January 2013 at 8:55PM

Primus partly blames the recent cold snap for its customer service problems.
A spokesman says: "We are doing everything possible to reduce the queue times, but the weather situation has been testing and unfortunately means a lot of people need assistance."

What? They're blaming the weather for taking hours to answer the phone?

Come on Primus - you'd do better blaming it on a cheese avalanche! How about telling the truth?

c4charlie76 · 28 January 2013 at 10:16PM

In October 2012, i signed up online for a 12 mth contract. I was going to pay all of it in advance, website stated i'd be informed when they took money, however next day, money was wiped from my bank.

I received email saying 6 weeks before connection and they want another £59. After several days, i managed to get thru. I quoted T&Cs, still no joy. However the so called "Manager" started adding to the T&Cs. I just wanted my money back. Was told a month.

Had to wait 2 months before i went to ombudsman, CISAS. I stated my case, but Primus didn't even respond. They've been ordered to cough up. Still nothing yet. Not holding my breath.

STAY AWAY FROM PRIMUS!!!

caeler · 28 January 2013 at 10:22PM

I switched to them as a result of MSE's recommendation and supposedly good reviews. Thankfully I got connected quickly and made my own assumptions around the poor initial instructions. Couldn't login to my account to read my first bill as they didn't send me the login details but called and got through within 3 minutes! Previously had been on hold for ages when chasing my router but never got through and it actually arrived on the day of connection luckily. Service has been fine, broadband a little patchy and slow but that is the line rather than the ISP I think. I do hope they improve or I never have to call them. I do like their UK call centres, spoke to a lovely chap the other day, he had a cold bless him but he was helpful none the less.

Stinkyriver · 28 January 2013 at 11:55PM

I'm glad to see this thread, I'll chip in my two pounds.

I left Primus in May last year, moving house.

I have had to contact them on three separate occasions as they have sent me bills since settling the account for broadband used since we moved out. Each time they look into the problem and agree that the account is actually 30 odd pence IN CREDIT!!

Just last month I received a letter billing me for £39. Each time the amount is different.

Also each time I get the letter I get a follow up text warning me that they will pass the debt on to a debt collection department and take further action.

To make matters worse they still have not updated my address despite repeatedly telling them they have the postcode wrong. Luckily the rest is correct and the letters are coming to my new address, but I'm worried that one will be sent to the old address and as a result my credit rating may be affected due to their incompetence.

I've not had any problems getting through to be fair (I call at lunch from work) but the fact I have to keep calling to get them to call off the dogs is very disconcerting and I will be calling the ombudsman next time.

The normal working service was fine, but I would never recommend them and heartily advise everyone to steer clear. It's not worth the savings.

It seems to me that the systems they are using are not working and there is not the resource / desire to solve these issues.

The_Enforcer · 29 January 2013 at 12:50AM

Primus reduced my line rental costs in 2010, by being unable/unwilling to connect my house to a phone line for several months. I'm surprised they are still recommended on MSE, at least without strong caveats about customer service.

If anyone needs any further prompting not to join or to leave this rotten company then here is my experience, which began just over a year ago, summarised by the following email to them 15/6/10:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to my earlier telephone conversation with xxxxxxx of your office.

Primus have been unable to provide me with a telephone line activation date, in spite of my request on 7th May 2010 and in spite of the fact that an engineer actually came to my house on 21st May 2010, without anyone from Primus informing me of this either by my e-mail or mobile.

Primus were unable to inform me that my order had been cancelled as a result of the abortive visit when Primus e-mailed me on 31st May 2010 and 1st June 2010 or when Primus took payment of £69 from me for the connection on 5th June 2010.

I only found out about the aborted visit and the cancelled order through xxxxxxx today.

I have been trying to set up a phone line with Primus since early April. I am afraid I have now given up as there have been numerous delays and most importantly a lack of communication on Primus' part over the period in excess of 2 months that this has been going on, resulting in me having to make numerous phone calls to Primus and which makes it appear to me that Primus is not really that interested in providing me with this service.

Therefore, please take this e-mail as my request to permanently terminate my order and most importantly to refund me the £69 I paid to my American Express card. xxxxxxx informed me that this would take 28 business days, which I think is excessive, given that the money was taken almost instantaneously and so I request that Primus tell me the exact date when this money will be refunded back to my card, so that I can check it has been returned as promised. I would also appreciate confirmation of cancellation of the direct debit that was set up by Primus in April to my current bank account with NatWest.

Regards,"

I only wanted to get a landline connected so I could get broadband. I moved into the house on 16/4/10. I first contacted Primus about 10 days prior. I eventually got a landline connected on 7/9/10 through Sky (but involving yet more delays with BT 'work') and broadband through Sky on 23/9/10 - 6 months from when I instigated a process that I thought would see to it being installed soon after moving in! Here's my parting shot to Primus:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your refund which I received in full on 1st July 2010. It was a pleasure not doing business with you.

Regards,"

MSE News: Primus customers hit by service woes

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