Cheapest Home Phones Article Discussion

chrismbt

Once again cut off after being on hold for 90 minutes.

critter_2

Changed from BT line & O2 broadband to Plusnet Value & phone package recently, as I moved house. Would wholeheartedly recommend them. Price was keen (6 months half price), signed through Quidco and got £28 cashback as well as £25 cheque from Plusnet.
Service has been fully tested as the line was dead and had to be reinstated. After 6 visits over two weeks it was finally sorted and the foothpath dug up to mend the joint at fault. Most people don't realise that BT Openreach own the cabling from the house master socket to the exchange, so any fault has to be chased through your service provider (Sky, TalkTalk, O2, whoever) with BT. Plusnet were brilliant at actioning the work and updated me very frequently via text & calls to my mobile (as the phone and broadband were intermittent). Gave me a discount as compensation for loss of service and I now have about the best speed & reliable internet in the area (probably as they remade every joint possible in two weeks of investigation).
Shudder to think how it would have gone if I used an overseas based call service, rather than the friendly Yorkshire folk at Plusnet).
Not had any interruptions to my internet link in two months, apart from power cuts.
Cheers
Col

red_devils_88

chrismbt wrote: »

I wish I'd read this before I signed up on the MSE recommendation with "61% Great" customer service.

I called their geographic customer services number from my mobile and gave up after 15 minutes as I don't want to use up all my "free" minutes.

Now calling their 0800 number from a landline, been in the queue for 27 minutes already.

Didn't expect this from Martin Lewis recommended "61% Great" customer service company.

Nice to know my call is important to them, or so the recording keeps telling me.

Apparently if I don't call to confirm my line installation appointment they will cancel it!

What provider is this?

chrismbt

So, was queueing for Primus customer services for 90 minutes on their 0800 number and another 90 minutes on their geographic number, and the call was terminated both times.

That's over 6 hours in a queue over 2 days.

I've emailed them and got an automatic reply telling me to call for fastest response..

analyst_2

Ofcom will not handle individual complaints but do monitor customer services by service providers.
You can start here: https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/formal-phone-company

And I think it is time we lobbied Martin to drop this wretched "no service" company from his recommended list too. How it gets a 61% customer service rating I have no idea. Who conducts the poll? Where is it? What are the questions asked? How representative is it?

In many years of using this site I've never heard of this poll, so if disgruntled users caught in this "unable to contact the company" trap are unaware of it, its no wonder it gets a 61% rating for their customer service (what customer service?)

analyst_2

red_devils_88 wrote: »

What provider is this?

We are talking about NewCall Telecom, provider of the Primus telephone service much vaunted on MSE.

Primustel was an Aussie telecoms company that set this up in UK and their customer service was excellent. Sadly, it was taken over by NewCall Telecoms in 2010, still trading on the Primus name, who have driven it into the dirt, to the point where you can no longer contact the company by any normal means to say: report a fault, cancel you contract etc, as evidenced above.

yatfinser

I joined TalkTalk in May 2012 and I've been very happy with their service so far, particularly their broadband (better than Virgin ever was, despite being cable). Although I satisfied all the requirements, no Tesco voucher arrived. Who was I supposed to get this from? MSE or TalkTalk?

[Deleted User]

analyst wrote: »

Ofcom will not handle individual complaints but do monitor customer services by service providers.
You can start here: https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/formal-phone-company

And I think it is time we lobbied Martin to drop this wretched "no service" company from his recommended list too. How it gets a 61% customer service rating I have no idea. Who conducts the poll? Where is it? What are the questions asked? How representative is it?

In many years of using this site I've never heard of this poll, so if disgruntled users caught in this "unable to contact the company" trap are unaware of it, its no wonder it gets a 61% rating for their customer service (what customer service?)

Exactly. Primus has got to go. Appaling company.

typistretired

chrismbt wrote: »

So, was queueing for Primus customer services for 90 minutes on their 0800 number and another 90 minutes on their geographic number, and the call was terminated both times.

That's over 6 hours in a queue over 2 days.

I've emailed them and got an automatic reply telling me to call for fastest response..

Have you tried logging into your account and speaking to an advisor online??

I am in dispute with them at the moment, even the ombudman is involved, so I know how frustrating it can be. I have never tried the online chat, but it is worth a try. I have hung up the phone three times this week after being left listening to the man who says "your call is important to us" for long periods. However, rang at 1230pm today and got put through in 3 minutes.

john10001

typistretired wrote: »

Have you tried logging into your account and speaking to an advisor online??

I am in dispute with them at the moment, even the ombudman is involved, so I know how frustrating it can be. I have never tried the online chat, but it is worth a try. I have hung up the phone three times this week after being left listening to the man who says "your call is important to us" for long periods. However, rang at 1230pm today and got put through in 3 minutes.

What ombudsman is involved? I thought Ofcom couldn't look at individual complaints and it was CISAS that covered New Call Telecom?

Unfortunately I think it would be a waste of time requesting a deadlock letter or email from New Call to take to ADR because you're never going to get it, which makes the whole ADR process a pointless catch 22.

I have started looking for a new provider with aim to switch ASAP as I can't be without my landline I rely on it to regularly call an elderly relative and make sure they're okay.