Telecom Plus Poorer and poorer

lisyloo

Out of interest are you getting your bills on time?

I got mine yesterday - 26th for a payment on 31st.

This contravenes the direct debit act and their own promises.

It's ok if you have no problems, but if you get an unexpectedly large bill then there's no time to sort it out which is why the DD regulations are in place.

Their advertising also breaches advertising standards.
They have been told many times to clean up their act (by the ASA) but don't seem to change their claims.
I read about 6 adjudications against them yesterday on the ASA website.

I don't have any problems at the moment but it would be better if they sent out the bills on time.
Postal problems have been blamed but I have to say that I don't get any similar problems with other bills from Wessex water, BT, talk talk, orange etc, or any other provider, so I find it hard to blame royal mail when it's just this one bill that keeps arriving late.

I also buy and sell stuff on ebay and in general have very few problems with the post in my area.

Leftynick

Okay, so i may be re-opening a can of worms here but forgive me-im a niave newby!

I was considering getting involved with Telecom plus as a customer and possibly even as a distibuter. Any advice from people on their experiences of either? Thought they seemd legit at first from website and fact they were on stock exchange but starting to think i was wrong!

Thanks

Leftynick

Robert5988

I may be cynical but I wonder if some of the posts in this thread could emanate from the many agents of Telecom Plus!

Lewis_Gerolemou

Hello Robert5988,
Why any person connected to Telecom Plus would want to see the subject "Telecom Plus Poorer and poorer" at the top of this pile is a mystery to me, yes I think you are cynical!

Lewis Gerolemou, Independent Distributor for Telecom Plus

Robert5988

Why any person connected to Telecom Plus would want to see the subject "Telecom Plus Poorer and poorer" at the top of this pile is a mystery to me, yes I think you are cynical!

Lewis Gerolemou, Independent Distributor for Telecom Plus

Your facetious comments are probably deserved, I should have qualified my remarks to exclude those who acknowledge they work for TP.

Perhaps those who are agents for TP sell Time-share apartments as well – similar selling techniques.

Robert5988, Independent consumer for electricity, gas and telephone services.

chateau42

I ring for unlimited hours at any time for 1p total, excepting 0870 and 0845, (who uses them anyway ;D). Thanks Martin. Got Staywarm otherwise.

Lewis_Gerolemou

Hello Robert 5988,
I do not know any T+ distributor who sells Timeshares. There is huge a difference between hard selling a product costing many thousands to someone who probably can't afford it and does not need it and selling services to the customer that will save them money.
Lewis Gerolemou, Independent Distributor for Telecom Plus

lisyloo

There is huge a difference between hard selling a product costing many thousands to someone who probably can't afford it and does not need it and selling services to the customer that will save them money.

I would say that is a rather biased summary.
Time share does have a bad reputation but I don't think you can say that it is ALWAYS sold to people who don't need it or can't afford it.
It has the potential to save people money in certain circumstances.

Those of us who have been on this board for a while know that Telecom Plus do not live up to their claims of always saving people money and have been criticised on many occasions by the ASA for their false advertising.
I went on the ASA website a while ago and read about 6 recent judgements against TPlus.

I think your summary is biased and puts timeshare in the worst possible light and TPlus in the best (but at least you declare your interest which is commendable).

I do however agree that I am puzzled as to why Robert believes this thread has clandestine Tplus reps on it.
Most of the commentary is negative and therefore it is somewhat illogical.

Lewis_Gerolemou

Hello Lisyloo,
Of course my post was biased I'm a distributor for Telecom Plus and I confess I do find your attitude towards the Company a little strange since you are a customer.
I did not say that timeshares are always sold to people who could not afford them or who did not need them. The point I am trying to make is that nobody has to have a timeshare but the services Telecom Plus sells are already being used by the customer. My customers always make savings. I have never (to the best of my knowledge) signed up a customer who has not saved money.
Lewis Gerolemou, Independent Distributor for Telecom Plus

lisyloo

I confess I do find your attitude towards the Company a little strange since you are a customer.

Hi Lewis,

I am not sure what is it you find strange.

I have consistently said from about October 2003 that the claims made by Telecom Plus (about always being the cheapest) are untrue.
I put my calculations on this board and no-one has sucessfully disputed them.
There has never been any inconsistency in my posistion on that.

I became a customer in the spring time in the knowledge that there were a few question marks about the company. That was my decision and a risk I took (which is my perrogative).

Since then many other problems have come to light.

As a savy consumer and keen moneysaver then when I hear bad things about a company that I deal with then I chose to investigate further so that I can be well informed (and I don't always believe what I read on these boards).

What on earth is strange about that?

Surely that is what being a "savy consumer" and moneysaver is all about.

The fact is that nothing serious enough has happened to persuade me to go elsewhere.
You are entitled to have an opinion about that if you like, but surely where I get my gas and electricity and the companies I choose to operate with and the risks I take personally are entirely my decision.

If I chose to deal with organisations that I know aren't perfect then that's my look out.
At least I'm well informed and aware of the risks I'm taking.

My outlook is that of a pragmatist in the real world.
Perhaps it's something to do with my age but I don't expect to find perfection anymore.
I will settle for the "best" compromise that I can get.

If at any time I judge that TPlus are not "best" for me then I can assure you that I will change and I will certainly keep myself well informed.

I am puzzled as to what you find strange apart from the fact that I would consider myself much better informed and savy than your average consumer about the companies I'm dealing with.

The fact is it that it is a long way from perfect and the company deserves most of the criticism it gets but I still judge it to be the best compromise for me.

If you find that strange - then I guess you can be entitled to your opinion. I just don't understand it  ???

Let me explain with some exmaples

---

1) False claims by Tplus and judgements by ASA

My opinion: This is bad and company deserves criticism for both doing it in the first place and not doing anything about it.

Effect on me: Zilch because I'm not taken in by it.

2) Late bills every month

My opnion: Bad because they should abide by the DD guarantee.

Effect on me: Zilch as I get e-billing and have plenty on money in my account.

3) Billing errors

My opinion: Incompentance here in not being able to do simple pro-rating.

Effect on me: Zilch now I've been through the initial pain barrier of transferring.

4) Limited contact hours

My opinion: Limited service

Effect on me: Zilch as I don't have to call them.

5) Poor customer service.

My opinion: Pain in the a*** transferring and had lots of hassle.

Effect on me: Zilch now I've transferred.

---

I hope that makes my thinking a bit clearer.
Whilst there is a lot to be criticised about the company, on a day-to-day basis it has zilch effect on me.