Primus Home Phone - don't bother!

Mike33_going_on_34

Yes they're cheap as Martin has stated on the main site, BUT this company have the worst customer service I have ever come across and the problems really start when you try to leave. I decided to switch to the Post Office (mainly due to the poor service with Primus), so I rang and asked when I could leave / switch without incurring charges. There seemed to be different versions of this depending who you spoke to and another version on the website. I played on the side of caution and went for the longest time period which was 12 months. When I rang after 11 months to cancel they tried telling me it was 18 months. :mad: I said that I was going to cancel the contract and my DD. I paid 2 subsequent bills and the Post Office confirmed they had taken over the line. Primus kept sending the bills, but when I rang they told me I had paid. This is concerning as I don't want any black marks on my credit record due to some company's poor records.

Then during one such call they suddenly told me I owed £132.86! we don't even use the landline, so I knew this couldn't be right. After 30 mins of listening to the operator struggle to justify this using his terrible English and even worse maths, he announced this was £100 early disconnection charge on a contact they had "automatically" started + VAT on the charge + another month's line rental.

I've since spoken to them on 5 separate occassions, being told the charges had been dropped, receiving another bill, then being told they have no records of our previous conversations and the charge stands. They refuse to put anything in writing or promise to and then don't. It's a nightmare.

I've tried to take this up with Otelo, but they're not answering the phone as it's a training day. :mad:

JohalaReewi

Which is a big shame because they used to have the best customer service (based in Scotland).
They then decided they could do better for less and shipped it out to India.

steven_cardwell

Mike33_going_on_34 wrote: »

Yes they're cheap as Martin has stated on the main site, BUT this company have the worst customer service I have ever come across and the problems really start when you try to leave. I decided to switch to the Post Office (mainly due to the poor service with Primus), so I rang and asked when I could leave / switch without incurring charges. There seemed to be different versions of this depending who you spoke to and another version on the website. I played on the side of caution and went for the longest time period which was 12 months. When I rang after 11 months to cancel they tried telling me it was 18 months. :mad: I said that I was going to cancel the contract and my DD. I paid 2 subsequent bills and the Post Office confirmed they had taken over the line. Primus kept sending the bills, but when I rang they told me I had paid. This is concerning as I don't want any black marks on my credit record due to some company's poor records.

Then during one such call they suddenly told me I owed £132.86! we don't even use the landline, so I knew this couldn't be right. After 30 mins of listening to the operator struggle to justify this using his terrible English and even worse maths, he announced this was £100 early disconnection charge on a contact they had "automatically" started + VAT on the charge + another month's line rental.

I've since spoken to them on 5 separate occassions, being told the charges had been dropped, receiving another bill, then being told they have no records of our previous conversations and the charge stands. They refuse to put anything in writing or promise to and then don't. It's a nightmare.

I've tried to take this up with Otelo, but they're not answering the phone as it's a training day. :mad:

You are not alone in your problems with trying to leave Primus, have a look at the link below.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/184392

mandyl

stear well clear off primus. idiots the lot of them

seaniboy

Primus email used to go to Scotland after calls went to India, Primus was a victim of MSE recommendation...no company could afford penny pinchers on the Penny Mobile plan - it lost them millions & us Scots care.

Mike33_going_on_34

Just to give an update that will hopefully help anyone in the same position. I read into their complaints procedure and that of Otelo (the ombudsman who regulates them). I insisted that they put in writing "what they had done to resolve my complaint and their final position", I also pointed out the clear evidence that they had been contacted to cancel the contract i.e. the cancelled DD, followed by a Credit Card payment made to them to resolve the outstanding bill (all done over the phone with customer services, despite them denying having any previous cantact). Also when switching to the Post Office (I rang a nice friendly UK P.O. call centre to check this - very helpful!), the P.O. will contact them in advance of the switch over to confirm the cancellation, approximately 2-3 weeks before, i.e. before they started a brand new 12 month contract without my permission.

There were several other points regarding details I had from previous conversations with their terrible customer services, but these were specific to my case.

Anyway... they have now (once again) stated that i don't have to pay their bogus charges. These charges seem to be directed at people who can least afford them and who won't put up a fight. They're totally bogus charges and the regulators probably never get to hear about them, as they fold at the first credible mention of Otelo's complaints procedures.

All I can say is BUYER BEWARE!

Mike33_going_on_34

Martin,

Please stop recommending Primus home phone!