Primus Saver rip-off

[Deleted User]

Following a suggestion from this website I moved from BT to Primus Saver earlier this year. I've regretted it ever since. Customer service is appalling.

Now the final straw. This month, and without any warning at all, they have increased the charge for Caller Display from 56p per month to £2.13 per month (all plus VAT). Does anyone know what the BT charge is for this service? I think this is a rip-off and I am considering moving back to BT but they tell me there will be a disconnection charge (amount unspecified).

Has anyone else been ripped off the same way on their Caller Display charges?

AlanSinfield

I have just received my latest bill and my caller display has increased to £2.13 per month. Also the minimum call charge has increased to 9p. This is outrageous as I signed up to a 12-month contract and they have increased Caller Display by nearly 400% as well as changing the minimum. I have received no communication prior to this bill

I emailed them prior to seeing this post and their website. So I will post a response.

PJwashere

This is why I've checked reviewcentre for reviews on every provider I've heard of - and why I'm SOOOOOOOO glad I didn't choose Primus. If you'd seen the reviews, you probably wouldn't have either. BT aint much better.

Mark_In_Hampshire

If an integral component of the service - like caller display - is to increase in price, the supplier must inform the customer. The customer can then elect to accept this (the new terms) or reject it, in which case Primus can either continue to supply at the previously agreed contracted price, or terminate the contract without charge enabling you to go somewhere else which in practise with computerised systems is what tends to happen, since the system isn't all that amenable to charging different people differing amounts for the same thing, it's not worth the effort to them to make an exception.

A possible solution is by way of a bill credit to end of term, if you're happy with that, to offset the increase.

Since they have not informed you, you are not liable to pay the increased charge so can quite happily remit payment minus the difference and say why you've done that. If you want to move on, there's your opportunity.

However should another supplier want a connection fee for you to move to them, Primus aren't obliged to pay that for you.

Plusnet seem to connect lines free or at a cost of about £50, Virgin will connect a line for £39 if you take broadband too.

Engeroosi

I have just signed up to Primus for my land line on advice from this website!! Argh!!!

I have not requested caller ID though. I just wanted the land line and evening and weekend calls. Am I likely to regret this decision?

Bodge_2

I've actually been with Primus for several years as a carrier pre-select customer but decided to leave BT several months ago and went with Primus for line rental as well.

I take Caller Display for 56p per month and also a second line called Call Plan for 56p per month. I also noticed that my bill had gone up so called their customer service yesterday morning and was told that both had gone up to £2.13.

I told them that they had to inform me of such price changes in advance and they agreed. So they actually gave me the refund of £3.41. So Mark_in_Hampshire is 100% right. They must inform you of such price increases and give you the option to accept them or not.

I actually called up Ofcom to report this. There must be thousands of customers who haven't even noticed these price rises and Ofcom said that if enough people complained then they would take action.

[Deleted User]

Engeroosi wrote: »

I have not requested caller ID though. I just wanted the land line and evening and weekend calls. Am I likely to regret this decision?

My caller display from BT used to be free. Now with the 400% price hike I'm worse off overall than I was with BT. It took Primus 3 months to stop charging me for another add-on service (call barring) which I did not have. On the plus side Primus allows inclusive calls for up to 90 minutes as opposed to BT's 60.

A couple of other things. It's difficult, if not impossible, to prise out of Primus costs for calling special numbers. Unlike BT, Primus charge for 0870 and 0845 numbers during your inclusive time. I didn't find these things out until after I signed up.

Bulbos_Miathos

i've registered a complaint with ofcom. oh and hi - my first post.
could you clarify please mark in hampshire; are you saying that i have the option of paying only what i've been paying upto this point - if their computer can do that - or i can leave straight away?
...i've been with them for a while so i am down to month by month (the 18months was up some time ago)

[Deleted User]

Bulbos_Miathos wrote: »

i've registered a complaint with ofcom. oh and hi - my first post.
could you clarify please mark in hampshire; are you saying that i have the option of paying only what i've been paying upto this point - if their computer can do that - or i can leave straight away?
...i've been with them for a while so i am down to month by month (the 18months was up some time ago)

Ofcom will have told you that under General Condition 9.3 Primus would have had to give you at least a month's notice of the increase. You then have the option to reject the increase and can leave without penalty.

Ofcom will probably also have told you that you should now write to Primus giving your Ofcom complaint reference number stating that if they have not given you statutory notice they are breaking the law. If they do not respond in an acceptable way you can lodge a complaint with Otelo.

savemoney

I do have caller display but I think its still with BT I pay £11.54 for BT for line rental (umlimted week plan) but calls are routed to Primus I paid my last bill with Primus on 26th August for £1.26 I use them and 18866 for all my calls

Heinz

savemoney wrote: »

I do have caller display but I think its still with BT I pay £11.54 for BT for line rental (umlimted week plan) but calls are routed to Primus

Don't forget to make a few calls via BT at the weekend* (prefix with 1280) so you meet BT's minimum of 2 calls/month (or 6 calls/quarter) requirement for free Caller Display.

* Using your Unlimited Weekend Calls Plan - so they're 'free'.