Primus Saver 2 and penny mobile problems

ezhiks

I've been with Primus saver 2 since October 2005, and penny mobile from sometime later. I recently noticed they had been sending paper bills for several months, (I've been ill and someone else has been taking care of mail, and they didn't know anything was wrong). I've been charged for all calls at higher rate than saver option 2 and mobile calls at a higher rate than penny mobile rates, and a charge of £1.50 per month, since May 2010

I've emailed Primus, sent them a registered letter and received no reply. I've called them and they tell me that the contract was cancelled last May, (this isn't true service with Primus wasn't cancelled), and we have been dialling a prefix before every call to route our calls through their system. This isn't true, we simply pick up the phone and dial, no one here, including me knows what their prefix is.


After I became aware of this in December I did cancel and went to BT on 15 January, yet still the Primus bills arive. I've called them again today and again I'm told the bills continue because we dial a prefix to make our calls go through Primus. We don't.


I'm not sure what to do now. I think I should tell my bank I'm in dispute with Primus and ask for all amounts paid by DD to be refunded whilst we sort it out, but worry that they'll come after me with a debt collector. Its quite a substantial amount, nearly £300 been taken, when our normal Primus bills were generally less than a £1 a month under saver 2 when it was working correctly.


I'd be grateful for any advice how to get back from the money they've took, and how to stop them thinking we are pre-dialling a number to route calls through them.

ezhiks

I've asked the bank to refund all payments taken by Primus since May 2010 and they say I should have the money back within 48hrs. I expect that will get Primus to !!!!! their ears up.
Still they ignore emails, and never responded to my registered letter, so I think I've followed correct procedure.



I decided to call BT and tell them Primus are still billing me and taking DD payments 3 months after going back to BT. They couldn't have been better, answered the phone within a minute, understood my problem and said they would deal with the issue of Primus still holding onto the line since Jan 15th.


I'm hoping Primus don't now just get the debt collectors onto me, I can't see them accepting their mistake and putting things right easily.


Anyone considering Primus should be aware and think twice.

OOps, apparently "p r i c k their ears up" is a swear word!

diamonds

email Ofcom - NewCall have done the £1.50 charges for paper billing & DD to ALL Primus customers - trying to illegally earn revenue, Ofcom needs enough complaints to start a investigation

graham.howell@ofcom.org.uk

Heinz

diamonds wrote: »

email Ofcom - NewCall have done the £1.50 charges for paper billing & DD to ALL Primus customers - trying to illegally earn revenue, Ofcom needs enough complaints to start a investigation

Not ALL (he says, touching wood as he types).

ezhiks

diamonds wrote: »

email Ofcom - NewCall have done the £1.50 charges for paper billing & DD to ALL Primus customers - trying to illegally earn revenue, Ofcom needs enough complaints to start a investigation

[EMAIL="graham.howell@ofcom.org.uk"]graham.howell@ofcom.org.uk[/EMAIL]

Thanks for the reply. I've emailed Graham as you suggest.


I'm just waiting for letter from Primus now, asking me to repay them all the money I've just had the bank refund me, or they will send in the bailiffs.


How do you deal with that, I'm seriously worried they are just going to rail road over me with their debt collecting machine. They have ignored every email, and a registered letter, what chance do I stand of fighting them?


I'm just pleased I've persuaded several family members to leave them too before they got caught out, as it was me recommended Primus back in 2005!

diamonds

Heinz wrote: »

Not ALL (he says, touchng wood as he types).

LOL ! I had a few people I recommended all suffer the £3.00 charges & paper bills after Oct 2010 when NewCall took over, lucky you Heinz

diamonds

ezhiks wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I've emailed Graham as you suggest.


I'm just waiting for letter from Primus now, asking me to repay them all the money I've just had the bank refund me, or they will send in the bailiffs.


How do you deal with that, I'm seriously worried they are just going to rail road over me with their debt collecting machine. They have ignored every email, and a registered letter, what chance do I stand of fighting them?


I'm just pleased I've persuaded several family members to leave them too before they got caught out, as it was me recommended Primus back in 2005!

Health as you know is everything, let know one stress you, tell them to p off or as a consumer email & call complaints to chief execs offices.

ezhiks

I think I should just update this thread with the outcome. I recieved a letter from Primus Credit Control department with yet another inflated bill, and a 'warning' that if not paid within 7 days 'the bailiffs would be round'. I rang the Ombudsman to make a formal complaint and ask for advice. They suggested ringing the credit control number at Primus and asking them to hold off on the 'bailiffs' until my complaint had gone through the Ombudsman's system etc.

I rang CC at Primus and did just that, then the person asked if there was anything he could help me with. I explained it all to him, he had a look at my account, found e-mails I had sent, and said something along the lines of 'I can see you've been through enough, it's been going on long enough, I can reset your account to zero for you'. I was taken aback, but took his offer and that was that. A week later I had a letter and a final statement showing I owed a very small amount which I was more than happy to pay.

All I can say is if you are struggling to get anywhere with Primus overseas customer services, which is appalling, and have an accounting/billing issue then try ringing 0800 036 2113 during office hours. Like me you may have a pleasent surprise, and the nightmare over.