Having Doubts about PRIMUS

Kedster

I'm with BT for my line rental which at £13.60 for hardly using the landline seems unreasonable especially when there's other seemingly good deals out there. My broadband is with Plusnet and has been for a couple of years which I'm very happy with and at £5.99 a month is great. However, Moneysavingexpert mentioned the cheap Primus at £6.79 it all sounded great. However, after reading many of the forum members problems I'm having huge doubts.

I thankfully haven't changed from BT yet, just made a call to them to see if they could match the price of Primus but was told all they could do was a £10 per month deal with a better call deal. Better, but still not the cheapest.

Does anyone have any advice/suggestions, especially about Primus?? My mobile is with Orange and even they cant give me a particularly good deal.

Thank you!!!

Sun-Is-Fun

Well I'm moving back to bt from primus, if that's any help. I'm sure you've read all the comments about poor customer service, etc. You have to make your own mind up, but I wont be going back to Primus for the forseeable future, if ever again ! :j

G_M

Primus offers a great rate and if your line works then you get a great deal.

As you say, the customer service record is appalling. Overseas call centres, long waits, por understanding, terrible response.

If you are one of the lucky ones, you'll pay your (low) monthly fee and never need to call them.

If you're unlucky, you'll live to regret your decision.

A compromise is to move the line to Plusnet: cheaper than BT but more expensive than Primus. But you'll have a single bill, and a call centre where people a) understand you and b) understand telecoms

albo2002

For me, only Citibank comes close to the appalling customer service I've experienced with Primus. And I haven't even had Primus installed yet.

This is the conversation I've had with Primus today:

Me: Hello. I'm due to have you install a phone line between 8am and 1pm and it's now 10am, and I'm just calling to see if you have an idea when the installer will be coming.
Primus: There is no way of us knowing, it is being done by BT Openreach and you will be visited between 8am and 1pm. If the installer does not come then you will be connected by 5pm.

Me: Erm, what? What do you mean?
Primus: If the installer does not come by 1pm then BT will install your line remotely by 5pm.

Me: OK, so they will let me know if they're doing this remotely or not will they? I have to go to work at 1pm..
Primus: No, there is no way of you knowing this.

Me: How will I find out if I'm connected then?
Primus: You can check your phone from either 5pm tonight or at the latest by tomorrow morning.

Me: I don't understand what you're saying. How will I know if I'm connected to BT?
Primus: Check to see if your landline phone has a dialling tone.

Me: But I'm calling you from a landline! I'm with Virgin Media and I'm getting BT installed and then I'm getting Virgin Media disconnected. How will I know if the landline is connected to you?
Primus, at this point, put the phone down on me.

I guess the benefits of being with Primus depends whether you have any problems that require customer service to help or not. So far I've had nothing but issues with them and, as stated, I haven't even had the line installed yet!