Meteor Bill Pay Deposit???

Spipov

So i went in to meteor prepared to sign up to their 20 euro talk time.

been with pay as u go with them for 7 years previously and was expecting no hassle.


everything was going to plan until they tell me i have to pay 300 euro deposit as security? and their explanation of the security deposit left me pretty perplex.

i thought id understood them and signed up anyway as i needed the bill pay.

thinking about it, i then called their customer care who now tell me:

1. i have to pay the 300 - its mandatory.
2. i will be paying 20 euro + extras for the next six months
3. as from the 6th month, 20 euro and whats on my bill will be deducted from the 300.
4. they couldnt really tell me what they'd do with the remaining money after my 12 months are up but the guy said "everybody goes over their limit".


im not sure i get that 300 security deposit well. my total only comes up to 240 euros a year for the whole contract.

now i have to pay 420???


im not thinking my credit history is that bad. what do they base a credit history on?criterias?

been with them for 7 years, paid 20 a month.

have a good bank history, been with the one bank 7 years, always had money to spare with it

im a doctor, my salary isnt that bad (could have been better).

ive been working for 8 months now with the HSE.


whats the deal?if theyd asked a security deposit of 240, id have understood. i dont see where their getting their figure from.

and since i signed, i cant go back to pay as u go as id have to give them 240 now and then immediately.

anybody had the same trouble?im down 300 already and will be down 420. thats a lot of money really and for a 240 contract???i know i get it back apparently, but still, i thought id be paying 20 a month over 12 months, not 420 by 6 months?

Doctor DooM

I don't have experience with Meteor but the only thing I can think of with you having a good job etc. Is that you refuse to pay by Direct Debit? This really hammers your credit rating with the phone companies.

Sounds really extreme, there must be something they are seeing there which is causing it.

mikemac

Junior doctor,eh? I saw a program on RTE where they earn €60,000 in their first year. I choose the wrong career

Yup, I had the same as yourself. Irish citizen, lots of ID, permanent address and full-time job and had to pay €100 deposit.
Not as bad as you I see.
I understand why they do it but I don't see myself as a risk to them. Not if I was foreign and could skip the country or a poor student who might struggle to pay I'd have no issue with a deposit. But they seem to apply it to most people.

I pay €20 a month also and rarely go above. €25 was my highest bill one month.

After 6 months they started applying the payment to my bill.
So in effect my last two bills and my next bill or two will be payed by my deposit.

Won't be going on billpay again!

Spipov

but thats the thing, i pay everything by direct debit, i dont see that as being a problem.

secondly, which might not have helped, ive changed addresses twice in the last 3 years.

also, there is a little bit of discrimination involved?

im not irish, but have been here for 7 years (studying then started work here),

im from mauritius, the thing that galls me, is on the contract, im put in as "african". wouldnt that affect that particular credit rating thing?

mikemac

Spipov wrote: »

also, there is a little bit of discrimination involved?

Credit rating is discrimination but it's often common sense!
A home owner is favoured over a tenant
An employee is favoured over a self-employed tradesman
A civil servant is favoured over most private sector workers (especially in mortgages)

Sure, your nationality comes into it.
Paddy from Dublin is less likely to skip the country or rack up bills to foreign countries than Ivan from Riga.

This thread is a good read, similar story.
I don't think you're African but yes, your nationality may explain why you pay more than than an Irish person.

Spipov

i dont mind the paying. i can understand it. but in excess of the contract itself, thats what annoys me

Doctor DooM

Spipov wrote: »

but thats the thing, i pay everything by direct debit, i dont see that as being a problem.

secondly, which might not have helped, ive changed addresses twice in the last 3 years.

also, there is a little bit of discrimination involved?

im not irish, but have been here for 7 years (studying then started work here),

im from mauritius, the thing that galls me, is on the contract, im put in as "african". wouldnt that affect that particular credit rating thing?

I'm afraid it does make a difference. I am still suprised though, as the rest of what makes up your rating is very good for it. Sometimes the answer duesn't match up to the person asking.

Statistically speaking, the phone companies have alot more issues with foreign nationals. Is it wrong? I would also argue yes, but it's legal and at the end of the day companies exist to earn money.

brendanuk

its just risk, stats and insurance.

Your profile is being flagged that you need to pay a heavy premier as similar profile people (i guess) have racked up a debt and done a runner.

Spipov

im reading up micmclo's link. does some good reading and gives some info.

i wouldnt be surprised if someone with the same profile did a runner. hazards i guess.

cheers for the help.not much more i can add anyway.will have to suck it up and cough it out...

storka

This is strange, i had been with Meteor PAYG for about 5 years, I am 21, a student and live at home so basically no income!!

Signed up to Bill Pay Talk 60 (the €20 one, same as OP) and never had to pay any sort of deposit?!

Xithus

You can get it back as a cheque after 6months or leave your bill in credit.

Spipov

storka wrote: »

This is strange, i had been with Meteor PAYG for about 5 years, I am 21, a student and live at home so basically no income!!

Signed up to Bill Pay Talk 60 (the €20 one, same as OP) and never had to pay any sort of deposit?!

i could never sign up to bill pay as a student... they basically took a look at me, as soon as i would utter the word bill and pay together they'd go " eurm, no."


xinthus, the option of getting the money back after 6 months never ever came up. even though i asked what happens if i want the money back after 6 months.

Xithus

Give customer care a call (1905) they'll post it out to you just before your 7th bill.

storka

Spipov wrote: »

i could never sign up to bill pay as a student... they basically took a look at me, as soon as i would utter the word bill and pay together they'd go " eurm, no."

Thats really wierd they had no problem when i said student for occupation in fact the rep was the one who said was i a student.

And there was absolutely no mention of any type of deposit.

foggy_lad

had same problem living in same address for over 5 years but not working but paying by direct debit etc no risk to meteor and was asked for €300 deposit. i think this extra charge is appalling but worse iss meteor's attitude towards their oldest most loyal customers!

mikemac

Spipov wrote: »

i could never sign up to bill pay as a student... they basically took a look at me, as soon as i would utter the word bill and pay together they'd go " eurm, no."

storka wrote: »

This is strange, i had been with Meteor PAYG for about 5 years, I am 21, a student and live at home so basically no income!!

Signed up to Bill Pay Talk 60 (the €20 one, same as OP) and never had to pay any sort of deposit?!

Quite simple realy, not strange at all.
Storka was living at parents address so that was the most secure address of all. Despite being a scrounging student
Spipov is a foreign national renting a place in Ireland so completly different case.

I reckon if you're not living at parents address or not a homeowner you are almost guranteed to be stung for a deposit

I don't think it's Meteor themselves who decide these credit checks. Lot of companies outsource them to specialist agencies. But ultimatly Meteor are responsible.

ablelocks

I had the same issue with Meteor before Christmas when I tried to change over to billpay - payg for the last 5 years with them, homeowner, employee with the same company for 8 years, bla bla bla.

The guy in the shop told me that approx. 70% of people, from students to people on high salaries, have to pay some amount of a deposit. I refused to pay the 300, and he said to try again later in January, as "the system" may assign a reduced or even no requirement for a deposit.

foggy_lad

i moved to three after meteor's rejection and have 40 more minutes for €1 less and also video calling a 3G network and a better range of handsets!

meteor really need to sort this out as customers feeling that they are seen by meteor as scumbags is not very good for business!

Spipov

Update:

today, im trying to miscall back home so they could give me a ring.

"your phone is restricted from making this call. please call customer care".

got on to them, apparently i have to pay 60 euros to remove international call barring. (added as credit in 7 months - bringin my total to 360 euros as credit for 6 months).

by the way - pay as u go didnt have this restriction. i was calling freely.


now apparently, if i decide to go to uk (let alone back home), i have to pay another 60 euros to get roaming. bringing total to 420.

super. really. pay as u go, my roaming worked in uk no problem, no need to pay or activate.


seriously, did they even F tell me that i needed to pay 420 to get anything to work on this network?whats the use of getting bill pay which is supposed to create less hassle, when PAY AS U GO is BETTER???

what kind of advertising is this?


oh creme de la creme.

i get a call from the people in blanch meteor shop where i signed up

"sir, the bill you presented to us was out of date by 10 days, u need to get another form of address/utility payment with address by this evening".

and im in the middle of work.

as if the first one wasnt enough and i faked it.

and the second one expired (over the 3 month limit) by only 10 days. i apparently have become either homeless, or a terrorrist in those 10 days. Super again.


id thought i was done with hassle.

now it seems everyday is a new hassle day.

foggy_lad

now you may be able to get out of the contract just tell them you are not happy with all the crap and you refuse to give them the up to date bill they request and they will have to terminate your contract

Doctor DooM

Spipov wrote: »

oh creme de la creme.

i get a call from the people in blanch meteor shop where i signed up

"sir, the bill you presented to us was out of date by 10 days, u need to get another form of address/utility payment with address by this evening".

and im in the middle of work.

as if the first one wasnt enough and i faked it.

and the second one expired (over the 3 month limit) by only 10 days. i apparently have become either homeless, or a terrorrist in those 10 days. Super again.


id thought i was done with hassle.

now it seems everyday is a new hassle day.

The above is just because the eedjit in the meteor accepted non compliant (out of date) proof of ID from you. If he doesn't get compliant ID's from you, he will be fined. Unless you want the guy who you dealt with directly in the store to suffer, I would encourage you to help him.

Doctor DooM

foggy_lad wrote: »

now you may be able to get out of the contract just tell them you are not happy with all the crap and you refuse to give them the up to date bill they request and they will have to terminate your contract

Incorrect. Meteor will simply fine the person who filed the non compliant paper work. The OP is still tied into his contract. It's still binding.

Sam Vimes

Spipov wrote: »

Update:

today, im trying to miscall back home so they could give me a ring.

"your phone is restricted from making this call. please call customer care".

got on to them, apparently i have to pay 60 euros to remove international call barring. (added as credit in 7 months - bringin my total to 360 euros as credit for 6 months).

by the way - pay as u go didnt have this restriction. i was calling freely.


now apparently, if i decide to go to uk (let alone back home), i have to pay another 60 euros to get roaming. bringing total to 420.

that really should have been explained to you at the time. there are two options on the meteor contract form for international calls and roaming and it specifies right there on the page that each costs €60. its not like the guy forgot about it

Spipov wrote: »

oh creme de la creme.

i get a call from the people in blanch meteor shop where i signed up

"sir, the bill you presented to us was out of date by 10 days, u need to get another form of address/utility payment with address by this evening".

telling you you needed it by this evening was a bit ridiculous but the staff member will personally lose money if he doesn't get it off you. its not his choice that it has to be within 3 months. its a policy of all the networks

Spipov wrote: »

as if the first one wasnt enough and i faked it.

you'd be really surprised how often that happens

foggy_lad

it seems odd that meteor keep this €300 until the 7th month then add it to your account rather than return it as they know customers on their lower price plans will not have this amount used in 5months!

and will obviously feel compelled to remain with meteor OR face a long awkward struggle to have the remainder refunded by cheque if they cancel after their 12th payment

Sam Vimes

foggy_lad wrote: »

it seems odd that meteor keep this €300 until the 7th month then add it to your account rather than return it as they know customers on their lower price plans will not have this amount used in 5months!

and will obviously feel compelled to remain with meteor OR face a long awkward struggle to have the remainder refunded by cheque if they cancel after their 12th payment

if you had read the thread you'd see that you can have it given in a cheque if you want. at this stage i believe that your hobby is finding things to get offended over

Spipov

Commander Vimes wrote: »

if you had read the thread you'd see that you can have it given in a cheque if you want. at this stage i believe that your hobby is finding things to get offended over

theyll only return whats left of the credit after 12 months. not 7. as from 7th month itll appear as 300 credit from which they'll take every month what i use (+20 per month thing).

i specifically asked for that and that was what i was told.

Sam Vimes

Spipov wrote: »

theyll only return whats left of the credit after 12 months. not 7. as from 7th month itll appear as 300 credit from which they'll take every month what i use (+20 per month thing).

i specifically asked for that and that was what i was told.

yes that's generally how its done but you can request the full amount in a cheque if you choose. the person you asked probably didn't know that

chrislad

Commander Vimes wrote: »

if you had read the thread you'd see that you can have it given in a cheque if you want. at this stage i believe that your hobby is finding things to get offended over

It's uncanny how alike we think

Walkman

Commander Vimes wrote: »

if you had read the thread you'd see that you can have it given in a cheque if you want. at this stage i believe that your hobby is finding things to get offended over

I couldn't agree more. Foggy do you have a gripe with evey network.
Did I read in another thread that your are barred from the carphone warehouse store in Carlow?

Sam Vimes

chrislad wrote: »

It's uncanny how alike we think

at least where mr lad is involved

Walkman wrote: »

I couldn't agree more. Foggy do you have a gripe with evey network.
Did I read in another thread that your are barred from the carphone warehouse store in Carlow?

not just networks. He also made a scene in heatons because he was asked for his name and address on the refund receipt, just like hundreds of shops do. I can only assume that what he did would be classed as making a scene because security was called over. He started a thread about it in consumer issues called "heatons denied refund!" even though they didn't actually deny him a refund

pigeonbutler

I was also made pay this deposit at the time of my signing up. I was told I could choose to be refunded the 300 in the 7th month but when I rang them during my 6th month to inform them of this choice I was told that I couldn't be sent a cheque and would have to accept it as credit on my bill. I was very annoyed at this.

Meteor are using its customers as a cheap source of financing their cashflow needs, that's what it's all about. It's got very little got to do with creditworthyness.

€300 X 7% for 12 months (hypothetical rate of interest on meteors short term bank loans) = €21 per year per customer.

€21 X 50,000 (conservative estimate of customers they've signed up in last year or so)

= c. €1million

Thats how much of an improvement to their profits they're making from just the cashflow advantage of taking this money off us. Obviously there are savings from reduced bad debts but I'd imagine that they pale in insignificance beside the cashflow savings.