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[Irish Times] Eircom U-turn on pensioner charges

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  • 19-03-2005 11:41am
    #1
    damien
    Registered Users Posts: 4,290 ✭✭✭


    Good news for Paddy20 and all the other pensioners out there. It was Paddy20 and Martin Harran who got the Times to bring this to light a few months back.



    Eircom U-turn on pensioner charges
    Dominic Coyle
    http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/finance/2005/0319/2169043354BZEIRCOM.html
    Eircom has made a U-turn on charges for pensioners. The telecoms group announced yesterday that it was reducing the price of its Social Benefit Scheme available to around 270,000 people who qualify for the Department of Social and Family Affairs' telephone allowance.

    Under the scheme, designed to ensure that elderly people can have a telephone and remain in contact with friends, relatives and social services, Eircom provides line rental, a handset and €1.46 a month in free calls.

    Until last year, the cost of this service matched the Department allowance of €24.70 a month. Eircom then raised the monthly price of its package to €26.44, including VAT.

    Following protests from groups representing the elderly and discussions with the department, Eircom reduced the monthly price of the package to €25.17, 47 cents over what the department allowance provided.

    Eircom yesterday announced that it would bring the price of its Social Benefit Scheme back to €24.70, including VAT - the level it stood at before last year's furore. The change will come into effect on April 8th next.

    Cathal Magee, managing director of Eircom Retail, said that, following discussions with the department, the company, rather than its customers, would now absorb the difference between the cost of providing the service and the department's allowance. "This is great news for customers," he said.

    The company was unable to explain why it had taken 14 months to reverse the original decision, although a spokesman said there was an understanding that the decision to raise prices last year had not been well-received.


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    #2
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Excellent.


  • Options
    #3
    Paddy20
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,797 ✭✭✭Paddy20


    Yes, very good. Now it would be nice if they were forced to refund the monies they stole from those entitled to the FREE Telephone line rental allowance ?... ;)

    P.


  • Options
    #4
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Paddy.

    A strong email to the head culprit, phil.nolan@eircom.ie, demanding same, would be a start. Get some of the other victims on the case too.

    Congrats and well done !


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