Billed for eir fibre connection fee

technocrat · 27-07-2023 9:55pm #1

So my parents recently signed up for eir fibre broadband 500mb speed connection.

This was done in the local eir store and the rep confirmed no connection/setup fee would apply.

As there an existing eir customer they didn’t qualify for the lowest deals available, however, we got a bundle price of €67 a month for broadband, phone & TV which seemed like a reasonable deal.

The installation was completed in June and the first new bill arrived during the week and to our shock included a €100 fibre installation fee!

I’ve tried calling the eir store but the phone isn’t answering.

In the meantime I submitted a refund claim and the request has been declined.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get to speak to anyone in customer services as I am not the bill holder and away with work at the moment.

The bill was setup for DD during the ordering and will be deducted from the bank account next week.

To say I am angry is an understatement, as we specifically asked what charges would apply when the order was put through and was told ‘no installation charge would apply’.

Just wondering if anyone else here has been hit with a similar fee after ordering eir Fibre..

TIA

DopeTech · 27-07-2023 10:01pm

What does it say in the contract they received/ agreed to?

Eir are a shitshow. Good luck getting any money back. Best just move in 12 months time and never look back.

technocrat · 27-07-2023 10:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905526#Comment_120905526

It was just a 1 page statement but no mention of a connection fee just confirmed the new bundle price of €67 a month for 24 month contract.

I’ll be back home next week so will have another look.

My parents always paid there bill previously through the post office but now feel they were tricked as were forced to sign up for DD to get the order completed.

So basically money is been deducted from their bank account for fees they don’t owe.

SVI40 · 27-07-2023 10:19pm

Cancel the DD, and have the bank do a charge back. It can then be sorted at leisure. Eir will be on pretty fast once the DD gets rejected.

DopeTech · 27-07-2023 10:20pm

Well they agreed to direct debit. I wouldn't say they were tricked into that but if they were told it would be a free install and then charged for it then Eir have to credit them but knowing them they won't. You'll pull your hair out for 6 months getting hung up on trying to sort it.

Seth Brundle · 27-07-2023 10:28pm

Several years ago I managed to get a letter from Eir confirming that their "Winback" team lied to me when selling me a product (which i also had confirmed by calling 1901).

I wouldn't trust them ever again when it comes to any kind of promises. With Eir, it appears that the customer is to be treated with absolute contempt.

technocrat · 27-07-2023 10:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905599#Comment_120905599

To clarify they reluctantly agreed to signing up for DD, my parents are ‘old school’ and prefer paying their utility bills at the post office counter.

They were given no choice this time otherwise the order for fibre wouldn’t have been processed.

I am going to call customer services when I get back home and threaten to cancel the DD if they don’t issue a credit for the €100.

technocrat · 27-07-2023 10:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905596#Comment_120905596

That’s exactly what I am thinking too, let them do the chasing for a change :)

technocrat · 27-07-2023 10:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905633#Comment_120905633

I have the full name of the sales rep in the eir store who confirmed no connection charge would be applied at time of ordering.

If it means going back to the shop so be it, eir is pulling a fast one here hoping we will shrug our shoulders and accept the payment is owed.

dub45 · 28-07-2023 2:13am

A direct debit is a method for paying a bill and can be cancelled at anytime. Nowadays it can be cancelled online in your banks webpage. If it does go through before you can cancel it then your bank must refund it at the customers request.

i would suggest cancelling the dd and paying the monthly amount which your parents agreed to. Put in a formal complaint about the overcharge.

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/money/banking/paying-bills/

technocrat · 28-07-2023 10:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120906170#Comment_120906170

Unfortunately my parents are of that generation where they don’t and can’t use internet banking.

They can just about manage web browsing and email.

To cancel DD, someone will have to drive them to the local branch and no doubt join a queue at the cashier desk.

The DD date is next week so it may go through unfortunately and just hope it can be sorted when I get back and a credit is issued.

dam099 · 28-07-2023 10:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120906755#Comment_120906755

Under the SEPA rules you can recall a paid Direct Debit without even needing to justify.

skinny90 · 28-07-2023 10:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120906820#Comment_120906820

this,...

recall and let Eir sort it all out on their end. as posts above have mentioned. once its cancelled on their end they will be pretty quick to find out whats happening

tvjunki · 28-07-2023 10:59am

Your parents do not have to pay by dd. They may be charged an extra €4 to pay in the post office but they can. I as told the same that I had to set up dd. Once the first one went through I cancelled it. I emailed them for back up.

There is a procedure you must follow to complain to Eir. First call 1901 and make a complaint. IF you think your parents were informed incorrectly then write to Eir. Then follow up with an email ccm@eir.ie. You have to state your complaint. Explain clearly what the issue is and who you spoke to. Put in tell account number name on the account and your contact details.

You will get a reply within a few weeks. If nothing happens then contact Comreg.

ComReg’s consumer care team on 01 8049668 or email consumerline@comreg.ie They will give you a case number for their files. They are very helpful but they will say you have to give Eir10 days to reply reply and fix the issue but you have to contact Eir first. After contacting Comreg they are great help.

For me I changed plans but I did not want to change to dd or monthly bill. I had a dongle and they added it onto the plan as a phone which i did not want to do. I wanted them separate. I was told incorrect information. I was within the cooling off period so asked to revert back to old plan. I got refunded and compensated for the all the months of calls and emails. I was stuck with the new plan as they did not want me to move back to bi monthly. Prefer bimonthy.

mondeoman72 · 28-07-2023 12:15pm

This is what you do

Dear Bank manager.

Account xyz sort code abc.

I wish to recall the DD to Eir dated whenever it was, as it is incorrect. I make this request under the rules of the DD scheme.

Signed.

Account holder.

++++++++++++++++++

I did this to bord gais and the money was back next day. I dropped the letter directly into my home branch. Then let Eir know why and invite them to fix it.

WildCardDoW · 28-07-2023 12:31pm

It's a easy fix, your parents ring up/go to store and request to add you to the account as an authorised user/person.

To cancel the DD you can easily set up online banking for them and even have your phone by the auth device.

Similarly if the account is in both of their names just pretend to be your father.

beachhead · 28-07-2023 12:35pm

OFF TOPIC

Thanks to tvjunki for the Eir email address ccm@eir.ie I got onto Comreg about Eir's intention to start charging long term customers the CPI increase + 3% from next April.Previously,it was new customers only who signed from April 2023-not sure of exact dates who would be charged the annual increase.No mention was made about existing customers pre April '23.Comreg told me to go onto the Eir website and complain.Did that on the 20th July-no response so far.Supposed to get acknowledgement after 2 days and full conclusion after 10 days.Will try ccm@eir.ie

technocrat · 28-07-2023 12:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907135#Comment_120907135

Yea the agent said as much at the time it was ordered, just needed DD setup for first bill and could then revert to previous payment method after that.

I already submitted a refund request through an online form on my parents behalf but got a reply saying it was rejected.

I spoke to my parents again earlier and asked them to read out the contract over the phone, it mentions the bundle price with discount and full price after the 24 month contract is up.

Nowhere does it say anything about an installation charge.

Hard to believe eir are been so pig headed about this when clearly their lobbing in this extra charge we don’t owe!

technocrat · 28-07-2023 12:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907517#Comment_120907517

We’re at a disadvantage as I am not at home and they will only deal with the bill payer.

I will be down next Friday so will call them from the landline and put all the facts their way give them one more chance.

If we don’t get a satisfactory response then will issue a DD recall and kick the ball back in their court.

RobiePAX · 28-07-2023 11:52pm

Personally I think a lot of comments in this thread suggest you to make eir your enemy way too quick.

All of this could be a simple human error that a minimum wage sale guy/girl forgetting to remove connection fee when placing your order. All you need to do is call them with your parents, just say hey we signed up for fibre broadband, we were told there's no connection fee but there's €100 on the bill. Could you help with this?

If they refuse to help them then yeah screw them, make a complaint. But if they admit it and fix it on the spot then it's just a simple misunderstanding. Also as someone mentioned above, get your parents to request customer care to nominate you as authorized user to make your life easier.

Eleusis · 29-07-2023 7:46am

If you cancel the direct debit, Eir will cut you off and very quickly. They also will block switching you to another provider as there is unpaid fees. All this has happened to me in the past. All the time you fight them you have no service.

Your best bet is to keep paying and try not to fight them, but instead politely escalate it in the procedure @tvjunki has explained a few posts back. Also it should be possible to cancel the direct debit and payment method but it might not be because it's in the contract that was signed.

Also weigh up the 100euro loss vs stress levels of what is to come and the time spent doing it all.

I have utmost sympathy for anyone on a similar position with Eir.

mykrodot · 29-07-2023 7:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905651#Comment_120905651

don't "threaten" to cancel their DD, just do it! You can do it via online banking easily, if your parents have online banking. Otherwise get them to ring their bank, PRONTO! DD's are generated a few days before they are actually debited, so can be hard to cancel close to the due date.

I can assure you that EIR will be on the phone to you or them within a few days. The only problem is that they won't have a service (more than likely) if they don't pay, unless their previous EIR account will suffice?

mykrodot · 29-07-2023 7:58am

Apologies, I can't seem to edit my previous post, but I have only just seen now that OP's parents do not have online banking. So follow advice of others and go to bank, cancel DD. Unless you have dealt with EIR you will not know how unreasonable and difficult they are to deal with! You can wave goodbye to that €100, you will never get a rep to speak to on the phone, if you do you will be passed around from Billy to Jack and back to Billy , before being cut off!

Good luck, I find these situations very stressful. And to be honest people saying just let them have the €100, suck it up, its not worth the stress etc, I get that. But that's exactly what EIR hope you will do, a big nothing. They make it so stressful to get in touch with them or get a refund that most people just don't bother. They win. Crazy.

tvjunki · 29-07-2023 9:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907628#Comment_120907628

When you are home ring Eir and put your name as another point of contact and that you have permission from your parents to change the contract an your parents behalf. Make sure your parents are there.

Eir charge €5 per bill but as your parents are retired you can get this waved from the account.

You can cancel the dd but continue to pay the bill. If your parents get the bill posted to them check they are not charged for postage. You will get a refund for the printing charge under the guise of environmental savings.

technocrat · 05-08-2023 1:12pm

Update:

So got back to my parents home earlier today and called eir, put my father on to confirm security details so I could continue with the call.

Was fully armed and expecting a robust call but once I raised the specific overcharge query, was put on hold for maybe 2mins then the agent returned saying the refund was processed.

We were presented with 2 options for the refund, DD return or credit the account by same.

I queried why the overcharge existed in the first place and was told it was an admin error by the rep in the eir store when the order was raised.

Anyway glad it’s sorted now and surprised how quickly in the end was less than 5min call to 1901.

05-08-2023 1:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120942521#Comment_120942521

Good man, if you'd followed the idiotic "advice" in this thread, your parents would have ended up blacklisted with no broadband.

tvjunki · 17-08-2023 3:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907604#Comment_120907604

Sorry have been away from the site and did not get notification you messaged. Comreg is correct you have to follow a certain procedure. First you must ring them and complain. Keep records of who you spoke to and time and date. You can then email through the complaints page on their site. Keep your account details on hand. Then the email I gave mentioned. I got a reference from the conreg and put it in all communications. There is a team dedicated to complaints that was linked to the Comreg.

I was going to be charged the 3% this year as well and I objected to it and I am paying the same as last year!! I rang and after 25minutes it was sorted. All you have to do is ask. Eir do not want to be fined by the regulator.

newhouse87 · 18-08-2023 2:35am

I have mobile broadband with eir as they said they could not provide me with fibre even though they rang me initially to tell me my premises is in fibre area. Turns out openeir kept cancelling installation as there is a duct blocked and civils are needed by my provider. Eir wont complete this. Sky have told me they will so im getting fibre with them and hooping to get out of eir contract for mobile. Can i just ring eir and cancel my contract as they cant/wont prove with me fibre but sky will.

RobiePAX · 18-08-2023 10:03am

Switching to Sky might get you a different result only if SIRO is available for your eircode. Check if it is at siro.ie

If not, you will be dealing with OpenEir again so same situation.

Mobile Broadband was probably given to you on contract which they normally only happy to cancel once Fibre install is completed. You'll need to argue with them if you want to change provider and cancel MBB. Are they willing to clear the blockage, did they give you a date when will it be done?

newhouse87 · 18-08-2023 10:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120994166#Comment_120994166

Sky are willing to clear it, eir would not complete the works. Surely eir will leave me out of my contract in this scenario. They also overcharged me on a couple of bills.

NSAman · 18-08-2023 10:21pm

Ducting issue is the typical response, it can mean anything including, we didn’t have a flag guy, we were too busy to do it that day, we couldn’t be arsed, we just never showed up… 2 years of it. Finally got it installed.

first bill, installation fee of 250 despite them saying no fee (was done by phone). Complained, said they would credit it. Second bill arrived €440 in credit. So for the years contract I paid €250. Switched to a cheaper provider at the end of the year..😀

gotta love Eir!

Billed for eir fibre connection fee

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