Phones4U winding up yet another customer
I had this experience sent in from a reader regarding Phones4U. Had a read and see if their experience sounds familiar.
I went into Phones4u and purchased the new SonyEricsson W850i from them, which was on the Orange Canary 40 Price Plan.
I was initially told that I would get 600 texts, 600 cross net minutes, 1 magic number to any network, and I was also able to change my price plan after 6months.
But after activating the phone and calling Orange customer services, I was told that I only get 400 texts instead of the 600 originally specified to me, also was told that the magic number was to Orange numbers only instead of been any network as told instore, then to top it off I was told by Orange that I had to wait 9mths to change my tariff!
I was quite upset that I had been given incorrect information to take out a contract with them, and decided to return the phone the next day, as I was advised I was able to cancel the contract within 14 days.
To my surprise I was literally hassled in the store – asking for reasons why I wanted to cancel, in which they were almost adamant I was told the correct information. After arguing with them for almost an hour, they agreed to phone it through to cancel it. I received a receipt to say everything was cancelled and I would only be billed for the 2days plus any calls I had made.
Unfortunately, I received a bill from Orange yesterday for £45, which included line rental from 12th – 14th October, and 15th – 14th November. I phoned Orange to advise them that I had already cancelled the contract with Phones4u last week only to find out that it hasn’t been cancelled with Orange.
So I am still stuck in the contract – Orange advised me to go back to Phones4u to get them to cancel it with them… I don’t understand how this has happened as they have given me a receipt to say that the contract has been cancelled, yet Orange have stated that I am still stuck in the contract with them???
Well I’m going to contact the CEO now to see what he can do as those sales people are just ridiculous!
It’s simply not good enough for Orange to wash their hands of the affair. This reader’s account is with *Orange*. Orange should be HUGELY annoyed that Phones4U caused so much trouble by allegedly dispensing inaccurate information.
The right thing to have happened here is for Orange to have solved the reader’s problems. It wouldn’t be difficult for them to knock up the texts by 200, for example, which would potentially have gone a little way to placating their customer. Obviously they can’t be doing this for everyone who phones up saying ‘wait a minute?’
Orange should also have cancelled the contract and deleted the bills. No questions asked. THEN they should have engaged the customer to say ‘ok, right, what can we do for you directly?’
Instead, they’ve referred the customer back to Phones4U… what a total arse.
And OBVIOUSLY Phones4U aren’t interested in you unless you’re wanting to buy a new contract. There’s no incentive whatsoever for a Phones4U sales person to talk to you about anything other than a new contract 😐
At all these swanky conferences I attend, I keep having to sit through fancy presentations from operators and retailers telling me how good their service levels are and how happy their customers are. And how they’ve done X or Y to really lower churn and so on. I really have to stop myself from yelling, RUBBISH, at the top of my voice. This is a super example of where it’s still not working. 20 odd years on, you think the industry could have sorted it out.
Won’t somebody plesae think about the customer?
