PCCW rediculous customer service...

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Quarry Bay
    Posts
    34

    PCCW rediculous customer service...

    I had broadband + Now TV package installed, long story short, the HBO on demand did not work and I was using a remote that did not have a on-demand button, when calling customer support and the guy on the other end of the line insisted that there was a on-demand button, he then asked a colleague of his and I heard him say "This customer must be blind" in Chinese, "he claims he cannot find the on-demand button.." Little did he know, I was using their newest Now TV decoder which had a remote button used to access HBO-ondemand was called "now-select", not "on demand".. after figuring that out when the technician came to my house the next day which did not matter anyways because my on-demand was not working to begin with.

    The technical support came to replaced the modem, did alot of calling to someone on the server end I guess. They could not get the HBO-ondemand to work after 3 hours, he then told me to call the customer support hotline since there is nothing more they can do, modem + decoder + link 100% sure it works fine, problem is not a technical problem, more of a profile/account problem. At least he had manners and tried his best and was very informative when I asked questions about my service, I tipped him $20 and sent him on his way.

    That evening, I called the hotline, the customer support on the other side explained to me that I was using a new special modem and that I would need to wait 1 week before HBO-ondemand works because it was a new plan.. I flipped out and told him off that you are charging me for this plan, why do I have to wait a week for it to work? and the whole special modem? what bull crap, I didn't ask for a special modem, come over, give me a old modem or whatever and give me what I paid for.... he told me not to get mad and asked someone else to come talk to me (I guess a manager), the manager ended up telling me that because of the building I live in and the max throughput the line can support is 3mb (old building, old line, MDF is like 5 blocks away), it cannot support HBO-ondemand, he suggested that I un-suscribe to the channel and that I would not be charged for it at all for this month.

    Today I check my account status online and found out that other then my original plan which cost roughly a total of $506 for both TV + Broadband, I saw about a bit above $200 of VAS (Value added services), mail guard, special mail box, photo storage online, cam online, some online phone service.. I did not apply for any of this and the sales agent never told me anything about it. When calling customer service support, they refuse to turn it off and said that I must ride it out through the trail period and must cancel at the end if I do not want it.

    The key here is I want to alert all expats when applying for service from PCCW, make sure you know what you are getting, check after you have got it to see what they have thrown in as FREE TRAIL PERIOD without telling you. If you don't check, after trail period, they will automatically charge you for the service and if you complain then, they can cancel it but will still get you for 1 month or more.

    $10-20 is nothing to me, it's the principle.. companies should not be doing business in the way.

    Please take it easy on all the NOW/PCCW sales staff, technicians, even the guy that comes install your broadband or phone line. I know for a fact most of them don't work directly for PCCW, they carry a PCCW ID but they actually work for a sub-contractor, PCCW has contracted out 90% of their operations years ago and service has gone down hill since. The technicians make peanuts, they get paid per job basis, no monthly salary, no bonus, no medical, no vacation, it's like working freelance but 6-7 days a week and 10-12 hour days. Sales staff works on commission also but I think most of them get a little bit of incentive pay but it's probably only enough to cover transportation. Please Be Nice to Them

    Out.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205
    Quote Originally Posted by justsomebody:
    FREE TRAIL
    Aren't all the trails in Hong Kong free?

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    12,383

    Send an email to the consumer council and sort it out.

    By the way, do you have a copy of your contract? That should show exactly what services you agreed to.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    647

    I got screwed over by PCCW when I signed up for broadband earlier this year as well. Apparently, if you're a new customer, they will no longer send you a paper bill, and instead, send an email to your PCCW email account with your charges. However, if you're like me and already have an email account, and don't use your netvigator email, you'll never receive your bill! It wasn't until a couple of months later when they finally sent me a paper statement saying that I was two months overdue on payment and owed them an extra $400 for late fees.

    Nowhere on the contract or during the sell process do they mention that you won't be receiving a paper bill, or that it'll be showing up in your netvigator email. Not to mention that the CS Managers in PCCW are some of the worst people to have to deal with.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    12,383

    Krad - there is a setting to forward all your [email protected] email address .. or a way to redirect your billing emails to a standard email address.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    647
    Quote Originally Posted by KnowItAll:
    Krad - there is a setting to forward all your [email protected] email address .. or a way to redirect your billing emails to a standard email address.
    Yeah, I know that now. Finally managed to work it out with them, but it's still a pain in the beginning, especially if you're unaware that it's going to work that way.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    on the road again
    Posts
    927

    Also they promise you a phone with your phone service, a stereo with your tv service etc etc... and one year later, you've still not received the stereo/phone...
    I'm glad my one-year mobile phone contract with them is up because I can change providers!


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205
    Quote Originally Posted by ontheroad:
    Also they promise you a phone with your phone service, a stereo with your tv service etc etc... and one year later, you've still not received the stereo/phone...
    Curiously, I have always had no problem collecting the camcorder, phone, and various other bits & pieces that they have offered as incentives over the years. You do have to read your (snail) mail and follow the instructions on the redemption letters though.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    on the road again
    Posts
    927
    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    Curiously, I have always had no problem collecting the camcorder, phone, and various other bits & pieces that they have offered as incentives over the years. You do have to read your (snail) mail and follow the instructions on the redemption letters though.
    Oups! Thanks for the tip!

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Quarry Bay
    Posts
    34

    PDLM: free trial are free for only a limited time, usually 1-3 months, then afterwards if you donot cancel it, they will automatically charge you. Most people autopay by credit card and donot care as long as thier broadband bill is within range of what they thought they ordered, so they just get away with it, if you complain, they still make you pay for one month (remainder of the month).

    KIA: just checked my contract, no where does it says VAS etc etc time trial added, will make you pay automatically once trail period is over.

    Guys/gals, be careful what you order from this company, make sure you check online to see what your plan is in detail, if you look under commitment plan, on the bottom will show any extras.


Closed Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast