Screwed by PCCW

[c1000]

I just realized that I've been billed $551 a month by PCCW for the past several months, even though I switched to a tv/internet package that was supposed to cost $246 a month. Turns out I have been paying for all kinds of value added services that I never use - i don't even know what most of them are (MEDIA.now.com.hk? MOOV.now.com.hk?).

When I switched to PCCW, the agent on the street said that I had a free trial of various services. I did not want or need any of them, but he said that he would arrange to have them cancelled after the trial. Apparently he never did that and the company says that I'm liable for the charges unless I request the cancellation myself.

I've learned that these agents for companies like PCCW are habitual liars and the company must be well aware of these unscrupulous practices. What person in their right mind elects to pay $48 a month for MOOV.now.com.hk, whatever the hell that is?

[jaykay]

This is where reading the contract comes into play. It's not the agents, it's actually a standard PCCW contract. You either opt out right from the beginning or you have to go through canceling services as the free period expires. At my last renewal, which I went to a PCCW shop for as I wanted to make changes to the current package, I had to get them to deselect so many add ons.

You will need to watch the monthly bills as they will sometimes add a new package for free for 90 days and it's down to you to cancel it if you do not want to continue.

[Football16]

Thanks for the warning. I will need to watch and re-check the contract I just signed with them. In Canada, this negative billing stuff by the cable guys was ended as fast as they got it going! Public and politicians went freaking nuts.

I think a complaint to Consumer Affairs here would be a good idea.

I signed up for 2 year with PCCW just the other day and then with the landline they sprung a 3 month contract and I blew up until they backed down.

[UK/HKboy]

i had the same experience... now when they call me up to sell things i just ask them if it costs money and if it will cost money in the future and NO! NO! NO!

[Claire ex-ax]

I cancelled those stupid free-for-a-month services and even had the canx reference numbers. When I realised we were still being charged (printed out the entire bill by accident), I contacted PCCW which admitted to overbilling us. PCCW proposed "paying" us back the monthly overcharge one month at a time! Chekky b@stards!!!

Insisted the company return the money to us in a single cheque which it did.

So even if you cancel those services, still check the entire bill, not just the summary.

[LWS18]

Actually i had the a similar case before, but it was with i-cable...the agent said the cancellation must be done two months in advance, otherwise the contract will renew automatically for a year. i could either continue the contract or pay six-month fee. That's insane!!!

[pin]

welcome to Hong Kong, the freest economy in the world, but with not much consumer protection.....

[deleteduser]

This is really fucked up. We got a phone call from some fucker at PCCW, offering us this FREE TRIAL of media.nowtv.com. We told them we have NO INTEREST in such things, and they do not need to offer us a trial. They kept insisting, and my wife kept saying no. Eventually she hung up on them.

Sure enough, we received an SMS reminder (in Chinese, which neither of us can read) saying that if we don't cancel our free trial by tomorrow, our 12 month plan would begin.

Luckily I was able to cancel the subscription, I think it went through properly. It better have.

PCCW has great internet connection and speed, but it is serisouly the most dishonest, fucked up, disgusting company I have ever dealt with in my life. I hear many nightmare stories about Comcast in USA, and Rogers in Canada, but none of them hold a candle to the thieves at PCCW.

I had to physically escort one of their salesmen out of our apartment, after he was trying to convince my wife to sign a paper confirming that he "checked" our NowTV service, and that it was OK. Turns out he was trying to trick her into signing a new 18 month contract after ours had just expired.

And then there was the PCCW mobile salesman who signed her onto a new 12 month contract, which she didn't mind doing in exchange for the incentive they offered. They ended up signing her to a contract for both our phone numbers, without saying. What a nightmare it was, dealing with collection agents as we changed carriers for the other number, not knowing it was under a contract. They said that they had a recording showing that she agreed to the contract, but would not play it back for us.

What a sick, disgusting, fucked up company. They can all go to fucking hell.

[Drunken Master]

Always read the contracts. And make sure to check the bills even in restaurants. Some try to put extra items on the bill. We were having dinner and they put 4 bowls of rice extra on the bill.

[samtam]

well i can't see other telecom companies being much different.
Of coz PCCW agent is one of the worst out there.