A compendium of horrors [14 April 1998]
I phoned Customer Services to have a protracted moan
about a wide range of things including removal of Videoway,
loss of joint services discount, loss of second line discount,
the fact that the 'watch what you want when you want' claim probably breaks the Trade Description Act and lots, lots more. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, even if what transpired did raise my blood pressure several notches.
Some interesting things arose from my discussion:
- Apparently I am one of 'those early Videotron subscribers who have been receiving the Videoway service free of charge' and so this is why I am not being compensated for its removal. Apparently people who joined later than me have been charged for Videoway. This is news to me as I believe Videoway to be part of the overall package that I pay for each month. I asked them to put this in writing to me.
- On asking why Videoway was withdrawn when no suitable replacement was in place I was told Videoway 'has had to be withdrawn because our new computer system can't cope with it'. Laughable. I was told that a replacement service won't be available until 'the end of the year'. So I asked why pull Videoway now if not simply to try to drive yet more ex-Videotronners off their existing contracts. This allegation was sidestepped very awkwardly.
- I was told the joint services discount was 'a special offer, admittedly a long-term special offer, made by Videotron' and as such CWC feel they are now fully within their rights to withdraw it. I was never made aware at any time by Videotron that this was just a special offer. The Customer Services person wriggled uncomfortably when questioned about this. Again I asked them to put all this in writing to me.
- I complained about the sudden withdrawal of all these features of my Videotron contract. I was told that because of a clause in my contract (the one that can be attacked by invoking the EU Unfair Terms Directive) CWC could remove any feature of my service with one month's notice. Naturally I argued the dishonesty of this point at great length. I also asked whether technically speaking this meant that my unmetered local calls could be removed with one month's notice and was told quite bluntly 'yes'. Of course I was then given the usual patter of 'no plans' and so on. I read out sections from the EU Unfair Terms Directive: I got a very perplexed voice on the other end of the telephone who just didn't know what to say and kept repeating like a Dalek 'we reserve the right', 'we reserve the right' :)
- I was encouraged, of course, to move to a CWC tariff. Of course I declined in no uncertain terms and said that I was so disgusted with the way CWC were acting I wished to downgrade my TV package from the most expensive one to a cheaper Videotron package. I have asked them to put it in writing that I will not lose my unmetered local calls if I chose to move to a different package on the ex-Videotron tariff.
- I also tackled them on 'movies on demand'. I said that having
to choose from a small number of movies shown at a restricted number of times hardly constituted a 'watch what you want when you want' service. I pointed out this probably sailed very close to the wind with respect to the Trade Descriptions Act. The response was 'our new digital TV service to be introduced later in the year will offer more choice'. 'But' said I, 'it isn't available now, is it?'. 'Um, no' was the muted response.
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