So, despite the unpleasant recent experiences my organization has had with Primus Canada — essentially they disconnected a critical data line and took over a month to even respond to our panicked cries for help, let alone reconnect — I decided to check out their TalkBroadband VoIP (Voice over IP) service, dutifully filled out the online registration form and sent it off, hoping that I’d soon be able to toss my Bell service into the trash (where it belongs).
Well, easier said than done.
Twelve days after submitting the application, I called up to see why I’d received nothing. No box of goodies, no email message, no phone call.
Turns out that somehow a character got dropped from my credit card number — odd, considering I’m looking at a screenshot right now of the submission and it’s not missing that character — so the semi-helpful Credit Department person with whom I spoke said I’d get a call the next day about the approval. (Of course, one wonders why a simple phone call, which would have cleared everything up, couldn’t be made during the previous 12 days. One now knows why.) Well after the close of (normal) business the next day, having received no call, I once again called and spoke with yet another Credit Department person who told me that I’d definitely be called the day after that with the approval.
Not receiving a call by noon, I called, yet again, and spoke with someone in the Credit Department. I was told that, despite the fact that I’ve paid for many hundreds of dollars in goods with my credit card, my credit history — which is, by the way, pristine — is not extensive enough to sign me up for their $30/month service and that I needed to pay a $250 deposit. Bullshit. I asked to speak with Customer Service.
At least the first CS person with whom I spoke made an attempt to be helpful, stating that perhaps her supervisor could act as my advocate and call the Credit Department to plead my case. Terrific. He was far from helpful. Belligerent, even. (Thanks ever so much, Gene.) Told me, completely contrary to what his underling had said (and with not even the slightest degree of concern, interest or sincerity in his voice), that he could do nothing for me and that I needed to speak with the Credit Department.
So… I made my telephonic way back to the Credit Department (for those keeping count, this is Primus Robot #6) and spoke with one of the most singularly unhelpful, discourteous and uninterested corporate drones in recent memory. (You’re the best, Tracy!) Nope, they would not budge. Would not even consider automatic withdrawl from my chequing account without the $250 deposit. For a $30/month service.
Memo to Gene and Tracy at Primus: there’s no need for you to demand a deposit because you have my Visa credit card number, you morons!!!
Now, at this point it might be helpful to note that my whole reason for going to Primus was that I was sick and tired of the runaround from Bell concerning every issue I’ve ever had with my phone line. Not to mention the gouging. Similarly, since Rogers Internet service bites the big one, I was prepared, if Primus TalkBroadband was a success, to switch my ISP to Primus, too.
Now? That’s as likely as me eating my testicles, one after the other.
I cannot stress enough that my experience with Primus was as unpleasant and ridiculous as any I’ve ever had. And I strongly urge anyone who may be reading this to avoid Primus Canada like the plague.
Other pissed-off Primus customers:
- “Primus TalkBroadband Sucks”
- “…Don’t try and escalate to their supervisor group since they just laugh at you and some will even hang up if you try and ask for their manager… …Looong waits for customer service, and when finally they picked up, they were rude and not helpful… …primus has good features but garbage customer service… …Their customer service group are complete idiots. No follow-up whatsoever. They promised a return phone call 5 times and it never happened…”
- “…You might want to work on your customer service skills…”
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