Eir customers are up in arms over the poor customer service that leaves them hanging on the line for hours trying to get their TV and broadband complaints sorted out.

Despite an assurance from the telecommunications company that it has a dedicated customer service improvement programme underway, the manner in which customers are treated appears to have deteriorated in recent months.

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Sarah is one of those who had an awful experience when she signed up for phone TV and broadband.

She went with Eir because –on the face of it –they appeared to be much cheaper then Sky at the time.

She told EVOKE.ie: ‘I went ahead with the order despite warnings from friends who had an awful experience and I lived to regret it. They kept making appointments and not turning up. When they did eventually show up they put in the broadband and phone but no TV.’

‘I was passed from one department to another so I was hours on the phone trying to sort it out. At one stage I lost almost an entire day I was tearing my hair out.’

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‘I eventually cancelled the service and moved to Sky but kept getting bills from Eircom. They even had the cheek to charge me for the TV even though I never had a TV service.’

Sarah made a complaint to ComReg and was delighted to receive an apology from Eir. Her delight was short lived however as she continued to receive bills along with threats of debt collectors.

After many more frustrating and fruitless calls the threats stopped and Eir tried to woo her back with an offer of a new contract and a €100 sweetener.

She politely declined.

Sarah’s complaint is far from unique. Customers who have had a similar experience can cancel the contract if they are within the 14 day cooling off period without incurring any charges.

Customers outside the 14 day period should lodge complaints with ComReg who will act as an intermediary between the customer and Eir.

If you have a consumer problem or query contact consumerlaw@evoke.ie

This column provides general guidance on consumer legislation and is not intended to replace individual professional advice on consumer disputes.