The Long Distance Plan by Primus that can't let go

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We actually switched to a Primus long distance plan a long time ago, originally we were on the plan that was capped at a maximum charge of $20.00 (well plus the usual fees permitted by the CRTC). When I called them for service at one point, the service rep apparently switched me to this new flat fee plan, insisting that the old one was not available any more (so much for supporting legacy plans in order to keep customers).

Everything worked fine for a long time, and it's nice to have a fixed cost so you know in advance how much you are going to be paying for your phone bill.

The problems only started when I decided to leave this phone plan. Apparently Primus had introduced a 30 day notice policy for cancellations some time during the term of my contract and missed informing me of the change of terms. So when I switched long distance providers (and home phone providers, too), I thought placing my order with the new provider would be sufficient until I received another invoice from Primus

No problem, I just called Primus and asked them to credit the bill. The service agent then told me that the bill would not be automatically charged to my credit card and everything should be fine. Of course when I checked my credit card statement, I still saw a charge there from Primus. So I call again and ask them for a refund. They say I should be initiating a back charge via my credit card company instead and that would be a much quicker way to deal with it. So I check with my credit card company then they confirm my suspicion that a back charge also takes a bit of time, and normally they prefer the merchant just to issue a credit.

So I figured, let's do Primus a favour and call them again so they can issue a credit without it costing them any additional funds. Well, no such luck. This time they actually tell me, that I should not be getting a refund, since I did not give 30 day notice, as per the contract. And they stick with that opinion until I finally involve the Better Business Bureau and the matter gets escalated to their "Executive Response Team". This team in the end canceled the charges to my account and agreed to a back charge from my credit card company - but what a hassle to go through for $25.

So I guess the lesson here is to make sure to be aware of changed terms and conditions for your contracts and give enough advance notice. And for someone not planning on canceling their contract, Primus might still be a good choice for long distance service ;-)

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  1. Good for you! Don't let anyone push you around and make you feel bad for $25...money is money. They were probably hoping you would just get tired of waiting and forget about it .

    Tink on February 17, 2008 19:56

  2. Good tip. I have never been good at. I won't switch to Primus but I will start practicing my assertiveness. :-)

    cincin on February 19, 2008 09:44

  3. Great article. I have run across problems like this before.

    There4u on February 19, 2008 13:32

  4. Even if they change the terms, aren't they supposed to give notice? Either via paper mail or on your internet statement, they should give you ample notice and some companies even give you a notice that you will be receiving a change of terms notice! Too bad it took so long to get your money back, but I'm happy for you that you didn't give up! :)

    April on April 03, 2008 14:10

  5. Oh my gosh... this is one of those service nightmares that just make me want to tear my hair out and throw things. Thanks for the heads up!

    Sharkbytes on April 11, 2008 17:31

  6. I have never heard of Primus before. Thanks for the information on it.

    Liv2bhappy on April 20, 2008 20:34

  7. nice to read such a thorough account of a situation in here! good role model :)

    milletappe on May 29, 2008 18:50

  8. Someone I know went through this situation as well - and I thought only Ma Bell made policies on the fly :) Thanks for the information

    Lexxia on October 19, 2008 19:12

  9. Thanks for sharing your views on the site regarding your experiences with Primus. You have an interesting way to express things.

    triptibaby on July 02, 2009 20:13

  10. Primus might still be a good choice for long distance service

    maserati on July 19, 2009 00:16

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Overall Rating:

4.0
Package:
Truly Unlimited Canada Provider:
Primus Purchased at: Primus Price: $25.00 CDN Category: Shopping / Long Distance Phone Plans Published: February 06, 2008 12:01
My Experience Level:
3.7
Feature Ratings: Geographic Coverage
3.9
Billing Increments
3.5
Customer Service
1.7
Billing Options
5.0
Rates
4.5
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