Review by Ray_70 
UPDATED: 80 days ago
member for 80 days, 0 visits, last login: 80 days ago
 Bowmanville,ON
 $35 per month
 Bell Canada
 "Cheap Rates"
 "Took so long to install that I just went elsewhere"
 "Seriously lacking customer support and inept technical support."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
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I know I ramble a lot here, so in short for those that want a simple answer, Primus can be OK if you have a business account with them, but home users should steer clear of Primus.
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I've tried to be fair with the review. Generally I think you get what you pay for with Internet service, and cheap service comes with a reduced level of customer service. I joined this forum mostly to post this review since after having these issues I've talked to a couple other people that have had similar (bad) experiences with Primus Home Internet.
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I’ve used Primus for business internet (DSL and other) before without nearly so much issue. I cancelled a business DSL package from my home when I moved, and put my home based business in a real office, and took just home internet service for my new home. My previous DSL for the business was fine. The install went smoothly enough, and once installed you never have to talk to the ISP, so there are no issues. It’s in, it works, and you just use it.
The move of the business DSL went without too much issue. Bell technicians came to the new site when scheduled, and installed the DSL without major issues. So far so good. A project manager was even assigned to make sure the entire process was handled without major issues. I should have seen the start of warning bells though when the project manager had to chase everything to happen when they tried to install to an address 20km away from my office, even though they had the correct address on their system. Once fixed though, DSL is in and working fine.
The home installation had similar issues, but without the project manager at primus to fix them. My installation was scheduled to happen for the end of the month after having done most of the painting and such at the new house. The week ended though, and no internet. I called customer support, they verified everything, and then gave me a date of the next Friday. I waited patiently, and the next Friday, still no internet. I called again, and was given a date of the NEXT Friday. That week I get a call on my home phone from a personal number (not primus, but a personal name and number in BC) stating that they don’t have my phone number. (Hey, wait! You realize you are CALLING me on the phone number you claim not to have, don’t you?!?) Because I seem to have not given them my phone number as far as he’s concerned, it’s my fault so I’m given a date of the NEXT Friday. Every time I talk to Primus, I am asked to verify who I am based on my name, address and phone number though. Seems that they do have it, but it’s not their problem. The last Friday rolls around that I’m willing to wait on, and nothing happens. I call customer service AGAIN, and this time it seems they want to give me an install date of NEXT FRIDAY. I tell them to cancel the order. I have over a dozen Primus accounts with various IT businesses, and have never had issues like this. A slow installation is ordinary for Primus, but not MONTHS long.
My soultiuon? I call Bell Canada and Rogers Cable to see how long installation will take. Bell Canada quotes business days for the EXACT SAME service Primus is reselling me, but been unable to install in the past weeks. Rogers Cable will put Internet on my cable bill account, and I can pick up the modem in the local Rogers Store, connect it, and be online. I need Internet to be able to work from home over the long weekend (at 7:00pm on the Friday night) and they promptly set up my account. I go to the cable store, pick a modem up, connect it, and am online within the hour from giving up on Primus.
In short, Primus is great for cheap DSL with no maximum download limits. The issue is you may not get internet for some time after it’s promised to be installed. After this experience I would never recommend Primus to ANY home user, and would only suggest Business Internet to people as long as they make 100% sure they have a project manager assigned to their account, and have a number they can always reach them at.
Followup comments:  
Monika
@rogers.com
| Primus - bad company all around I wouldn't recommend Primus to anybody, for buisness or personal use. I used their Broadband service for 2 years and it worked fine when the service actually worked. As in everyday, the service would disconnect for up to an hour. I cancelled the service back in January, and now I have a collection agency calling me telling me I have an outstanding balance owed. I have never been contacted by Primus by phone, mail or email to inform of this. After talking to 20 different customer service reps, which some of them would gain from actually learning what the words "customer service" means, I have been told there is nothing they can do. On their files, they have tried to contact me and apparently the phone line I use day in day out, is not in service. (how convenient!). My two cents is that this is an bad company all around for products, service and customer service. STAY AWAY from this company! | |
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svv
@bell.ca
| same problem I signed up for a home Primus bundle when I moved last November, and I had similar problems to the reviewer. My service was not up and running when they promised it, and I had to call them every day (and wait on hold for 0.5-1h every time). They put me through the same line testing ordeal week after week. I kept suggesting that they send someone out to physically check the line, but they refused and kept running the same tests. Finally after about a month they sent someone out and he was able to fix the problem. I was up and running within a few hours.
To top it off, in the end they refused to reimburse me for the internet fees that I had paid for my month without service. I will be canceling as soon as my contract is finished. | |
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wickety
@videotron.ca
| Stay Away From Primus! Primus has the worst service I've ever encountered. I cancelled my account after 3 weeks of waiting to be hooked up.
Aug.27: Signed up for basic home service, told I would receive a phone number the next week
Sept. 8 : No news, called customer service, was told they would call me back w/ number the next day.
Sept. 10 : Still no news, called customer service, was told my case was escalated to 'critical', they would call me the next day.
Sept. 14: Still no news, was told that they could escalate my case to 'critical'. Asked to speak with manager (wait 20 minutes...). "Sorry, no managers are available" Cancelled account | |
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