st7860
join:2004-05-13
San Francisco, CA | reply to Anomalous
Re: Primus Canada cracking down on usage?
if Primus charges your credit card huge bill for the bogus overtime charges, simply call your credit card company and have them do a Charge Back for an unauthorized card not present charge. |
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Drood
join:2005-12-12
| reply to Anomalous
Within two days of suspending out account out of the blue, we'd switched to Shaw. My wife had been putting off dealing with Primus until today.
Supposedly our account is already cancelled because we owe money. Of course now they want the money, and are threatening us with collections.
There is no point dealing with them over the phone. We've tried. When they first started this nonsense back in February, as the post at the top of this page from me says (assuming this doesn't start a new page:)) they said someone would contact us in 24-48 hours. Nobody ever did. Any attempt to get through to anyone past the morons on the frontline fails, so I'm left with email and letters. I'm going to take over from my wife, since I tend to be a lot more forceful, but of course they won't talk to me as the account is in my wifes name.
Already found out that if they screw my bank account and try to withdraw the money, we can immediately, for $5, reverse the charge, which we will. That will block any further attempt to steal money.
Seriously considering going to recol.ca and reporting them, since their behaviour amounts to little more than extortion IMO. |
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cgasucks
@telus.net
| reply to HiVolt
$665
That is insane  .....
As a former Primus subscriber...I'm glad I got out and switched to Netscape before the $3/GB restriction came into effect....in fact, I got a $15 credit with them in the end!! 
I was fortunate to receive a registered letter about the crappy news about the new restrictions and unfortunately, new subscribers weren't aware of it and paid the price...
This new restriction should be clearly marked on their terms of use and be mentioned by any Primus representates trying to sell you into joining...
God help the uninformed...they need it.. |
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HiVolt
30
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to RipT0rn
Wow, $665. Thats insane. Arent there laws in this country against extortion?
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·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´ |
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RipT0rn
@tigercore.net
| reply to Anomalous
Just to add my 2 cents to this saga, I signed up for Primus' DSL back in November 2005 under the condition of "Unlimited Downloads", which is exactly what I used it for.
Fast forward to February 21st. None of my username/passwords work any longer, so I call tech support to find out why - my account had been suspended and I owed $665 for Jan/Feb usage.
I proceeded to tell them that I do not accept those charges, and subsequently would not pay them. Luckily, Primus DSL was installed on a second line which was cancelled within 5 minutes of hanging up with Primus, so if they drag their feet actually disconnecting the service, with the expectation of charging me for "services rendered," I can prove the service was gone on Feb 21.
I received all my monthly e-bills, but no notification of modifications to the terms of service. I've received all of 2 "Addressed Admail" letters from them, which went straight into the trash.
My @primus.ca e-mail address didn't actually get created until December 16th, so if they are claiming I received the e-mail in November, I did not.
If they claim I accepted the terms of service when I first connected (and was taken to Uniserve's page), I did not - I was on the phone with their tech support at the time of connection, Uniserve's page wouldn't accept my phone number, so their tech support did whatever they do and I was connected - never saw a Uniserve page again. If the TOS was in there, I didn't accept it.
If they claim I would have accepted their terms of service when I received the modem package - I did not - I used an old Telus DSL modem and refused delivery of their DSL modem/package - so if it was in there, I didn't see it.
If they claim that just by connecting the service (as it states at the top of their AUP) then I'm going to go buy a new car and secretly create my own AUP that starts with "by selling me this vehicle, you (Chrysler) agree to pay my fuel charges for the first 10 years" and never tell Chrysler about it - let's see how hard Chrysler can laugh me out of their offices 10 years from now when I go to find out why they were'nt paying my fuel costs.
Fast Forward again to today - I got a phone call (first ever) today at 7:20AM from their collections people asking if I had made a payment towards the balance owing - I said How much? They said $665. I said, "that won't be paid", and that was the end of the call.
I'll be blogging the remainder of my dealings at »primus.tigercore.net if anyone is interested (since it's easier than posting the same thing in multiple places). |
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GusX
join:2002-06-20
Canada
| reply to Anomalous
Maybe I missed it ... but where in the AUP and Terms of Use does it say you are limited to 50GB and an additional charge of $2.95 per GB ?
»www.primus.ca/en/legal/termsofuse.htm
»www.primus.ca/en/legal/aup.htm
On their benefits and features page it just states that its unlimited access with no note about the bandwidth limitation:
»www.primus.ca/en/residential/hig···west.htm
For those who were charged automatically ... simple, just do a chargeback with your credit card company. |
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neverprimus
@telus.net
| reply to Anomalous
I called the collection department today.I said I 've never received any letter regarding the new change.Two days after the cancellation I received the modem return envelop but ( Feb ,20)not the final statement.I request $274.83 credit back to my credit card.Sered ( who I talk to from collection department)told me that they can't credit it back to me.She ask me to phone the service department to re-send my statement.
I called service department the guy( Nelson)who said the final statement hasn't been sent out yet.I said if you don't credit back my money I will call the credit card company to dispute it and complain to the better business bureau.Then he said go ahead. it's your choice. WTF |
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whipped
@shawcable.net
| reply to Anomalous
After a bit of back and forth via email, Primus has said they would drop my charge of $150. I insisted that they resend all of these notifications (of course, none exist). Instead, they sent a copy of the original notice. I asked them to re-send the one they sent to me. It would appear, laziness rules and they just took it upon my word that I wasn't notified. Or maybe the word is out over there that they screwed up.
However, they will refund 1/2 on my credit card and the other 1/2 will be sent as a check. Kind of strange. I won't complain for the moment. We'll see how this reconciliation goes. |
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ponytail
join:2006-03-17
Nanaimo, BC
| reply to neverprimus
I have been screwed the same way $307.18 The phone call from collections extorting money saying i was notified in november.I cancelled on the spot...After sending a nasty letter to Mr Andrew Day Vice Presedent I received a call from Dennis Lapoint(Employee Extension #5047) in the execitive office stating notification was not necessary as I abused his system and he admmitted none was sent in November or anytime quote:
[only people that exceed the secert bandwith are notified]he was a real jerk I would like to see him in person lol.. |
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neverprimus
@bctel.ca | reply to MrMichael
She (Primus sale representative )told me I got suspended because I am owing them $274.83 for excessive use.
Primus already charged my Credit card for 274.83 |
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MrMichael
@primus.ca
| reply to Anomalous
said by neverprimus :
She told me I got suspended because I am owing them $274.83 for excessive use.
said by neverprimus :
They automatic charged my credit card for 274.83.
Huh? |
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neverprimus
@telus.net
|  reply to Anomalous
I had been with Primus Canada ADSL for 10 months because there was no limit on downloading or no limit for file transferring until few weeks ago,Primus left me an message in my voice mail,asked me to call them @ 1-800-433-3325.And I called next morning.She told me I got suspended because I am owing them $274.83 for excessive use.And I told them I've never got any e-mail and mail from them regarding the new rule.Otherwise I would watch my usage(50 GB limit a month 2.95 for 1 GB if over)Then she said they sent me an e-mail in November 2005 and also mailed it to me.she asked me to take a look at the Acceptable Use Policy at: www.primus.ca/en/legal/aup.htm and the Terms and Conditions at: www.primus.ca/en/legal/termsofuse.htm , both of which govern your service. They automatic charged my credit card for 274.83.
I have some questions:
1.they sent 10 emails to my hotmail every month with attached monthly statement in PDF.and never mention the new policy in Jan.
2. I checked the message center(attached monthly statement) nothing about the new change.
3.why didn't charge me in Jan. bill for excess usage.
4.I haven't got the final statement yet after Three week from the cancellation.
Please give me some advice ! Thanks ! |
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wwwater1
join:2005-12-19 | reply to jman1
Agree with Jman1, you need to phone them up, and sound very frustrated and assertive, and get someone who has the authority to make these decisions. |
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jman1
@primus.ca | reply to PRIMUS SUCKS BIG
with these matters, letters almost always never work. its too passive. you gotta phone em up, get a supervisor, and give him/her a piece of your mind. |
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PRIMUS SUCKS BIG
@telus.net
| reply to MrMichael
Oh they will need my approval in order to charge my visa account, which i will definitely not allow. well, if i don't sue them, then i implicitly accepted my wrongful act and collection agency will come get me. This is how i interprete the situation.
Wow.. looks like primus is trying to squeeze every dime out of its customers. How did you get them to drop the charges? In my letter, i pretty much told them they have breached the contract and let the charges accumulate for months, so i should not be held liable. I guess reasoning with them doesn't work anymore.
It's about a month since i returned their modem. they better not call me up for the modem O_O After this experience, i won't trust any small company like primus. It will go bankrupt very soon with this kind of business ethics. |
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wwwater1
join:2005-12-19
| reply to PRIMUS SUCKS BIG
I feel your pain. Everytime i got on the phone with them I got SO MAD!
I called last time and insisted that they should have followed the rules as the letter - only charge after my approval. I told them I did not approve for those charges and I will not be responsible to pay them because I wasn't notified and approved them in the first place. The manager did at the end dropped those charges on me. (Refer to my other posting, called "I"m so pissed with Primus" on this board)
That wasn't the end of the story yet!! A few weeks later they send me a bag for returning modems!!! Heck I already returned my modem like a month ago. I knew something was wrong. I phoned them up again and make sure if everything on my account was correct.
Shocked as i was, they claimed that they never received my modem, and the charges were still there!!!! I swear I was so pissed that I even begun shivering. Luckily I got my modem return letter stamped by the post office, and wrote down the tracking number on the return package when I returned it. So I wasn't so worried.
I clearly told the CS person that according to the tracking#, they HAVE received 10:29am in their ontario warehouse, and according to the conversation w/ their CS, referenced at #xxxxx (with CS name and date), the CS agreed to drop my charges.
They just tell me they'll go CHECK. 2 days later calls me back and says my account is now cleared and closed. You don't know how happy i was to have that account closed and buried. |
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MrMichael
@primus.ca | reply to Anomalous
First, if you actually paid their phony bill for $350, then the joke's on you. Second, why would you take them to court? If they feel they have a legitimate claim against you, then let them file suit. |
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PRIMUS SUCKS BIG
@telus.net
| reply to Anomalous
OMG primus scammed us all big time.. They charged me an odd sum of $350 for overusage in Mid Feb. The person in the phone asked me to either accept or refuse the charge. then they tell me how the new policy has came into effect in Nov of 2005 and they claim to have mailed out notices, which no one here seems to have received. i clearly explained my situation to them in email. All they replied me was they will not drop the charges because of the same "reason" - non-conventional use of internet. I bet they did not even take the time to read my email.
I also checked their financial statments over the years and it's not looking good. I'm thinking they have cashflow problems and that's why they need the cash now by arranging this scam. If they won't drop my charge, i am definitely going to take legal action, by means of small claim court i suppose. Can anyone else give me a suggestion? I'm furious with Primus now. |
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chaxion
@shawcable.net | reply to CookieKid
Well, I hit around 40 gig then they called me about the 50 gb limit per month. Not sure are they going to bill me for extra usage or not during the past 2 months. I did go over around 15-20 gig. |
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CookieKid
join:2002-04-14
Vancouver, BC | reply to whipped
I've received the call at 38.99GB. I guess they've straightened out their act. |
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