I've been with the above service provider for about 10 years, back in the days when they charged only for collections and there was no monthly "service charge". We've had our ups and downs - the odd missed collection, missing or mis-read tag, usually resolved pretty easily.
I checked my Panda account online balance, which was negative, topped up my account adding the cost of my next collection with them to the transaction. I used my debit card (I have very few and only very select direct debits left) and, when I recorded the transaction in my DIY budgeting software it highlighted an overspend anomaly for "Utilities - Waste & Recycling Charges".
I did a quick reconciliation of the transactions I had recorded and the transactions Panda had on my online account with them, discovering that they had charged me twice for a waste bin collection in February. No biggie I thought, and used the feedback web-mail form on their web-site to highlight the issue and request a credit. I was careful to fill in all the information the form asked for in order to avoid the email tennis beloved of many Irish web-site owners.
Two days later I was rather miffed to get a return email asking me to forward my Account Number to assist in the timely handling my enquiry!!! I dashed off a slightly sarcastic response email asking if the pillock who designed and built the feedback form still had a job and providing my correspondent with the missing Account number. Day 4 now and still no response to my original email or the second one I sent.
Fascinated to learn how more of the Irish utility companies handled their customer service, I rang their land-line number, *not* the revenue-earning 1890 number displayed prominently on their web-site, but 01 829 8992. After listening to the usual ads and pressing the correct sequence of buttons I got through to customer service. I passed all the security checks they threw at me and I asked the question - why was I double-charged for a waste-collection in February? I was told the issue was that the bin had failed to empty and had been reloaded on the truck, thus scanning my tag twice, resulting in a double charge. I was astounded that they already knew for the last month I'd been double-charged and had done nothing to rectify their double-dip into my account because their truck/operative/bin failed to work properly.
I was immediately offered a credit against my account. Normally that would have been fine, mission accomplished, but my hackles were up now. I asked what would have happened about the double-dipping if I hadn't noticed it and the agent told me she didn't know. I can only surmise from her answer that nothing would have happened - they'd just have kept my money. I said I wanted the over-charge credited back to my card and supplied the details.
I checked the bank a while ago, no money. I rang Panda again to be told by one person that credits take 5 to 7 days to be processed. Another agent told me when I rang back with a generic enquiry that refunds took a minimum of 10 days. When I asked why the agent told me her extensive training was explicit on this point, and that no, I could not talk to accounts or a supervisor as they don't take calls. I was told my request to speak to someone in authority would be placed on "the managers' call-back request list". I'm not holding my breath
If you're a customer of Panda/Greenstar check what you've been charged, just in case you've been double dipped and over-charged as well, much to their surprise of course.
By contrast, I bought a gizmo from amazon.co.uk a few weeks ago. It was the wrong size gizmo (my fault) and I asked if I could send it back. Using their very fine on-line returns procedure, I explained why and they sent me a pre-addressed label for the outside of the package and a barcoded returns slip for inside. They acknowledged receipt and two days later a refund hit my account *including* the €0.51 currency charge.
I know they sell groceries I wonder will they ever sell utilities in Ireland to remove the pain of having to endure eir/esb/Panda/Virgin and all the rest of the money-grubbers who wouldn't recognise customer service if they tripped over it.
I checked my Panda account online balance, which was negative, topped up my account adding the cost of my next collection with them to the transaction. I used my debit card (I have very few and only very select direct debits left) and, when I recorded the transaction in my DIY budgeting software it highlighted an overspend anomaly for "Utilities - Waste & Recycling Charges".
I did a quick reconciliation of the transactions I had recorded and the transactions Panda had on my online account with them, discovering that they had charged me twice for a waste bin collection in February. No biggie I thought, and used the feedback web-mail form on their web-site to highlight the issue and request a credit. I was careful to fill in all the information the form asked for in order to avoid the email tennis beloved of many Irish web-site owners.
Two days later I was rather miffed to get a return email asking me to forward my Account Number to assist in the timely handling my enquiry!!! I dashed off a slightly sarcastic response email asking if the pillock who designed and built the feedback form still had a job and providing my correspondent with the missing Account number. Day 4 now and still no response to my original email or the second one I sent.
Fascinated to learn how more of the Irish utility companies handled their customer service, I rang their land-line number, *not* the revenue-earning 1890 number displayed prominently on their web-site, but 01 829 8992. After listening to the usual ads and pressing the correct sequence of buttons I got through to customer service. I passed all the security checks they threw at me and I asked the question - why was I double-charged for a waste-collection in February? I was told the issue was that the bin had failed to empty and had been reloaded on the truck, thus scanning my tag twice, resulting in a double charge. I was astounded that they already knew for the last month I'd been double-charged and had done nothing to rectify their double-dip into my account because their truck/operative/bin failed to work properly.
I was immediately offered a credit against my account. Normally that would have been fine, mission accomplished, but my hackles were up now. I asked what would have happened about the double-dipping if I hadn't noticed it and the agent told me she didn't know. I can only surmise from her answer that nothing would have happened - they'd just have kept my money. I said I wanted the over-charge credited back to my card and supplied the details.
I checked the bank a while ago, no money. I rang Panda again to be told by one person that credits take 5 to 7 days to be processed. Another agent told me when I rang back with a generic enquiry that refunds took a minimum of 10 days. When I asked why the agent told me her extensive training was explicit on this point, and that no, I could not talk to accounts or a supervisor as they don't take calls. I was told my request to speak to someone in authority would be placed on "the managers' call-back request list". I'm not holding my breath
If you're a customer of Panda/Greenstar check what you've been charged, just in case you've been double dipped and over-charged as well, much to their surprise of course.
By contrast, I bought a gizmo from amazon.co.uk a few weeks ago. It was the wrong size gizmo (my fault) and I asked if I could send it back. Using their very fine on-line returns procedure, I explained why and they sent me a pre-addressed label for the outside of the package and a barcoded returns slip for inside. They acknowledged receipt and two days later a refund hit my account *including* the €0.51 currency charge.
I know they sell groceries I wonder will they ever sell utilities in Ireland to remove the pain of having to endure eir/esb/Panda/Virgin and all the rest of the money-grubbers who wouldn't recognise customer service if they tripped over it.
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