Readers must be sick and tired of hearing problem service stories!
However, these two stories are close to our hearts and they personify the total lack of interest which exists in some parts of two major organisations, Barclays and Ryanair.
Barclays: Our reader has spent over 2 hours trying to resuscitate his online banking with Barclays business. After being on the phone to three different Barclays staff members with no joy, he was referred to his local branch with the promise that the problem would be resolved. Unfortunately, the branch did not know how to handle the problem. Worst still they were not prepared to make a call to the online troubleshooters. Barclays local branch suggested that the reader should get back on the phone and sort out the problem himself. Pathetic!
Ryanair: Having receiving a confirmation email and reservation reference number through the Ryanair online website, this reader was confident that all was well. Big mistake! An email subsequently arrived from Ryanair stating that the reader would have to rebook. No apologies or explanation was provided and there was an extra cost of EUR300. Pathetic!
Have you had similar problems, let’s hear them. Use the comments box.
Apple and Three
Bought an iPad from an Apple store with a Three mobile connection – a package that Apple sell. Need a password to use the Three on-line billing system. Password is sent as text to the SIM card in the iPad, except the iPad doesn’t receive texts. Phone Three. Their advice : “Take it to an Three shop and they will read your SIM text for you.” Travel 10 miles to nearest Three shop. No text on SIM. Phone Three. Their advice: “Borrow a Three phone and get your text.” I said:
“Why not email me the password?”
“Not allowed to do that.”
“Why not post me password?”
“Not allowed to do that.”
“You do know that an iPad does not receive texts as a normal part of what it does?”
“Yes, we’re working on that.”
“So, while you are workign on that, can you get a password to me other than by text?”
“No. Don’t you know anyone with a Three phone?”
Other issue is with Apple in Kingston upon Thames who sold us the iPad and Three connection. Receipt for hardware given, but no receipt for Three connection. We asked for an official receipt. They wouldn’t give us one. When the first direct debit from Three was taken it was for too much. (Remember, we cannnot get into the Three on-line account.) We telephone Apple to ask for a receipt to prove what our Three deal is. They say we have to go back to the Apple store, and that it cannot be sorted out over the phone. Another trip to Kingston ensues. Apple man telephones Three in the backroom and comes back to tell us that we wil be paying the right amount in future. We ask for a receipt to show what the deal with Three is. “Why don’t you beleive me?” was his reply. We hand-write out our own reciept and aks him to sign it to say that the deal he had just told us he had secured for us, the one that we were originally sold, was genuine. “I’m not allowed to sign anything.”
We have no receipt from Apple for the Three deal they sold us and no password from Three to opeate that account.
I booked a return flight from Leeds to Dublin with Ryanair in May.
I had made the mistake of booking my return in June instead of May.
I followed the Ryanair instructions to change the RETURN flight date and then printed the correctly dated checkin sheets.
When I received my CC bill Ryanair had charged me for TWO full out and back flights on exactly the same reference no. Evidently I must have occupied TWO seats both ways. I may be a bit on the large size or maybe I went out twice simultaneously I certainly don’t remember anything different.
I have faxed Ryanair and sent a recorded delivery letter, but not even an acknowledgement of receipt from Ryanair.
I will ask my CC company to get the charge back going if I don’t hear in another week.
John Hyde
John,
Thanks for this. Please let us know the final outcome
Will Corry