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Eircom facing ComReg quiz in backlash over billing error


By Paul Withers


A backlash has erupted against Eircom after it was revealed that a billing error will see around 30,000 of its customers having to pay arrears of up to €500 (£414).


An error in the company’s billing system resulted in customers not having some or all of their monthly direct debit payments taken from their bank accounts for phone, broadband and television services since January. However, they still received their bills as normal, which stated incorrectly the direct debits had been paid. It means they will have to pay arrears of between €100 and €500 to clear their debts. An


Eircom spokesperson said around four per cent of


customers had been affected and that two-thirds of the those customers had been contacted. Their next bill will reflect the full amount owed, including arrears, which will be paid by direct debit. An Eircom statement read:


“We regret that, due to a system error, up to 30,000 Eircom customers did not have some or all of their monthly direct debit payments taken from their bank accounts for phone, broadband and TV service since January. “Affected customers received their bills as usual, which incorrectly stated that their bills had been paid by direct debit from their accounts. “Once this error came light, we


to immediately


established a customer contact plan, including phone calls


because of a billing error and has demanded a report from Eircom to explain itself. A


ComReg spokesman Arrears: About 30,000 customers hit by direct debit mix-up


and letters, to advise them of the issue. Each customer’s next bill will reflect the full amount due to be paid via direct debit. “They will receive our letter


in advance of their bill arriving, and we have set-up a dedicated line to answer queries.


If


customers have concerns or would like to discuss payment options, we ask that they


Vodafone recruits for investment


Vodafone Ireland has increased its workforce in the country by more than 10 per cent with the recruitment of 113 staff. The operator


currently has 1,100


permanent employees in Ireland. The firm said it recruited skill sets from entry to managerial level with appointments including positions in technology and networks, customer service, HR, finance, sales and marketing. More than half (57) of these new positions are permanent, with 51 contract roles. Most of the latter are for a one to two-year duration and commenced on April 1. The total number also includes


five graduate recruits. Under its programme, Vodafone Ireland has 26 graduates working for it. Since launch in 2010, the programme has hosted 76 graduates, with more than 70 per cent securing permanent positions. The raft of new appointments come at a time when Vodafone


Ireland is embarking on a network upgrade. To date, the operator has invested almost €1 billion (£818 million) in its network and over the next three to five years will be investing a further €500 million. Vodafone Ireland chief executive Anne O'Leary


said:


“To meet the increasing customer demand for mobile, broadband and data services, we have embarked on a major nationwide network investment programme while also delivering new converged fixed and mobile services. “We are hiring again at a significant level to support this business drive. We are looking for people with a passion for technology and innovation who will bring something special to Vodafone and our customers.” Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD added: “The government's plans for jobs and growth are


contact us on that dedicated number – 1800 303 432, Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm. “We sincerely


apologise


for this error and can assure customers that this error has now been rectified.” However, telecoms regulator ComReg said Eircom did not make it aware that the customers had built up arrears


said: “ComReg can confirm that it requested a report on the matter from Eircom as ComReg was not made aware of the issue by Eircom. “ComReg will review the report on receipt to ascertain what issues are within its remit and will communicate further with the public on this matter, as appropriate.” Labour


senator Lorraine


Higgins added to the backlash against Eircom, claiming that customers should not have to pay the amount they owe in full and labelling it as “outrageous behaviour from the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic towards its customers”.


EC review delay holds up Three's O2 purchase


O'Leary: Business drive


aimed not only at supporting the exporting parts of the economy but also facilitating the increase in domestic demand we so badly need. “This very


welcome


announcement by Vodafone that it is increasing its workforce by 113, with new roles focused on its domestic business, is the latest sign of increasing confidence in the domestic economy.”


Glide and Tango guilty of 'app-spam'


Irish mobile security provider AdaptiveMobile has found that messaging apps Glide and Tango are responsible for 76 per cent of all “growth hacking” in North America. AdaptiveMobile's data


intelligence and analytics team monitored the most active and popular social messaging apps in February and March. They noted which ones were the most frequent and aggressive in exploiting existing contacts for new memberships and which received the most complaints. This type of hacking increases the user base of an app, which occurs when a user-installed app requests to promote itself by notifying or inviting the user's contact list by SMS. It found that Glide sent 57 per


cent of the invites, Tango 19.7 per cent. It added that although Glide


allows users to easily opt-out of inviting contacts when they install the app, it also includes an “Invite on Activity” feature, so when a picture is taken using the app, it leads to more invites being sent. It follows a recent announcement by Google that it was updating the terms and


conditions on Google Play to state that apps must not be involved in “unsolicited promotion via SMS services”. Apps have 15 days to comply. AdaptiveMobile head of data


intelligence and analytics Cathal McDaid said: “It’s common to invite friends to new apps but this shouldn’t turn into spam. These apps take the principle above and beyond acceptable limits, subverting communications between friends and contacts. “The key to whether an invite


Glide: Unsolicited promotion


is welcome or viewed as spam lies in the application’s user interface. Making it difficult for users to not send SMS spam invites is one reason behind the high level of ‘App-Spam’. This will hurt a company not only by irritating consumers but, as we've seen with Google, also result in having an app removed for not complying”.


The European Commission has delayed its review of Three Ireland’s acquisition of O2 Ireland for €850 million (£703 million) so it can seek revisions to concessions the operator made. In a list of remedies sent to the telecoms regulator last month, Three offered to help set-up a new mobile operator to ease competition fears and convince the EC to clear the path for the purchase. It said it would initially offer an MVNO to a new market entrant and help it become a fully operational mobile network operator, which would include offering a ready-made customer base of up to 75,000 users from the merged entity. Many of these are believed to come from O2 MVNO 48. The most likely beneficiary is understood to be UPC, with the cable operator reported to have


reached an agreement to launch a new MVNO to piggy-back off Three. It would see UPC include mobile services into its television and broadband packages. However,


Three’s owner


Hutchison Whampoa and the EU have agreed to pause the process to allow it to work on changes to the company's offer and for the commission to examine them. A deadline of May 19 had been set to make a final decision on the deal but it is not known if this remains. Three Ireland said: “The commission has requested additional information in relation to its assessment of the formal remedy offer we made on 19 March 2014. “We are responding to this request and will continue to work with the commission to gain approval as soon as possible.”


O2 and Meteor lead the Galaxy S5 race


O2 and Meteor have become the first two mobile operators in Ireland to sell the Samsung Galaxy


S5. The flagship


smartphone went on sale on April 11. The device is free on


O2’s Open Extra Online tariff and comes with unlimited calls,


texts,


10GB of data and 120 minutes and texts to use within the EU. It is also available on


the Open 700 Extra plan, which comes with the cheapest line rental of €35 (£29) a month but costs €419 upfront and comes with 350 minutes, 350 texts and 700MB of data.


O2 opened pre-orders for the


Galaxy S5 on March 28 and for the next five days was offering customers pre-ordering the chance to enter a prize draw to win one of five Samsung Gear Fit smartwatches worth €199.


Meteor is offering the Galaxy S5 on five tariffs but customers have to pay an upfront cost on each. These range from €19 a month


(€399 upfront)


with 200 minutes, texts and 250MB of data to €59 a month (€159 upfront) with unlimited minutes,


texts, 6GB of data and 50 minutes to use within the EU.


@mobilenewsmag


MobileNewsMagazine


www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk


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