Eircom's secret plan

Date: 26/08/2010
Posted by: Darragh

EIRCOM'S SECRET PLAN TO IMPOSE MINIMUM PAYMENT ON BILLS A DISGRACE

I have exposed a little known plan by Eircom to impose a minimum payment for bills at Post Offices around the country, a move which I feel as shameful and will have a significant impact on pensioners and those on low incomes.

I have become aware that Eircom will impose a crazy new rule next month and will not be accepting payments less than €20 off customers' bills at Post Offices. This is totally unnecessary and will impose a financial pressure on those on pensions and other social welfare benefits. There are over 370,000 people in receipt of pension payments from the State, many of those older people will be Eircom customers. This plan will have a detrimental impact on thousands, if not tens of thousands of those Eircom customers.

Many people in receipt of State benefits collect them at the post office and then pay some money off their bills. This new plan by Eircom which has not been widely publicised by the company will come as a surprise to many Eircom customers. I am very disappointed by Eircom's decision to bring in this change and I want it stopped before it's even in effect.

There can be absolutely no justification for this change given the impact it will have on the lives of older people and those in need of State supports. People on low incomes rely heavily on their personal budgets and financial planning. They use it to plan out their spending during any given week. This planned change could force people to run-up a bill until they can afford it and then find themselves unable to cope with it.

I am writing to Eircom's Chief Executive Paul Donovan to outline my complete opposition to this measure. It's time for Eircom to see the madness in this idea and stop it before it is implemented and causes unnecessary hardship.