I was attracted to using Dial-A-Phone from seeing their adverts in the press and thinking that the offers sounded better than anything else I could get. I was in the market for a new phone, so I called them and got straight through. The chap on the end of the line took my details and advised that they could deliver a phone to me in two days time. I would be at work on that day, so I asked if the phone could be delivered there. He said it could but that I would need to fax through to them a copy of my work headed notepaper, and he advised me that I would need to sign for the phone and show ID, and that I was the only person who could sign for it.
The following day I faxed through the headed notepaper, and called them to confirm that they had received it, which they had, and they confirmed that the phone would be delivered to me at work the next day.
The following day I waited in all day at work, not even daring to leave the office to
grab a sandwich, in case the phone arrived while I was out. But, it started to get dangerously close to 5pm and no sign of my phone. I contacted Dial-A-Phone on the freephone sales number, and they advised me that I would need to call their customer services number, which was not a freephone. This I did, however I was held in a queue for half an hour, at which point I gave up and went home.
Arriving home I found a message on my answerphone from Dial-A-Phone, advising me that the courier had been ill that day and that my phone would be delivered to me at work the following day. As they had had my work headed notepaper, containing work’s telephone and fax number, I wondered why they couldn’t have contacted me at work. However, I was going to be at home the following day, and needed the phone then as the day after I was due to go on a long car journey alone and wanted the phone for safety. So I tried to call Customer Services to ask them to deliver the phone to me at home, but their lines had closed for the day. I called the sales freephone but was advised that they only dealt with sales and so I would need to call Customer Services again the next day.
This I did, first thing the following morning, and managed to get through – but to be told that no, they couldn’t deliver the phone to me at home – because they couldn’t change the courier’s route!! This was despite my home being 4 miles away from my work, so hardly a massive detour. I decided then to cancel the phone. However, they still tried to deliver it to me at work the following day.
I managed to borrow a friend’s phone for the car journey and very handy it came in too when I got stick in a snowdrift! A month later however, a bill arrived for the Dial-A-Phone phone – listing no calls, as of course I had never had the phone, but charging me for the line rental. I called the bill provider, Singlepoint, who told me that they had not received notification from Dial-a-Phone to say that I had cancelled the contract. So, it was another call – at my expense – to Dial-A-Phone customer services, and another long wait in the queue. The adviser said they would notify Singlepoint immediately, but I received a bill two further times, and thus began the long process of waiting in the customer services queue, before things finally got sorted.
I ended up walking into Carphone Warehouse and walking out half an hour later with a phone, and although I might not have got all the fancy extras that Dial-A-Phone offered, I also didn’t get any of the hassle.
This all happened over a year ago so maybe things have changed. But I guess my message to potential Dial-A-Phone customers is to beware, unless you’re guaranteed to be at home all week and can wait in for a delivery! You’ll get through straight away on the sales freephone and they’re keen to take your details and your money – but they don’t seem to have made the same investment into ensuring that the Customer Services line is well staffed, so if you have any queries after purchase, you’re in for a long wait…..
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
God you are so right! I bought my phone from them in December and was waiting for my free Whitbred voucher. I rang them the other day to chase it up and they apparently have no record of it! (Hmmm!). Luckily I have kept a print out of their web offer and now have got to send it to them as they don't believe me. All this over a £10 lousy voucher but I am doing it out of principle. Some very interesing opinions, I have added you to my e-mail alert!
water-witch 03.02.2002 18:57
Very interesting- I was going to use them now I definitely won't! It is no good how great the deal is if the back up service is lousy! Good op,btw. Kim:-)
wiggglypufff 31.01.2002 16:11
Hi and welcome to Ciao! Great first op, thanks, Karen
Advantages: Top handsets for free, tariffs offering many free minutes and SMS, quick service, freebies Disadvantages: Small print, extortionate insurance cover, expensive calls if made at peak times
xr2i16v 11.06.2001 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Dial a phone
Jan 31st, 2002
very helpful by (100%):
