Paying for something these by Direct Debit is a standard procedure, you would think. And you would think that an online internet based phone provider would be adept at updating such data from the site, especially when specifically advised by a customer to do so. You might think they might be pretty good at sending out e-mails to customers when things go wrong with the payment in order to set the problem right. You'd think that, but if you are dealing with Servista, you'd be wrong.
What follows is probably not a very balanced review of the service. Rather it is my impassioned rant against a company, which have caused me significant frustration over the last couple months, particularly in the last week.
For those of you not familiar with Servista, they are an online company offering telephone, electricity and gas services. The main advantage (or so they trumpet) is being able to manage your account online, having one simple "e-bill" every month. They claim to be cheaper than BT, and transferring all your services to Servista apparently generates excellent savings.
I transferred my phone service from World Online to Servista earlier this summer. This was for reasons which seem too complicated to go into- suffice to say that after a myriad of transitions from LocalTel to World Online to Tiscali, there was a general transfer initiated by World Online. I spoke with a World Online customer service representative, who informed me of the transfer option. It seemed straightforward and suitable, so I approved of this. He then asked me to confirm my payment details. As I wished to avoid paying a £1.50 surcharge per month for credit card payment, I gave my Bank of Scotland Switch card details to him over the phone. My Switch card does not have an "issue" number, and I was not asked for this.
The transfer went through smoothly. On July 25th, I received an e-mail from Servista to explain there was a "small problem" with processing payment, as my issue number had not been given. I e-mailed back promptly on 26th July to explain I had no issue number, and left a contact phone number where I might be reached if there was a problem. More time elapsed, and I received another e-mail from another representative asking me to forward my issue number, or else to leave details of when I might be contacted to provide this.
I understand the rep also phoned my home number to request this. Now, it gets a little complicated, because I was letting my flat temporarily over the months of August and September. My tenants took the message that a Servista rep, whom I shall call "C", had phoned. The number that was left for me to respond to was invalid.
Nonetheless, I promptly e-mailed Servista to explain that I was currently and temporarily residing in Glasgow. I left my contact number there, my mobile number, my e-mail address and the written address. I also updated my personal details on the Servista site with my Glasgow contact number, so Servista would have an up to date record. Finally, I explained there was an answering machine at the Glasgow number, should I be unavailable to take his call.
I never heard another word from the rep. Not a single e-mail was acknowledged.
Some time later I had another e-mail from another rep whom I shall call "M". M was asking for my issue number. I explained yet again that I do not have an issue number, and left all the same details again. My phone number. My e-mail address. My mobile number. My written address.
I explained I had been in touch with "C" and had not heard back from him. I e-mailed "C" as well with all the same details. Again, I heard nothing- no phone call and no e-mail from Servista- nothing to even acknowledge there was an ongoing problem being dealt with . I think I may have e-mailed at least one or two other times to query whether someone would make contact to obtain the correct payment. Every time I included all my contact details.
Now. I realise there would be an argument for saying that the onus was on me to get in touch with them. However, I felt I had given valid card details in good faith, on a direct debit that worked everywhere else. I had responded to every e-mail, and felt it was a bit much to expect ME to pay the 8 pence a minute charge to the customer helpline to sort out THEIR processing difficulties for them.
Finally I had a telephone call at my Glasgow contact number on or about 14th September from Servista, asking for my payment details. With some relief that somebody had finally made contact, I promptly provided my Switch card details. I explained again that my card had no issue number and was assured this was not a problem. I was informed as to the size of the bill, and told that my records were now updated.
I returned from a two week holiday on 29th September and returned to my home address. At no point in between the telephone call of the 14th and 29th September did I have any e-mail contact from Servista. I checked my e-mail several times while on holiday, and there was nothing from them. There may have been a call to my home phone number, but my tenants took no message to that effect, and there was no message on the answering machine at my Glasgow number.
As I understand it, there was yet another problem with my card details. As the second payment failed to go through, without further warning or advice, Servista simply terminated my outbound call capacity on October 1st.
When this occurred, I had no idea why my phone was not working, and no way to phone or e-mail Servista to find out. Fortunately on October 1st, I had also started a new job with internet access, and was able to eventually access the site from there. I e-mailed customer support, explained the problem, and noted that there seemed to be a payment still outstanding. Sometime the next day I got an e-mail from the customer service department advising that Servista had cut off my outbound call capacity as my payment had not been received. This was the first I had heard of it.
I find it unbelievable that Servista failed to notify me that there was an ongoing problem with the billing. I can appreciate that after two failed payments, there would be a concern on the part of Servista as to whether they would ever get paid .
However, I provided payment details twice, once directly to a customer service rep, and I am not to blame for the fact these were not processed. I also advised by e-mail several times that I was able to provide alternate payment via Visa if necessary- this was never followed up despite the seemingly endless problems with my Switch card.
I phoned customer support on October 3rd to provide payment details yet again. I was told that I could update these on the site myself, but I insisted that he take a note of the details and update it for me, for avoidance of doubt. He assured me that it would now be processed, and then my phone line would be corrected. I explained for the thousandth time that my card had no issue number, and gave the start date of the card. I later had an e-mail from customer service to confirm my card details had been received, payment would be processed, and my phone line restored as soon as possible.
A few days later, I received another phone call at work from "M" to give (yet again) details of the issue start date from my Switch card. She advised that my phone line would be restored as soon as payment went through. I returned home from work to find that I still had no outbound call capacity. My phone service has effectively been disrupted almost a week. A series of frantic e-mails yielded no reply, and eventually I phoned from Glasgow to be told my service would be turned back on the next day.
The fact that Servista prides itself on customer service is incredible in light of these events. I was irate that they seemed to be totally and utterly unable to process a simple payment. My Switch card is not some extraordinarily complicated arcane method of payment- I use it for everything else- from buying my groceries to paying for airline tickets online. And the lack of an issue number apparently wreaked havoc on Servista accounting procedures- surely I am not the only person in Britain who has a Switch card with no issue number- or do all other such customers endure similar confusion?
Why this should have been such an ongoing saga is beyond me. It is also beyond me as to why I should have had my phone service disrupted due to Servista's complete ineptitude to correctly process payment details. If the problem was so urgent as to necessitate cutting me off, I would have appreciated at least an e-mail or a letter to advise, other than simply making a few lame attempts to phone me. I was told that I had been phoned three times. Oh, really? When exactly did this happen? There was no message to that effect at either contact number.
My other gripe with Servista before all this started was that additional services, such as Call Diversion, seemed to be suddenly tacked on without my request. When I tried to remove the service by clicking on the box (as instructed by the site) nothing happened. E-mails regarding this problem were unanswered and unacknowledged. It may seem like a small thing, but I resent being charged £1.50 a month for something I do not want.
I am sure there are positive things about Servista- for example, the site is excellent and clearly laid out. I didn't find my phone bills were especially cheap, but there may be savings there depending on your calling patterns. It is rather handy to have access to your bill, and to the calls made over the last month. But any of these benefits totally pales in consideration of the ridiculous way Servisa managed my so-called "small problem". Suffice to say, I have already put a switch to another provider in motion. One that can process a Switch card payment.
Hasta la vista Servista 
