Letter to the editor: editor’s choice
A warning to others as to what they can expect when trying to cancel a CYTA line and join a new internet provider.
Approximately two-and-a-half months ago I received an e-mail from my internet provider, Spidernet, with an attractive offer of changing to Prime Tel. Spidernet informed me that the change-over would go without problems as they, Spidernet were to merge with Prime-Tel, and would no longer require the use of CyTA lines. I accepted and began the procedure with our local Prime-Tel office on Kolinakia-Academias, Limassol.
On my first visit to Prime-Tel, I was told that as my husband’s name was on our original contract with CyTA, he must deal with it. They also informed me that a certain document would be required and I noted it down.
My husband then went to the Prime Tel office as advised.
Visit 1: His Cypriot ID was not sufficient. He was asked to bring his German passport.
Visit 2: He showed his passport and the Prime-Tel employee started to proceed with the application, but then discovered the most recent telephone invoice and internet connection from CyTA, was ‘missing’. My husband explained he only had the invoices from two months previously due to slow post and slow CyTA. The employee requested our bank statement as proof that we were up-to-date with our payments to CyTA !
We pay by direct debit. My husband was told there would be a fee of €100 or so unless;
a) He saw that we had paid CyTA
b) He wanted to see a Bill-of-Sale that our villa was fully paid for and wholly owned by us! How dare they?
Visit 3: A copy of our bank statement was presented with all other irrelevant details blacked out.
My husband refused to give any details about the purchase of our villa.
Visit 4: My husband gave in and took a photo-copy of our deeds but they were not accepted as proof that we owned our home. Excuse me while I laugh.
The reason given was that CyTA would not accept the deeds as proof that our villa was paid for in full and owned by us.
My husband refused to continue dealing with them. I wrote an e-mail to Spidernet explaining all the trouble we were going through. My report was sent to Prime-Tel. After about a month I decided to deal with the Prime-Tel office.
Visit 5: The Prime Tel employee said they could not deal with me as the telephone line was in my husband’s name.
The telephone line was supplied in 1992 and CyTA therefore already had my husband’s passport number etc. She said that was not acceptable.
I produced a legal ‘Power of Attorney’. The girl behind the desk did not know what it was. I explained all to her. She made a photo-copy of my passport, then brought the file and declared: “We have been waiting for you to return.” She said everything is now complete. I asked when we could expect to receive our modem for the internet. She said in 10-14 working days.
The next day I received an e-mail from customer care at Spidernet. Here is a quote from the e-mail:
“I was informed that you visited Prime Tel shop in order to sign relevant application in order to transfer your line to the Prime-Tel platform. I would like to inform you that we need to send the application with the same credentials that CyTA has for your existing line. Latest CyTA bill and if CyTA has passport we need a copy of passport. If ID we need copy of ID.”
Visit 6: So with the necessary things – we now have a more recent invoice – I visited the Prime-Tel office. The usual photo copies were made and I paid the fee for the first month’s fees to Prime-Tel.
On May 27, I received a telephone call from Prime-Tel and was told that CyTA will not accept my husband’s passport as the number is different to the original one from 1992.
I add here: My husband is an ethnic German born in Essen, Westphalia in 1940.
On the necessary last renewal of his passport the European passport was introduced. This is the normal passport which every German now has. There are no ‘German passports’ anymore.
Of course this passport has another number, and this was CyTA’s complaint!
There is no way we can receive even a copy of his passport from 1992. Old passports are destroyed.
Last resort…the German embassy in Nicosia.
I telephoned this morning and was told that there is nothing they can do. The woman said the Embassy is only a guest in Cyprus. They have had many complaints ‘of this sort’, but can do nothing to help, they said.
Diane & Kurt Best.
Limassol
