Malta Melita Tricks People with Deposit

Hi ,

please keep me updated as there are several infringement cases on these issues. It is obviously against EU law to ask for a deposit if the same is not asked of Maltese citizens.

Malta is quick to take EU funding but very slow to comply to EU law.

If Melita owe you money they have to pay !

Cheers
Ricky

Thanks Ricky, but I think there's nothing to do. Now, I'm in my own country, and nothing to do...

I understand about the non discrimination thing but to be honest many people have come here for short periods and have done a runner owing rakes of money and equipment so i cant really blame any company taking a deposit on short term...i think its a completely different thing for long termers.

I have to be honest we had a deposit taken from us by melita when we first came here and had their service - but we were promised a refund as soon as we got our id cards and lo and behold that happened almost immediately - well within 5 days for sure. So i speak as i find.

Melita have been excellent with us....except for the constant barrage of calls trying to sell more services that i dont want or need.

But good luck Isasari

ricky wrote:

Hi ,

please keep me updated as there are several infringement cases on these issues. It is obviously against EU law to ask for a deposit if the same is not asked of Maltese citizens.

Malta is quick to take EU funding but very slow to comply to EU law.

If Melita owe you money they have to pay !

Cheers
Ricky

The 75 EU is also paid by locals for the modem. And that is so true about complying with EU laws (take the dreaded hunters for example!!).. though the EU funding is desperately needed as can be seen by everyone. 
Unfortunately, this is all a case of being given misleading or half the necessary information.
If you were actually living in Malta I would have suggested you go to the Consumer's Rights Offices there (and they are good).. but as you pointed out, in the end it is gonna cost you more to get things done, than the actual refund (bank charges, charge for this, that and the other, endless phone calls etc etc etc)

I went to Melita yesterday to ask for my deposit back, since I got Maltese ID now, they said they would apply it to the next bill. I asked if that was the only option, they said yes. Works for me because I'm still keeping the sevice, but I can totally see your frustration.

I was pleasantly surprized though how easy it was to get a contract for a mobile phone. No credit checks, no activation fee, no deposit. Very different, compared to US.

I had to pay a 150€ deposit, but after that I started paying bills 4 months later because they used the deposit money to pay the bills. Looks like they are testing different methods

mmm.. Nice topic for me.

In July 2010 I moved to Malta and since I am not a EU citizen they told me that the only way to have even Go or Melita was with deposit... I asked the same...isn't that discrimination and in one company I got the nice answer "you can call it whatever you like but that is tha only way to have service".

So with a family of 5 I decided to apply for the Melita XL Package (phone, internet, 10 Eu monthly moblie phone credit and HD cable) and for that my deposit was the nice amount of EU 590 (yes... Five hundred ninety euros in cash). That was security deposit for the modem, for the HD box and for the phone modem and 3 months of advance payment due to my delinquent face I guess...No contract to be signed... I was like a "free customer".

Go was about the same but since Melita has the Spanish Liga, Champions League and Libertadores Cup (I know, I know.. my fault)
I decided to make that 590 eu deposit.

They told me this (nothing in writing from their side of course):
1) As soon as I have a Maltese ID I can ask for my deposit back.
2) The advance deposit could be applied to the first 3 months of service....
3) Mobile Phone credit: not received since I was suppose to have the mobile phone before getting the XL package... wouldnt apply if I get it right away

Well.. surprisingly enough # 2 happened to not be true. When my bills were receive no deposit was applied to them. When called and went to their customer service offices I was told that since I didn't have a Maltese ID I needed the deposit to remain there. but once that I have my Maltese ID Card (seems like it is the passport to heaven)I just can collect all my money. THAT EASY!!!

Well, so after a while I decided to get my Maltese ID so finally decided to go to the Melita and here is the story:
1) Went to Melita's store at the Airport... No, this is only a sales office you have to go to a regular customer service office, not by phone, no by internet, in person only to one of the "regular" customer service offices.

2) Went to Naxxar's office and as expected... No Money. They keyed in my information, photocopied my Maltese ID! and was told that I was going to receive a call in no more than 2 days to set up an appointment in their Mriehel headquarters for someone to "review" my case...
3) Guess what? after 4 days no calls so I decided to use their interactive webpage asking for an status and a call... yeah right... still waiting for the answer of the webpage cust. serv. rep.
4)since I work at the airport ask stop again at the office just to see if there was any sign or message in their system about my request... yes..my original request was there but no additional info could be given because that was only a "SALES OFFICE"
5) Happened to be in Valletta the day after were there was a regular office and told them that more than 2 weeks have passed from the promise of a call so they went into their system (maybe the same webpage I put my request # 3) and filled in a new request to have me called. 4 business days later... no call.
6) Called Melita... asked for a status... told me to hold. Told me that he (the cust serv rep) just spoked to his supervisor and that even tough I had my Maltese ID I would not be able to get my deposit back until because first I needed to sign a 2 year contract. This is obviously a completely new element to all my so far 1 1/2 year discussion.
7) Told the cust serv rep that I dont want to sign a contract, that I dont want their business anymore and that I want my money back and no business at all with them. He just replied: Ok, you will receive a call in no more than 2 days (mmm.. I think I've heard that one before)to set up an appointment for disconecting my equipment.... I just wanted to know how long after that I was going to get my money back and they told me that usually in 5 business days... DEAL
8) 5 minutes later I receive a call from Melita (and no.. this time it was not an annoying salesperson trying to sell me a service that I already have with them). Asking me if I really put a request to cancel the service. Affirmative.
Is there a problem with Melita Sir?
So.. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY... she got my started.....
after my 10 minute rant she asked me if there was anything that she could offer to me to make me stay... and I said yes:
1) I want my EU590 deposit back... all, no questions, now!
2) When I goy my XL package the cost was 90 EU per month and now it was being offered at 60 EU Month. I asked several times to have me switched packages and they told me that no, the offer was only for new customers. So I asked her.. I want my package at 60. END!
and I was not able to negotiate... that or I'm out.
So after being on hold I got my POSITIVE answer... so I goy my 60 EU package and my money back.... which is being applied to my monthly bill (to be fair...I was asked if I wanted it this way or to go to Mriehel for a cheque...but I just preferred it this way).

Why did I stay after I was really decided to leave?  well... the answer is Football Club Barcelona... La LIGA and Champions were a must for me... and GO doesnt offer them.. and really... was GO going to be better than Melita?

I was really just decided to get internet and watch online TV for free... less quality for sure but not annoying MELITA to stress me about... The funny thing is that at the end everything was done by phone call...you just need a person willing to give solutions at the other end...
So I am not sure if they are testing methods... THEY HAVE NO METHODS...or if they do their cust serv reps and supervisors (the decision makers) are not properly instructed.

Hi Alf007,

your really nice report backs my experience with Melita service 100 %.

1) They are calling you all the time to get more money out of you for services that you don't want.

2) If you ask for something by phone or by e-mail the response is zero - a totally catastrophic Customer Care department but probably with system. A very one-sided view of Customer Care!
To be fair, the Technical Hotline is much better and operate the way it should be !Congratulations to the folks there!

3) Don't renew a contract with Melita unless they give you the same conditions as new customers - especially when they offer you add-ons that you don't need and don't want! Check out the current price of your specific package.

Cheers
Ricky

This is a GO trick, rather than Melita, but thought I would make all you aware anyway!
I just received a letter from GO saying that from 1st January 2012 Home Pack contract renewals will AUTOMATICALLY be renewed for another 2 YEARS when your current contact expires. They do say that they will send you a letter with the option to opt out 30 days before your contract ends, but who knows if they will or what the opt out options will be!
Why cant they just do month by month rolling contracts like UK Media suppliers?!

just give GO written notice of termination (prior to end of contract as per your termination requirements in your contract) send it recorded delivery and email it too to all of their depts not just the CS dept.....

I did this with Melita a year ago and it worked - I did get a phone call within an hour of them receiving the emailed copy - offering me all sorts to stay with them and their tv service - they wanted to know exactly why I was terminating the tv side of the contract..so they had to be told in no uncertain terms

1.....too many repeats...ten times worse than sky
2.....old and ancient programming
3.....and most important of all - the whole tv servie was C R A P.

no problem after that... and to be fair i have not had an issue with billing nor the phone or internet services from them....got   deposit back when asked.

anyway good luck guys

Hi,

I had once also problems with Melita and they were just ignoring my request to terminate the contract and send back to me what they owed. Things started happening when I contacted MCA:

http://www.mca.org.mt/form/complaint-form

You can also contact:

https://secure2.gov.mt/consumer/home?l=1

Both of the authorities responded quite soon and Melita started taking seriously my requests and terminated the contract withing one week.

hmm... for me they took the deposit, no one mentioned that id card changes anything, they only said that since im a foreigner i have to pay the deposit. i know its unfair but the same works in many other countries where there's a lot of movement and they have to keep cover, i dont mind. they said they'll give it back once i resign.

it might be only me but seems to me i didnt get my bill.. maybe yet, maybe i just didnt, having had read all posts here, i hope they wont start giving me back the money in 13euro transhes...

on the other hand, my friend from work mentioned she never got her deposit back off them once she resigned, so i now think mess and trouble is their middle name there in melita..

Hi Ricky, any chance you have a reference for the EU law that you mentioned?

"against EU law to ask for a deposit if the same is not asked of Maltese citizens".

I (American) was charged a 200 MTL (= 465 euros) to get water hooked up at a property I own in Malta.  I also was told it would be refunded when I received my ID card.  When I returned to WSC with my ID, I was told that since my ID had an "A", I would not receive the deposit back.  I wrote a letter to formally protest the misinformation I was provided, but I was not refunded (or even acknowledged). Of course, one feels at the mercy of actually needing a water/electricity hook-up so I didn't feel empowered to protest. 

Just wondering if the referenced law applies only to EU citizens or if it offers to protect all foreign residents.

Thanks!!

Hi asana,

if you send me your e-mail by PM I will forward you information about the cases and issues currently filed against Malta at the EU law court.

All these cases are about non-equal treatment of Maltese and EU foreigners but I think there are good chances that even non-EU citizens in Malta will get the same treatment when these cases are decided. After all, all foreigners have the same 'A' on their ID cards.

Regards
Ricky

Hi Asana

as far as I know, WSC always charges Non-EUs to transfer the account on their name, so I doubt you will get that back, as not sure if EU is that concerned about Non-EUs anyway. In fact our bills are on the landlord's name as we didn't want to pay that.