ABBOTTS : Has anybody had TERRIBLE customer service from this company?

[kevinmartinuk_]

Hello everybody,

I would love your help please? As a Type 1 diabetic I have been using the Freestyle 2 sensors for a few years now. The huge problem is for the last 3 years, I am getting the same error message “The sensor has ended” This happens randomly at anytime before the 14 day lifespan is up. Its even happened twice on the first scan after application.

The customer service 0800 number is useless and they take hours to process every faulty sensor. They go wrong so regularly I do not have time to call them for hours. I have over 35 faulty sensors now, but the customer service is so useless they say they will replace them all and never do (they just send 1 or 5 if I push them!)

These ongoing problems have left me in hospital, knocked out & unconscious & Abbotts’s do not care! It is impossible to speak to anybody senior to escalate & get this dealt with.

Please could you tell me if you also have had problems with “ABBOTTS USELESS CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE?”

I would also like to know if you have had similar or other problems with the Freestyle Libre 2?

Please take the time to reply as I want to hold Abbotts accountable & am convinced there are thousands of users who are suffering because of Abbotts I couldn’t care less (it’s your fault) attitude?

 

[becca59]

I haven’t had issues with the sensor saying it has ended. Have had issues with signal error and had 2 replaced recently. I have to say that my customer service treatment has been excellent. I did. Originally have my own account as I self funded for 3 years, don’t know if that has any bearing on things.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @kevinmartinuk_

I don't know what the response will be like to your request.

If you do get a lot of response either way, please note that if you intend to use any material from the forum in any other setting, you will need to get permission from the website administrators first. Under the rules of the forum, all posts and post content are the intellectual property of DCUK, who own the forum. Should you need it, you can contact DCUK direct at [email protected].

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[Rachox]

Hi @kevinmartinuk_ and welcome to the forum. Sorry you have had bad service, I have had a few dodgy Libre2s and Abbott customer service have always been courteous and efficient on the phone. My last six sensors have been 2 plus which have all been fine, and more accurate.

 

[sgm14]

The customer service 0800 number is useless and they take hours to process every faulty sensor

Have you tried using their website form at https://www.freestyle.abbott/uk-en/support/sensor-support-form.html ?

I've only had 5 failures in just over 5 years (and the last failure was 11 months ago) and have never had any problems getting replacements.

I haven't been too impressed with their technical support and their app, but I am happy with the sensors and their sensor replacement procedures.

These ongoing problems have left me in hospital, knocked out & unconscious & Abbotts’s do not care!

You need to talk to your doctor/endo about that.

Regardless of what you think of the company, they are required to report such issues to the regulators and if this happens too often, their approval could be pulled and they could kiss goodbye to the $10 billion a year revenue that they are expecting / hoping the Libre will bring in in a few years time - I'm quite sure they care about that!

 

[Lakeslover]

I haven’t had any problems using abbot’s form to replace sensors. I have only had one sensor fail in the last year, it came off whilst I was in a hot country. Abbot replaced it promptly.

 

[Nicola M]

Prior to having hybrid closed loop I self funded Libre 1 and then had Libre 2 on prescription. I never had any particular issues, I had the odd failure here and there but it was very easy to fill out the online form to get a replacement and it never took too long.

 

[Melgar]

Sorry you are having issues with Abbott @kevinmartinuk_ . I have been using Freestyle Libre sensors for a few years now, the Libre 1 and now the Libre 2. I have found I have had more issues with the sensors over the past year. I have wondered if it’s to do with my iPhone. My current sensor is reading quite a bit lower than my finger pricks, rendering the sensor untrustworthy. I am considering trying Dexcom.

As for customer service from Abbott I have had no problems. They have been courteous and have sent out replacement sensors promptly.

 

[Hopeful34]

I used Libre 1 and 2 for a few years before being moved to Dexcom with a HCL. Had very few failures, which Abbott replaced quickly when I rang them. Customer services were polite and helpful.

 

[EllieM]

I used libre 1 when it first became available in Australia, self funding. After 9 months I became allergic to the sensors and after numerous replacement sensors and a replacement reader I came to the conclusion that my allergy meant that the sensors were incompatible with my body (the allergy also caused wildly inaccurate readings) and I switched to dexcom. Libre CS in Australia and New Zealand were very helpful, and replacement sensors and readers were fast, but I don't think there was anything they could do for me.

I wonder if customer service is country dependent and, as @becca59 said, whether self funding makes a difference.

Disclaimer: my experiences were 7-8 years ago with the original libre.

 

[KennyA]

I used a Libre a while back through the free trial. I had two sensors fail and each time Abbot replaced them without incident. Obviously I'd prefer that the things hadn't failed (I suspect Abbot use stock that's near the end of its shelf life for the free trial) but I had no complaints about how they treated me.

 

[zand]

I preferred the original Libre and had no problems at all with it. When they upgraded to Libre 2 I found it to be inferior to the Libre. I have had a few failures and a few which only lasted 10 days .

I found the customer service to be great, but got really fed up with constantly having to report issues so I haven't used one for over a year.

 

[_AnotherUser_]

All good here, I tell them what is wrong with my sensor and I am sent a replacement.

 

[jaywak]

I have been using the Libre 2 for 18 mths now and have only had 1 failure which was dealt with simply and replaced straight away , I have had dealings with Abbot with blood testing monitors before which were dealt with straight away , I even remember saying to them that my monitor case was looking a bit scruffy so they sent me a new one , I would say they are one of the best if not the best company I have dealt with .

 

[Cumbrianjudith]

Sorry you are having issues with Abbott @kevinmartinuk_ . I have been using Freestyle Libre sensors for a few years now, the Libre 1 and now the Libre 2. I have found I have had more issues with the sensors over the past year. I have wondered if it’s to do with my iPhone. My current sensor is reading quite a bit lower than my finger pricks, rendering the sensor untrustworthy. I am considering trying Dexcom.

As for customer service from Abbott I have had no problems. They have been courteous and have sent out replacement sensors promptly.

I am having same problem with my current Freestyle Libre 2 sensor with hours of red lows, that at best is about 1 point lower than finger prick test but can be 2.5 plus… try to resist getting out the jellies etc, but very little carb rich ‘snack’ pushes ‘B’G on sensor up. So was wondering if it was me, as c.2 weeks ago had removed a BP drug, indapamide, from prescription, but it is not supposed to effect BG so shouldn’t be the cause of me having to reduce Toujeo base dose by 20% and still lowering it! Worth replacing this sensor to try another not even yet a week in?

 

[Melgar]

I am having same problem with my current Freestyle Libre 2 sensor with hours of red lows, that at best is about 1 point lower than finger prick test but can be 2.5 plus… try to resist getting out the jellies etc, but very little carb rich ‘snack’ pushes ‘B’G on sensor up. So was wondering if it was me, as c.2 weeks ago had removed a BP drug, indapamide, from prescription, but it is not supposed to effect BG so shouldn’t be the cause of me having to reduce Toujeo base dose by 20% and still lowering it! Worth replacing this sensor to try another not even yet a week in?

@Cumbrianjudith it’s not sufficiently messed up to contact Abbott, but annoying. Mine is about 1-2mmol/ls lower than my finger prick readings. I’ve run out of strips now, because I’ve used so many double checking.

 

[CheeseSeaker]

@Cumbrianjudith it’s not sufficiently messed up to contact Abbott, but annoying. Mine is about 1-2mmol/ls lower than my finger prick readings. I’ve run out of strips now, because I’ve used so many double checking.

There is an advantage to using xDrip+ (or other app) there - allows calibration of Libre so the readings are more accurate (plus Libre or any CGM is most accurate during the middle of the 2 weeks running time. Start they suffer from insertion trauma, end they suffer from the body healing - calibration helps with accuracy in the 3 'phases')

 

[Melgar]

There is an advantage to using xDrip+ (or other app) there - allows calibration of Libre so the readings are more accurate (plus Libre or any CGM is most accurate during the middle of the 2 weeks running time. Start they suffer from insertion trauma, end they suffer from the body healing - calibration helps with accuracy in the 3 'phases')

Good to know @CheeseSeaker .

 

[Carptastic]

i swapped over to the 3 as the 2 i had problems with but i always had no problems with there customer service always been tactful and helpful