Anyone know anything about ISPs?
I had a dispute with my ISP, all was fine until I moved house, then the trouble started. I don't have a bank account, so a friend paid the initial setup fee - only she didn't, the ISP took a whole years worth of payment (nearly 500 quid). This made her go overdrawn.

They eventually (2 months) repaid the amount in full, only to then take the continuing payment from her card rather than my GF's (basic) bank account by DD. They refunded, then promised that her card would be removed from the DB. It wasn't, the next year they took the whole years payment from her card again. She cancelled the card, they promised (again) that her details would be removed - now I get an automated email telling me that 'card that ends in XXXX' has been returned. So they haven't removed anything.

Then, after being on holiday for 2 weeks, and nearly 2 weeks away on business, I get a letter telling me that as I have downloaded over 100gb in a month that my line is going to be restricted. The Internet wasn't even connected!

So, anyway to cut an already long story short, I refused to pay them, and went looking elsewhere. I got a letter telling me my 'service' was going to cease in September. I went to another firm after the 'cease' date, but they said that I was still connected. I logged on, and sure enough I hadn't been disconnected at all.

Now they are chasing me for the money - which they are not going to get, and now I have no internet connection. I'm trying to move elsewhere but the MAC code they gave me is invalid apparently.

I'm quite happy to pay another set up fee, just to be rid of those idiots, so is there a way I can go to another firm and just sign up and pay the setup fee without a MAC code?
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:35, 18 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Talk to your local Trading Standards
and try somewhere like moneysavingexpert.com.

Edit: YOUR MUM.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:40, Reply)

Yeah
I'm not bothered about the shite service any more, I just want to get on the Internet at home; not even bothered about the dosh either really.

I.just.cannot.live.without.the.interwebs...
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:42, Reply)

Have you tried writing a letter of complaint to your ISP?
not some rant, but a well structured letter that addresses your problems and how you want them fixed.

It's the only thing that worked when I had problems with Sky.
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:41, Reply)

I did email them
a while back, and it wasn't a rant it was a detailed description of what was going on and what I wanted done about it.

They replied that they were going to get a BT engineer sent out to my address???? - that didn't happen either, not that I believe a BT engineer would help in any case (I think they may have cocked up again).

I'm not after revenge, or even continuation of my service - I'm quite happy to move to another firm, but I want it to happen quickly as I work from home a lot, and am not bothered about the cost.
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:44, Reply)

Email is not the same.
I worked for a couple of years in financial services administration so I have a fair inkling about how these things work. Phonecalls and emails are not taken seriously but an actual letter will be treated as a piece of work and will be logged on a system and have a deadline for completion of that piece of work.

Also, a letter that has a complaining tone is not a letter of complaint, so you want LETTER OF COMPLAINT above "Dear Sir or Madam". It will now be logged as a letter of complaint and will have to be acted upon if they want to keep their "Investors in excellence" award (all companies have these shitty awards).

Honestly, it's these details that get admin issues resolved.
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:54, Reply)

Understood
but I really don't want it resolved, I just want to move elsewhere. I don't want to give them any more of my money.

They've just cocked up too many times, and lied to me and my friend twice. Mistakes I can understand, lying to your (long standing) customers I cannot.

...and at 40 quid + VAT each month, I expected a little more 'customer service' than you get from Tiscali, BT etc...
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:58, Reply)

Trust me on this
What ever it is you want them to do, write it in a concise letter with "Letter of complaint" at the top. If nothing happens send it again, stating that this is the second letter and send it recorded delivery.

I had a similar problem with Sky, I phoned them to cancel my service and they didnt and kept taking money from my account. I sent the letter of complaint and I was refunded ALL MONEY. Nobody in the history of Sky has ever received a refund and a letter of apology. Nobody.

Forget calling the numpties, forget emails that can be denied, write a letter.
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 11:04, Reply)

I
had the same with Sky. I cancelled ('cos it was shite), and they continued taking the dosh.

I too got my money refunded - no apology though.
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 12:20, Reply)

Name and Shame your ISP please
I don't want to end up with them.
( Peej, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:42, Reply)

If you're with Tiscali then you may be screwed

It took me 20 minutes to explain the concept of moving house to them and then they would transfer me to house moving section, who would transfer me to billing, who would transfer me to cancellations, who would transfer me to house moving...
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:43, Reply)

No...
not Tiscali. This is a specialist home-business ISP for which I was paying through the nose for - I always think "you get what you pay for", and for the first 5 years this was true; I never had a single problem with them and the line never, ever went down (a bit like my wife). It was only when I moved house, which coincided with them selling the 'residential' business onto another firm.
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 10:46, Reply)

What you ought to do
is go out and deliberately get speeding tickets.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 11:03, Reply)

I
agree. I love the feeling of winning when they are quashed!
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 11:20, Reply)

Oh man, you're so screwed.
You were 'away on buisness' yet don't have a bank account? I reckon you should consilidate all your debts into one easy affordable monthly payment, quit uni and get a job.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 12:29, Reply)

Why
on earth would I need a bank account to go away on business?

The two are not mutually exclusive....however, having a bank account and having debts to consolidate probably probably do go hand-in-hand.

Thankfully, I have neither.
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 13:14, Reply)

To go away on buisness impys you have a buisness.
If you have a buisness, the odds are you have a bank account.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 14:17, Reply)

Well
I work for a business. I was/am their representative as they pay my wage.

I'm sure they have a bank account.
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 14:37, Reply)

Sorted now
I emailed them again with a request for a MAC code, I got a reply within minutes this time. Gave that to a new ISP found online, and I'm going to be up and running by Friday next week.

It still amazes me that it takes a week for someone to press a few buttons.
(dchurch bah, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 13:18, Reply)