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Having spent last Monday on a highly fun series of calls to Tiscali in an attempt to cancel my line with them, and having just made a large post on their own customer forums I though I'd reprpduce it here as a warning to all about this company.....
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After yet another billing mess up, the continued fantasy land that is the Tiscali Service Status, the most unreliable email I've ever had in 9 years of internet use, and glad that my contract with the devil, sorry, Tiscali, had ran more than the 12 months I decided to move to Pipex.
Under £24 gets the same service, more email, more freedom with webspace, and as I would soon realise, customer support from english people with a brain.
It began so simply. A new bank card had arrived and was identical to the one I use for my bill. I tried to change it online but it would not accept the card saying it was not a valid card type.
I ring billing first to find out why my card does not work. I experience Tiscali's unique telephone system which is sheer ingenuity gone mad. I ring, negotiate the touch tone system, get in a queue. Music plays. Music stops, recorded message which is along the lines of "all our operators are busy".
It's at this stage I think, "no problem, I'm just in a queue". Then the message ends. Then I am cut off.
Repeat 9 times, same message but on the last time I am put in the queue and do not get cut off. I suspect the system recognises repeat calls and only queues the absolute persistent. I also shudder to think what happens at a busy time in the day, unless 1PM in the afternoon is the busy period.
So I get through. Explain what I want to do. I'm told Tiscali no longer accept the card type and never did. Which is damn funny because Tiscali has been taking my money for over a year on it. I decide enough is enough and ask how I cancel. Person says I write to Tiscali. Can I have the address I ask. It's on the website I am told (it is not by the way). I ask again, by the third attempt I am reluctantly given the address.
So I go to Pipex's site and see they do line migration. But I need the CBUK code for my connection. I am clueless but once again ring tech support. After being cut off six times I get through - it is now nearly 2 hours since my first phone call.
An indian sounding bloke answers. I explain what I need. I am put on hold. He says I cannot have the CBUK number. I ask why. I am told I cannot. I ask to speak to a supervisor. I am put on hold for five minutes. He comes back, again I cannot have the number of the line I have paid for for over a year. Exapserated I make the point that if someone does not get on the phone and give me the number then Tiscali will not be happy with the result. I get put on hold.
Bloke comes back on, I can now have the number once I confirm details.
I confirm username, address etc One question is when did I sign up? I signed up in June 2003 didn't I asks the bloke? A clear attempt at trickery and trying to catch me out because I have already said I signed up November 2002, at this stage I am not a happy person. Then he wants my password. I state they are not supposed to ask for that and don't need it. He insists it's either the password or no code. Totally p***ed off I give it him and finally get the CBUK code.
If Tiscali obstruct the migration then that's the final straw....high ho hi ho it's off to trading standards we go....
*****************************************************
After yet another billing mess up, the continued fantasy land that is the Tiscali Service Status, the most unreliable email I've ever had in 9 years of internet use, and glad that my contract with the devil, sorry, Tiscali, had ran more than the 12 months I decided to move to Pipex.
Under £24 gets the same service, more email, more freedom with webspace, and as I would soon realise, customer support from english people with a brain.
It began so simply. A new bank card had arrived and was identical to the one I use for my bill. I tried to change it online but it would not accept the card saying it was not a valid card type.
I ring billing first to find out why my card does not work. I experience Tiscali's unique telephone system which is sheer ingenuity gone mad. I ring, negotiate the touch tone system, get in a queue. Music plays. Music stops, recorded message which is along the lines of "all our operators are busy".
It's at this stage I think, "no problem, I'm just in a queue". Then the message ends. Then I am cut off.
Repeat 9 times, same message but on the last time I am put in the queue and do not get cut off. I suspect the system recognises repeat calls and only queues the absolute persistent. I also shudder to think what happens at a busy time in the day, unless 1PM in the afternoon is the busy period.
So I get through. Explain what I want to do. I'm told Tiscali no longer accept the card type and never did. Which is damn funny because Tiscali has been taking my money for over a year on it. I decide enough is enough and ask how I cancel. Person says I write to Tiscali. Can I have the address I ask. It's on the website I am told (it is not by the way). I ask again, by the third attempt I am reluctantly given the address.
So I go to Pipex's site and see they do line migration. But I need the CBUK code for my connection. I am clueless but once again ring tech support. After being cut off six times I get through - it is now nearly 2 hours since my first phone call.
An indian sounding bloke answers. I explain what I need. I am put on hold. He says I cannot have the CBUK number. I ask why. I am told I cannot. I ask to speak to a supervisor. I am put on hold for five minutes. He comes back, again I cannot have the number of the line I have paid for for over a year. Exapserated I make the point that if someone does not get on the phone and give me the number then Tiscali will not be happy with the result. I get put on hold.
Bloke comes back on, I can now have the number once I confirm details.
I confirm username, address etc One question is when did I sign up? I signed up in June 2003 didn't I asks the bloke? A clear attempt at trickery and trying to catch me out because I have already said I signed up November 2002, at this stage I am not a happy person. Then he wants my password. I state they are not supposed to ask for that and don't need it. He insists it's either the password or no code. Totally p***ed off I give it him and finally get the CBUK code.
If Tiscali obstruct the migration then that's the final straw....high ho hi ho it's off to trading standards we go....
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Yes, technically it should be a little quicker, but it is significantly noticable.
Both friends typically get 40-50k.
As far as I know, ADSL speed can also depend on your distance from the exchange - the further away, the slower/less reliable the speed. Hence the reason I can't get ADSL - I'm more than 5 miles from the nearest digital exchange.
Both friends typically get 40-50k.
As far as I know, ADSL speed can also depend on your distance from the exchange - the further away, the slower/less reliable the speed. Hence the reason I can't get ADSL - I'm more than 5 miles from the nearest digital exchange.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> adrian wrote:
> Depends though.
>
> I have two friends on BT Broadband (512k) and both have repeatedly
> commented that my NTL (600k) is far quicker. I've also heard this
> elsewhere.
Well it should be 512K ADSL is good for 60K/s in real speed and in theory its 64K/s. In theory 600K NTL should do 75K/s so I dont know how close you get to that figure. Cable is fast and can be faster than the line speed you have. Basically it depends on how many people have cable in your street. If theres none then you should get top speed all the time and even faster than is normal, if theres a few then you might just about get top speed.
ADSL works on contention as well but due to BT and ISPs having enough bandwidth etc then its more like a 1 to 1 connection. The only contention I have seen is when exchanges became bogged down with 1Mb subscibers and BT had to install more bandwidth at those exchanges.
> adrian wrote:
> Depends though.
>
> I have two friends on BT Broadband (512k) and both have repeatedly
> commented that my NTL (600k) is far quicker. I've also heard this
> elsewhere.
Well it should be 512K ADSL is good for 60K/s in real speed and in theory its 64K/s. In theory 600K NTL should do 75K/s so I dont know how close you get to that figure. Cable is fast and can be faster than the line speed you have. Basically it depends on how many people have cable in your street. If theres none then you should get top speed all the time and even faster than is normal, if theres a few then you might just about get top speed.
ADSL works on contention as well but due to BT and ISPs having enough bandwidth etc then its more like a 1 to 1 connection. The only contention I have seen is when exchanges became bogged down with 1Mb subscibers and BT had to install more bandwidth at those exchanges.
adrian wrote:
> Depends though.
I have two friends on BT Broadband (512k) and both have repeatedly commented that my NTL (600k) is far quicker. I've also heard this elsewhere.
So, like for like (or as near as you can get), it does seem that cable is the quicker of the two.
But as you suggested, for most/many people, the choice is not theirs to make. You're either in a cable area, or a BT area.
For me personally, I can get a BT phone line, but ADSL is still not available because BT are slacking in upgrading exchanges, so I had no choice.
> Depends though.
I have two friends on BT Broadband (512k) and both have repeatedly commented that my NTL (600k) is far quicker. I've also heard this elsewhere.
So, like for like (or as near as you can get), it does seem that cable is the quicker of the two.
But as you suggested, for most/many people, the choice is not theirs to make. You're either in a cable area, or a BT area.
For me personally, I can get a BT phone line, but ADSL is still not available because BT are slacking in upgrading exchanges, so I had no choice.
Yeh I hate Tiscali.
Useless idiots try to keep you from leaving them!
I use NTL Cable and I have had excellent service since I joined.
The customer support is good, the service, it's not often down.
If you want a reliable service just use NTL.
They have good prices too!!! :)
Useless idiots try to keep you from leaving them!
I use NTL Cable and I have had excellent service since I joined.
The customer support is good, the service, it's not often down.
If you want a reliable service just use NTL.
They have good prices too!!! :)
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> darkfire wrote:
> NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they
> haven't let me down.
>
> Snap.
>
> And cable is faster than ADSL.
Depends though. NTL do 150K, 600K and 1Mb, while others do 2Mb as well. ADSL is in 512k and 1Mb, and you can get home 2Mb on datastream. Also if you live around London Bulldog can offer 6Mb ADSL. So ADSL isnt really any slower, in some cases its 3 times faster. I pay £28.95 for 1Mb which is very good considering NTL charge £34.99. Even when I go to normal pricing in October I will still be only paying £33.99.
I might have gone with cable as they did do 1Mb way before ADSL, but we dont live in a cabled area. Think they started laying the cables but havent bothered doing anything else.
> darkfire wrote:
> NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they
> haven't let me down.
>
> Snap.
>
> And cable is faster than ADSL.
Depends though. NTL do 150K, 600K and 1Mb, while others do 2Mb as well. ADSL is in 512k and 1Mb, and you can get home 2Mb on datastream. Also if you live around London Bulldog can offer 6Mb ADSL. So ADSL isnt really any slower, in some cases its 3 times faster. I pay £28.95 for 1Mb which is very good considering NTL charge £34.99. Even when I go to normal pricing in October I will still be only paying £33.99.
I might have gone with cable as they did do 1Mb way before ADSL, but we dont live in a cabled area. Think they started laying the cables but havent bothered doing anything else.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> darkfire wrote:
> NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they
> haven't let me down.
>
> Snap.
>
> And cable is faster than ADSL.
just upgraded to NTL 1MB... It rawks!!!\m/
> darkfire wrote:
> NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they
> haven't let me down.
>
> Snap.
>
> And cable is faster than ADSL.
just upgraded to NTL 1MB... It rawks!!!\m/
darkfire wrote:
> NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they
> haven't let me down.
Snap.
And cable is faster than ADSL.
> NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they
> haven't let me down.
Snap.
And cable is faster than ADSL.
NTL are very good. I have been with them for about 2 years and they haven't let me down.
*waits for Tiscali to get their ass in gear and stop obstructing him migrating the connection*
Been using FREEOLA broadband for the last 3 months - not one single hiccup.
Very Impressed!
I asked for peoples opinion of FREEOLA broadband on this forum before signing up but didn't get a (proper) reply. So to anyone thinking about a broadband provider all I can say is I'm completely happy with the FREEOLA service - Just peeved they lowed the activation fee from £60 > £20 just after I signed up :¬)
Hope this isn't the kiss of death...
Very Impressed!
I asked for peoples opinion of FREEOLA broadband on this forum before signing up but didn't get a (proper) reply. So to anyone thinking about a broadband provider all I can say is I'm completely happy with the FREEOLA service - Just peeved they lowed the activation fee from £60 > £20 just after I signed up :¬)
Hope this isn't the kiss of death...
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