Supplying Rural Customers
 

LOTR (& PickaxeFairy)

Most reasonable people will understand that supplying rural customers with brandband facilities is more expensive, less cost effective, than supplying city dwellers. And to some extent, it is an additional cost, i.e. fewer modern facilities, rural communities have to endure.

However, there is absolutely no excuse for BT to treat PF's friend's mother like someone that has just come out of the dark ages.

It's this kind of stupid and arrogant behaviour that has convinced me that BT & Virgin forget that some of their income depends on their (bread & butter) customers.

Whenever these big boys have a monopoly (or duopoly) customer service tends to go down hill.

Unfortunately, PF's friend's mum now has a war of attrition on her hands.


UK Bob

Thing is - what makes it all so horrible is that the lady in question is nearly 70 - and this is really getting to her....
For all Virgin Media's 'inadequacies' - she was with them for years and was happy with them; they always treated her well....

She's just so fed up to the back teeth with BT - they've been truly horrible and disrespectful to her...
Not to mention extremely patronising - telling her to get a friend to 'keep' any bookmarks or downloads she may want....
Yeah whatever :rolleyes:

Obviously, my friend has been/is fighting her corner - but all they keep doing is bringing 'clauses' out of the woodwork....
Erm, HELLO! WHAT clauses exactly?? She's a new customer who simply wants an internet connection....

The latest - they're now telling her she can't have any kind of broadband connection unless she takes her tv and phone with them too!
Well unless I've been living on another planet for the last goodness knows how long - I don't remember seeing anything (with ANY supplier) that stipulates you must have *all* services with one individual company....

If this wasn't happening to someone I know, I really wouldn't believe it....


Will keep you updated....

Our local cable and ISP company (Comcast) uses its own technicians and also contracts with other small companies for installations. The Comcast techs get paid hourly, and they will stay on the job until it is done right. The contracted techs get paid by the job, so it pays for them to get in and out as quickly as possible. Whenever I need a service tech, I always ask that they send Comcast techs.

In the US we have determined that certain public utilities must be available to all. So companies that deliver power, telephone, and/or cable service, are required to reach into rural areas. I remember that in the early 80's, my friends could not get cable service because their postal ZIP code was in the less expensive part of the city; an area with a higher number of transients. The issue was resolved after my friends filed a lawsuit.

When I had a dispute with a local telephone company, their supervisor told me that my call was taking too much time. I reminded her that she had put me on 'hold' for 15 minutes while "looking into my case". She threatened to end the call, until I said that my next call would be to the Public Utilities Commission. She suddenly became much more friendly, and continued to discuss my case. We did not resolve the issue (I mean, it's the phone company!) so I ended up cancelling my landline. But it sure was nice to make them jump when I mentioned the PUC.

Ofcom
 

Blackhorse 70V (& PF)

In the UK we have a regulatory body, that governs all telecom company activities, called OFCOM. However, OFCOM will not deal with individual complaints, instead they will refer you to an Alternative Dispute Resolution Scheme (ADR).

OFCOM will use your complaints to identify trends, i.e. telecoms dodgy dealings, but for the individuals in the UK with a grievance the only direct hope is long drawn out arbitration process.



UK Bob

My friend's mum had a phone call today....
Head Office, no less....

Over half an hour was spent on the phone....
Most of which was her seizing the opportunity with both hands to air her grievances....
Boy, did she let 'em have it!! lol

As things stand - they are ''unable at this present time to completely rectify the situation''....
''Rest assured though - you will be hearing from us within the next week with regard to your issues....''

I was talking to her earlier. She feels sooooo much better for hearing that....
:rolleyes:
　

Watch this space....

Apologies for quoting myself....

A week?? :cheesy: Contact was made by them just yesterday....

BUT - and this is the funny bit.... (I use the word funny loosely)

BT to this day, in their opinion, is still completely in the right....
Apparently.

They're not giving an inch...

I'm sensing an imminent broadband war....
(Which will obviously be won by my friend's mother) ;)



Ahhhh - Good ol' BT. Honest, reliable and well worth recommending to your friends....

What's BTs Deal
 

PF

What is the excuse, BT is giving, for not supplying your friend's mum with a broadband line?

I can understand that the 50Mb line that she wants is probably not possible but an 8Mb line should be feasible, which should be sufficient for most computer use.


UK Bob

BT and their misleading ads
 

People

This BBC report shows how BT, in my opinion, constantly misleads their potential customers about what they have to offer.

BBC News - BT broadband advert banned over speed claim

To my knowledge, this is the second advert within two months where BT has been censured for airing claims that they could not substantiate.

BT has always made misleading adverts and this little setback is not going to get them to mend their ways.


UK Bob

What it is - my friend's mum has rung BT endlessly for them to come round and sort her broadband out....
She's not even gone for 50MB, as she would ideally like.... she's asked them for 10MB; she figured there wouldn't be a problem then....
However - what BT is saying is that they are ''unable to adhere to her current request'', as they have it on their records she's still with Virgin Media and therefore are "not in a position to be of assistance''.
What a load of TOSH!!

She terminated her contract with Virgin Media when she moved, then contacted BT as soon as she was made aware by Virgin that they were unable to supply her with what it was she wanted....

Virgin Media have even sent her documentation clearly stating that they have 'closed' her account....
A copy of which, I hasten to add, has been forwarded to BT....
''We have no record of any communication received by Virgin Media''....
No - course you don't :rolleyes:

BT for some reason, is now sending her endless bills....
For services that she's never even had....
　
　




Nice one Bob for bringing up those totally misleading BT ads....
It's about time they were pulled up on them!

I'd personally be chuffed to little mintballs if they got rid of that hugely annoying Kris Marshall and that equally annoying woman who plays his wife. :bangh:
It's an advert ffs! Who the hell cares "What Happens Next...."

Can't believe people actually voted for which way they wanted the ad to go....
:rolleyes: