Must Read: ZDNet readers on BT Pt II
The quote from Marc Deschamps, explaining why openworld was more than half a year late. "We never release anything until it is fully tested". Should you not have tried testing your kit at the exchanges as well guvnor!
Even better I tried to find a number to complain to but they seem to have every department apart from a complaints one! After an hour of merry go-rounding all their departments I gave up.
If you are in touch with BTopenworld can you please ask Mr Deschamps to call me and explain why I have no ADSL service and nowhere to complain to. Oh and don't forget to ask him what compensation I'm getting for being one of the people who's personal details were exposed on their website last March.
Michael Tortolano, Edinburgh.
Angry reader number three
I was given an installation date (18th Oct, they changed to 11th Oct)
6th Oct they advise can't install; distance too great -- point out my two lines both less than 3km, whereupon they suggest decibel loss (40db turns out ok) then nanofarad capacitance (140). The man I talk to (Tom) doesn't work for BT or openworld, but for Manpower.
So, if the line is ok, can you go ahead & install; no have to conduct a survey of the line (you just did! -- what was all that nanofarad business?) no, have to do another one, call you on Monday (as if...)
Thursday 12th -- no exaggeration -- 27 calls to 150, 0800 169 8639 (Openworld), 0800545458 (Complaint Review), 01392 212408 (Liz Biscoe, Chairman's office), 0800 132 001 (Paul Henry, Marketing) -- all claim not their responsibility / separate company & pass me either to each other or, on 4 occasions, incredibly, back to Tom from Manpower.
At risk of stating obvious, no calls returned, people disappear on extended breaks or simply hang up. I have all names & conversations noted & can identify one or two prime assholes.
Status: Order TBZ325TH initially raised on 27/09 and scheduled for installation on 11/10 now subsumed into complaint 7973970TH, last known status (12/10) "with External Planning Drawing Dept" (quote from Liz Biscoe on 01392 212408). Paul Henry promised to revert with answer by close of 13/10, currently 5.20pm and no call / no reply from his number, I am at this moment still holding for Openworld on 0800 169 8639 after 32 mins 46 secs and still have NO IDEA AT ALL WHETHER AND WHEN THE SERVICE WHICH BT PROMISED THEY WOULD INSTALL 2 DAYS AGO CAN OR WILL BE INSTALLED.
Issues:
a) How can they give me an install date without checking feasibility (e.g line distance)?:
b) What prompted them to cancel on 7th -- it can't have been the reason they cited (Distance >3.5km) because, as they have subsequently confirmed, my two lines are 2.96 and 3.1 km respectively.
c) What's all this decibel & nanofarad business; surely, if the line is of poor quality, that's a BT issue, although quite honestly I'm fairly sure that, if the decibels and the nanofarads didn't get me, it would be blamed on the Klingons or leaves on the track.
d) More importantly, how come the only person I can ever get sense out of is poor old Tom from Manpower? On one occasion I called 150 to complain that, as I pay my phone bill to BT, I wanted to speak to a BT Customer Service Manager, not a Temp -- three redirections later and I am back on the line to....Tom from Manpower. On another occasion I received an undertaking from Lee at Openworld that a Manager would call me back; 30 mins later I received a phone call from......Tom from Manpower
Conclusion:
These people are charlatans and all stations south of useless. BT should be disbanded, save for one caveat (I live in Bracknell, and know what I am talking about here:)
"Please, please, whatever you do, for God's sake don't take BT away and leave us with a de facto NTL monopoly". For those of you mercifully unscathed by the ravages of NTL, mark my words and bow down before BT, double quick.....
Postscript: still holding on 0800 169 8639 for Openworld after 44 mins 25 seconds, no call from Paul Henry, Friday Night beckons
Andrew Carter
Take me to Part Three.
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