I am now over 2 months without broadband. They supposedly ran a line test for me last week but I couldn't get anybody to tell me what the results were. I call back again today, a week after the line test. They tell me that the faults team said the problem lies with the customer (ME?!). What the !@#
I've got a tech support named Kelli who's very nice and understood that it couldn't possibly be me. She's put another fault something or other in and gave me her extension so I could call her back in a couple hours time.
My plan now is to sign up for another dial-up package so I can have a back-up besides this complimentary Wanadoo Anytime in lieu of Wireless and Talk. If I call back and nothing is done, I'm cancelling my account right then and there.
I was on 2meg ok, updated to 8meg then it went *****! (see my earlier posts)
I spoke last week to a retired BT engineer who said he would see what he could find out from colleagues, I've just got his email.
According to his colleagues at BT wholesale my line should support up to at least 5meg., I'm down to 1/2meg!!
Line tests and results should take no longer than 2 hrs (depending on workload). So what takes Wanadont so long? Spurious intermittent fault tracing can take longer but these are rare.
Repairs take an average of 48 hours or less unless it's underground, then usually up to 5 days.
No faults shown on an exchange test, yet customer still complaining of problems should be escalated up to a property visit (test from house to exchange) .
If you got 2meg previously you should still get 2meg unless,
(a) there is work being done on the line (not on mine),
(b) your line has been re-routed (IE signal now has to travel further)because of underground cable work/damage (again not mine)
(c) exchange equipment faults, and here is the crux of the problem, what is the overriding factor in all our problems, yes the dreaded LLU !
It appears BT's line from my house to the exchange is capable of in excess of 2 meg, therefore it is obvious that Wanadoos equipment and their internal connections to BT's ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE HIGHER SPEEDS.
He did also mention that the 'Wanadoo' engineers showed a lack of technical product knowledge, not their fault though more down to lack of training, lack of tech support and a rushed job!
As mentioned previously this has been known to Wanadoo for ages, why don't they just admit it ?
It would give us and customer services staff an easier life.
In answer to our calls IF we got the response :
" Yes we are having problems with the new system, we are trying to deal with it , we are not sure how long it will take to resolve, we will keep you updated by email. SORRY ".
We could accept this.
COME ON WANADOO NOW'S THE TIME TO BE HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS, THERE ARE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF LARGE BB SUPPLIERS AFTER YOUR CUSTOMERS, (BT,o2 (now Sky),VODAPHONE,ETC).
IT WON'T MATTER WHAT FANCY PACKAGE YOU OFFER IF YOU CAN'T TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH THE HONESTY AND DECENCY THAT THEY DESERVE, AND ARE PAYING FOR , YOU HAD BETTER GET MORE STAFF IN TO YOUR MIGRATION DEPT.
I've just been told that I should ask to speak to a supervisor if, by Friday, I haven't gotten broadband restored. According to Kelly, most of the LLU problems have been resolved. Could this really be true?!
In anycase, I've begun to document my woes on a daily basis at my personal blog in hopes of getting higher up the list on searches for Wanadoo/Orange broadband so that someone will be forced to pay attention to my account. Wish me luck!
I've also signed up for an AOL Anytime dial-up package so that if and when I cancel my Wanadoo Wireless & Talk, I'll still have a back-up internet connection. I'm not holding my breath that any of the money I've given to Wanadoo up to now will ever be refunded.
This is the worst experience I have ever had and I've lived in developing countries too!!!
Thanks for the post - very interesting and revealing.
You're right, the overriding frustration for me is the lack of honesty shown by Wanadoo. As you rightly said if I was contacted by Wanadoo with an HONEST explanation, together with an acknowledgement that they are aware of the problem and are working on it and they would contact me in due course, I would accept it. The problem is that we have to chase them only to be, in my opinion, lied to by their agents with regards to our problems.
The temptation to cancel my contract and pay the remainding £115 is massive, only the principle of the matter and the fact that Wanadoo would "win" with this conclusion is stopping me from doing it. The fact is as I'm being charged 50p per minute to call tech support (I'm on the starter package) if I spend just 10 mins on the phone to them a night I'll have spent £100+ in a month's time anyway!!!
I have now written to Wanadoo's Head Office, ISPA and OFCOM. I'll keep you posted with any developments.
Best of luck with your call hlei - please let me know how you get on with it.
I would be very interested to know whether anybody still within their 12 month contract has managed to cancel without paying the remainding subscription?
Neil, From what I've dug up around the 'net, I was under the impression that many have been able to cancel without paying the penalty. I don't know how these people did it, but I suspect it has to do with the person you're speaking to and how forceful you are?! If I end up having to cancel, I'll let you all know how it goes for me.
And, 1 step backwards, thanks for the good luck wishes. I'll take your bet. Pay out will be a lifetime subscription to Wanadoo Broadband.
I literally can't believe it! I'll write a further post tomorrow to fill you in on what I did (don't want to count my chickens too soon...) but I think writing to ISPA has paid off big time....
It's probably part of the the problem. Wanadoo will cease the BT IP Stream service when they move a line to LLU (Otherwise they'd be paying BT Wholesale for a service they're not using).
I didn't mean to suggest that the only reasons for a cease are changes you make to your BT billing. Though I can see how my post could be read that way.
It was always going to be a BT/Wanadoo systems/provisioning issue.
As you say, it looks like a botched transfer to LLU. And, as you say also, curious that they've moved you to 8Mbps when you were on the starter package and they wanted you to pay 50ppm for support.
Further to my post last night I can confirm that I still have 8meg broadband this morning!! (I'm still in shock)
As I mentioned I think me complaining to the ISPA may have kicked Wanadoo in to action. I emailed the ISPA yesterday to complain about the service I had received from Wanadoo (I also sent a signed letter of my complaint to the ISPA). A few of hours later I received a personalised email back from ISPA stating that they would contact Wanadoo on my behalf and try to resolve the situation within five working days. Then, just before I left work last night I received an email from Wanadoo saying that they had receievd a complaint from the ISPA and would contact me direct to try and sort it out - so it at least appeared things were going in the right direction.
At 9.30pm last night I received a phone call from Wanadoo tech support (first time in seven weeks). The agent said according to his notes the problem was still being processed by the faults management team but that due to the length of time I'd been off-line he would chase them up today and call me back on Thursday.
(You'll have to make your own minds up as to whether the call was actually my belated "technical call back" or whether it was a belated PR mission by Wanadoo as the ISPA had been on to them??)
Anyway at the end of the call as I tried my connection just on the off chance and hey presto, connected at 8meg!! (I confirm I hadn't been drinking…)
Whatever changes had been made to my connection obviously hadn't made it on to Wanadoo's notes as the agent who I'd spoken to minutes earlier said nothing had been added. Anyway, as I'm in the process of producing my own photography website I grabbed my chance to continue working on that for at least an hour last night and the connection was solid throughout. I also tried it this morning and it was still working fine at 7.5meg so (fingers crossed!!) I might be ok now.
Was it a coincedence my problem was sorted on the same day the ISPA started chasing Wanadoo? I can't be sure, but my advice to anybody in a similar situation is clear - contact the ISPA - Wanadoo are members (and sponsors) so it's well within their interest to sort out ISPA complaints.
I also let Wanadoo know in every email/letter I sent that after taking legal advice I was forwarding all correspondence to both OFCOM and the ISPA and that I was documenting my experiences on this very site.
Although in a perfect world it shouldn't be the case I think that by perhaps scaring them slightly it made them take notice - perhaps in a similar way to K who set up this site (although nowhere near his league!!)
If anything goes wrong and I can't connect over the next few days I'll let you know (my fingers are almost broke from crossing them so much….)
Joined: 21 Apr 2006Posts: 94Location: Fallowfield, Manchester
Well done and good luck with your website.
It may be just me, but I'm appalled that Wanadoo were obviously able to solve your problem so quickly once they actually tried to do so and yet spent months not doing anything (except taking your money). That doesn't mean I want your connection to still be down
You're right and I thought exactly the same thing - the realisation that the problem was indeed "a quick fix" afterall but Wanadoo did nothing about it despite countless phone calls for seven weeks is frightening.
I've not quite escaped having to sit through David Bowie's Heros yet though - I'm giving myself a couple of days off before I phone up customer support and start trying to get my seven weeks non-connection money back...!
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(I confirm I hadn't been drinking…)
