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OneTel makes a loss

pricefighter
pricefighter Posts: 2,829 Forumite
in Phones & TV
I have read in the media during the last couple of days, that Onetel and its subsidiaries make a loss,and Centrica its owners want to flog it.To concentrate on their energy companies(EG British Gas).

I wonder if Talk Talk (CPW) might buy it.I know they are looking at Homecall which is apparently up for grabs.
PF.

Comments

  • Rex_Mundi
    Rex_Mundi Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I read this a few days ago. Apparently Centrica already have a couple of buyers interested, although they are not letting on who it is yet.

    Let's hope that whoever buys Onetel can do something about the abysmal customer service. They are one of the worst companies I've come accross for trying to get any sense out of.

    I'm only with this company because of the 12 months free evening and weekend calls deal. As soon as this is over I'm switching supplier.
    How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?
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    Fish
  • pricefighter
    pricefighter Posts: 2,829 Forumite
    Rex_Mundi wrote:
    Let's hope that whoever buys Onetel can do something about the abysmal customer service. They are one of the worst companies I've come accross for trying to get any sense out of.

    Yes. Someone once said to me "They are to Customer Service, what the Titantic was to Winter Cruises" :D
    PF.
  • paul_h
    paul_h Posts: 1,074 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    To be honest, I have found the email customer services quite good - but the telephone CS is truly diabolical...
  • Rex_Mundi
    Rex_Mundi Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    pricefighter wrote:
    Yes. Someone once said to me "They are to Customer Service, what the Titantic was to Winter Cruises" :D

    That's absolutely spot on.

    I had so much trouble earlier this year trying to get a simple matter resolved, that I emailed the MD of Centrica with a long email detailing my problems and the trouble I had trying to get any sense out of the staff of Onetel.

    I was chuffed to get a call from the MDs office asking me for further info. Over the next couple of days, I received calls from a couple of heads of department of Onetel trying to help me. It was nice, but as I told them. It was a shame that I had to resort to this course of action just to get a response and any sense out of them!
    How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?
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    Fish
  • pricefighter
    pricefighter Posts: 2,829 Forumite
    This posting i just found in The Scream gives the facts and figures.

    http://www.thescream.co.uk/forums/t19766.html?
    PF.
  • Rex_Mundi
    Rex_Mundi Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    LOL.........I thought I'd read that report before!

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/15/onetel_centrica/

    They must be MSErs. It's very moneysaving to post the same report all over the place. lol
    How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?
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    Fish
  • ginger_nuts
    ginger_nuts Posts: 1,972 Forumite
    pricefighter wrote:

    I wonder if Talk Talk (CPW) might buy it.I know they are looking at Homecall which is apparently up for grabs.

    I like Talk Talk but I hope they dont get One Tel .Lets get a bit of competition in there .
  • bbb_uk
    bbb_uk Posts: 2,108 Forumite
    ginger_nuts wrote:
    I like Talk Talk but I hope they dont get One Tel .Lets get a bit of competition in there .
    I agree we do need a bit of competition and OneTel are/were in competition with TalkTalk. Apart from possibly Tele2 I don't think TalkTalk had/have much competition.

    If TalkTalk do end up buying them then I suspect that they will introduce a maximum call length of 70mins (or so) before the call becomes chargable. That's why I liked OneTel, along with free DQ but they're stopping that as well.

    I wonder if it was the free evening&weekend promotion they ran for a long time that has caused this?
    :j SayNoTo0870.com
  • ginger_nuts
    ginger_nuts Posts: 1,972 Forumite
    bbb_uk_ wrote:

    I wonder if it was the free evening&weekend promotion they ran for a long time that has caused this?

    The free evening and weekend calls shouldn't have made a difference .Surely that was a promotion to get new customers and it probably worked .
    There crap customer service and 0870 contact number wouldnt have helped . I wonder how many customers they lost over the years due to poor customer service .when I used them they couldnt even get my connection date right .when you loose a customer it is damm hard to get them back .
  • pricefighter
    pricefighter Posts: 2,829 Forumite
    This article in the register gives the latest info on the sale.

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/19/onetel_centrica
    PF.
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