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Tiscali stole my line rental from BT - watch out for this trick!
MPwannasavemoney
Posts: 190 Forumite
in Phones & TV
I have had an unbelievable number of problems with Tiscali since June when I notified them that I was moving house.
All had been well with them for years until having to actually have a dialogue with them.
I was on 1M broadband with anytime Talk package with BT line rental. The BT line rental included free caller line id (maintained by a once a month call using 1280 prefix) and 1571.
The problems started when I called to say I was going to move. No BT line at new address they said - this is needed so that broadband can be ordered and the order can not be placed until the new line is active. Fair enough I thought even though I would have to wait until possession of the keys to get the line installed.
I then used the web-site to notify Tiscali of the intended move to transfer the Talk package, giving the date of the move. Nothing on the web site about how the transfer is to be handled or how long it would take.
Tiscali decided to stop the Talk package almost immediately. The only way this we knew this had happened was that calls stopped getting through and the only way of dialling out was to use 1280.
Calling Tiscali proved fruitless. Endless passing around of the problem until finally I refused to come off the phone until I had spoken to a supervisor who promised that Talk would be re-instated within 24 hours.
Like heck it was.
In amongst the waits, the cutoffs when being transferred or put on hold etc and redialling into the 0871 number I must have been on the phone at least 6 hours in total.
They kept calling every few days to see if the phone service was alright. No it isn't I said, OK we'll fix it they said.
In the meantime I was paying BT for all the phone calls that were supposedly free in my Talk package including calls to the USA and Europe.
After the move date and the installation of the new BT line they were still calling! When I said I had moved now they said the broadband has to be enabled first which would take a few days then about 10 days for the Talk service.
Fine I thought and patiently waited. I didn't hear anything from Tiscali until 2 days after broadband was enabled, as this was working fine I said so and asked when the Talk service was going to be enabled. Oh that is a different department you have to call the 0871 number. Can't be bothered I thought not after all the first lot of calls I made.
After 2 weeks I assumed that the Talk service was enabled, so started making international calls to the US and Europe as these were supposed to be free. There was no way of telling without calling them to see if Talk was in place.
Big shock when the BT bill comes for all those phone calls - Talk still had not been enabled after 5 weeks since the BT line was in!
The next day I get a letter from Tiscali saying the Talk service would be enabled on 11th Aug and another letter saying it would be enabled on the 12th. Wonderful they can't even get the date right themselves. Wasted another call to the 0871 number to check which was the right one and to express shock that they didn't warn me it would take 6 weeks to enable the service.
12th Aug comes and goes and the line goes faint and caller line id stops working. I call the 0871 to complain and they ask am I on Tiscali line rental. No I reply I had a new BT line put in and have a 12 month commitment on their line rental. Don't worry sir we'll sort it out they said it will be enabled in a day.
A day later still not caller id. Another call to the 0871 number. Are you on Tiscali line rental. No. But our records show that you are. What do you mean how can that be you cannot take line rental without my permission surely.
So I called BT. You do not have line rental with us they said.:eek:
Back to Tiscali's 0871 number - I express deep concern at what they had done. Surely it was illegal. No they said we simply moved what you had at the old address to the new. No you haven't I never had Tiscali line rental before only call routing. Even their letter did not mention anything about line rental.
Turns out as well that I'm not on an exchange that has free line rental with Tiscali, so they have managed to get an additional line rental fee from me PLUS THE CHARGES FOR 1571 AND CALLER ID:mad:
Watch out if you move house with Tiscali - this could happen to you!
I was concerned that as I was in a 12 month contract with BT that I would be billed twice for line rental too - lucklily BT have waived the remaining charges for the term - what gents they are and so nice to speak with people from the UK without being transferred from dept to dept.
So looks like its easier to stay with Tiscali now that go back to BT. All I have to do is claim compensation from them for messing it all up leaving me with calls to their 0871 number and bills from BT for calls that should have been free.
On the plus side I've found a £19.99 a month Tiscali package I can "upgrade" to which gives me faster broadband and 25% off the line rental at £8.25 so by the time the caller id and 1571 is added back in I am very slightly better off than before.
(If you've read "Who Moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson, well I think Tiscali moved it but I found it again!
)
All had been well with them for years until having to actually have a dialogue with them.
I was on 1M broadband with anytime Talk package with BT line rental. The BT line rental included free caller line id (maintained by a once a month call using 1280 prefix) and 1571.
The problems started when I called to say I was going to move. No BT line at new address they said - this is needed so that broadband can be ordered and the order can not be placed until the new line is active. Fair enough I thought even though I would have to wait until possession of the keys to get the line installed.
I then used the web-site to notify Tiscali of the intended move to transfer the Talk package, giving the date of the move. Nothing on the web site about how the transfer is to be handled or how long it would take.
Tiscali decided to stop the Talk package almost immediately. The only way this we knew this had happened was that calls stopped getting through and the only way of dialling out was to use 1280.
Calling Tiscali proved fruitless. Endless passing around of the problem until finally I refused to come off the phone until I had spoken to a supervisor who promised that Talk would be re-instated within 24 hours.
Like heck it was.
In amongst the waits, the cutoffs when being transferred or put on hold etc and redialling into the 0871 number I must have been on the phone at least 6 hours in total.
They kept calling every few days to see if the phone service was alright. No it isn't I said, OK we'll fix it they said.
In the meantime I was paying BT for all the phone calls that were supposedly free in my Talk package including calls to the USA and Europe.
After the move date and the installation of the new BT line they were still calling! When I said I had moved now they said the broadband has to be enabled first which would take a few days then about 10 days for the Talk service.
Fine I thought and patiently waited. I didn't hear anything from Tiscali until 2 days after broadband was enabled, as this was working fine I said so and asked when the Talk service was going to be enabled. Oh that is a different department you have to call the 0871 number. Can't be bothered I thought not after all the first lot of calls I made.
After 2 weeks I assumed that the Talk service was enabled, so started making international calls to the US and Europe as these were supposed to be free. There was no way of telling without calling them to see if Talk was in place.
Big shock when the BT bill comes for all those phone calls - Talk still had not been enabled after 5 weeks since the BT line was in!
The next day I get a letter from Tiscali saying the Talk service would be enabled on 11th Aug and another letter saying it would be enabled on the 12th. Wonderful they can't even get the date right themselves. Wasted another call to the 0871 number to check which was the right one and to express shock that they didn't warn me it would take 6 weeks to enable the service.
12th Aug comes and goes and the line goes faint and caller line id stops working. I call the 0871 to complain and they ask am I on Tiscali line rental. No I reply I had a new BT line put in and have a 12 month commitment on their line rental. Don't worry sir we'll sort it out they said it will be enabled in a day.
A day later still not caller id. Another call to the 0871 number. Are you on Tiscali line rental. No. But our records show that you are. What do you mean how can that be you cannot take line rental without my permission surely.
So I called BT. You do not have line rental with us they said.:eek:
Back to Tiscali's 0871 number - I express deep concern at what they had done. Surely it was illegal. No they said we simply moved what you had at the old address to the new. No you haven't I never had Tiscali line rental before only call routing. Even their letter did not mention anything about line rental.
Turns out as well that I'm not on an exchange that has free line rental with Tiscali, so they have managed to get an additional line rental fee from me PLUS THE CHARGES FOR 1571 AND CALLER ID:mad:
Watch out if you move house with Tiscali - this could happen to you!
I was concerned that as I was in a 12 month contract with BT that I would be billed twice for line rental too - lucklily BT have waived the remaining charges for the term - what gents they are and so nice to speak with people from the UK without being transferred from dept to dept.
So looks like its easier to stay with Tiscali now that go back to BT. All I have to do is claim compensation from them for messing it all up leaving me with calls to their 0871 number and bills from BT for calls that should have been free.
On the plus side I've found a £19.99 a month Tiscali package I can "upgrade" to which gives me faster broadband and 25% off the line rental at £8.25 so by the time the caller id and 1571 is added back in I am very slightly better off than before.
(If you've read "Who Moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson, well I think Tiscali moved it but I found it again!
) 0
Comments
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But now you have to deal with their appalling customer service for both Line Rental and Broadband is it really worth it?
Report them to Ofcom for slamming you.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/landline/slamming/0 -
Bufflowbill wrote: »But now you have to deal with their appalling customer service for both Line Rental and Broadband is it really worth it?
Report them to Ofcom for slamming you.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/landline/slamming/
Yes I agree I have to deal with them for both but right now its less hassle than trying to get it all put back.
Thanks for the OFCOM tip - I've filed a complaint.0 -
I have had so much trouble from Tiscali. Took nearly a month to get up and running with loads of chasing up and an email to their CEO! Was told couldn't have a line, tried BT who said Tiscali have it!!
Ordered Anytime and it took ages to go live.
Problems with billing, email set up wrongly.
Sick of poor English Speaking call centres.
I just pray that nothing goes wrong!!! Good value £20 for LR/Calls/BB BUT HASSLE!!0
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