Tried to leave Tiscali / Pipex today.

aylesby

My broadband and line rental has been increased without my agreement this month; Pipex will give me a MAC code but claim I have to pay up their contract to 29.03.2011 because they had sent me a letter extending the contract. I know nothing about this letter.
The contract started with Toucan in 2007 and having printed out my last six moths of Pipex bills I have received no discounts that could be a consideration for an extended contract.
Their call centre is 5p a minute speaks poor English and is inefficient.
Can they do this?

Gloomendoom

TalkTalk seem to think they can do what they want. Be wary of anything they say. I have been in a dispute with them for that last few months. Their customer service is absolutely appalling. They give you a different story each time you ring, promise to do things, and then change their minds. I have been going round in circles for months.

I'm not sure if TalkTalk administration is just grossly incompetent, or it is a deliberate policy to wear you down to such an extent that, for the sake of your sanity, you just shut up and pay up.

If I were you I would stop phoning and write, or at least look at saynoto0870.com to find alternative geographical numbers.


TalkTalk Customer Relations Team
PO Box 15323
Birmingham
B46 9BW


The complaints procedure can be found in the TalkTalk Code of Practice, section 9.

bagnut

I came back from holiday to find a letter from Pipex stating that they had successfully installed some of the latest technology in my local exchange and that my line would move onto this new service on the 5th May 2010. Since then I have not been able to use the 1899.com cheap call service and I have lost my ID caller service.

I rang Pipex to enquiry why I had lost these services and was it due to this new technology. I was informed that that was the case and if I wanted to reinstate the caller ID service I would have to pay £1.75 a month. Pipex have just increased their line rental and broadband charges so I was not happy to give them another £1.75 for a previously free service.

I have had other issues with Pipex since they took over Toucan so I came to the conclusion that it was now time to switch providers. So being an Orange mobile contract customer I rang Orange to ask about switching to their telephone and broadband package. I was informed by Orange that my landline number was not recognised by their system and that this was due to Pipex removing my number from the BT exchange, and if I wanted to move providers then I would have to purchase another telephone line (this would cost £150 from BT).

I was not aware that Pipex had removed my line from the BT exchange. Can they do this?

Empty_pockets

I was with them.

Paid £6.99 suddenly went up to £14.99, sent me a letter apparently.


They refused to reduce it back to £6.99 as they are now talk talk and have done line upgrades.Funny, doesnt seem any better and I thought i already paid BT a premium for line upgrades!

Most galling thing is the talk talk ads on TV offering it for £6.99!!

Was told i'd not get it cheaper elsewhere.

O2BB with cashback works out about £2.50pm!!

aylesby

Followed the above advice and goggled Pipex code of practice, found their complaints procedure which is internet based and precise in its requirements so going wrong is easy but I made my case. The quicker you stop telephoning the better.

Pipex / Tiscali have now waived their closure charges to March 2011 but I do not know what they have done to my land line and what it will cost to reconnect. This is an extract from their Email can someone explain what problems and cost facing me in getting away from them?

…..As your services are provided over what is known as a MPF line - meaning that the equipment at the exchange belongs to Pipex - a MAC (Migration Authorisation Code) would not work for your broadband service, and it is not possible to generate one. You would need to speak to your chosen provider in the first instance to discuss re-connecting to a BT line (your new provider will need to perform a Return to Range Holder request). Once this is done, please call our Cancellations Department on 0871 6633 300 to arrange cancellation of your Pipex account….

From samknows my LLU choices are O2 and BE or stay with Tiscali. Another option is ASDL with BT.

ANGLICANPAT

My friend rang me earlier saying his pc was showing no network available. He was with Pipex but thought it had automatically been taken over by Talk Talk. Reading the posts here, it seems Pipex is still around .Is that right? Im trying to work out if he would complain to Pipex or Talk Talk. (He hasnt found any of his paperwork yet to clarify who bills are going to etc ) Im thinking maybe hes missed something he should have done to maintain connection if theres been some sort of changeover.

spike7451

bagnut wrote: »

I came back from holiday to find a letter from Pipex stating that they had successfully installed some of the latest technology in my local exchange and that my line would move onto this new service on the 5th May 2010. Since then I have not been able to use the 1899.com cheap call service and I have lost my ID caller service.

I rang Pipex to enquiry why I had lost these services and was it due to this new technology. I was informed that that was the case and if I wanted to reinstate the caller ID service I would have to pay £1.75 a month. Pipex have just increased their line rental and broadband charges so I was not happy to give them another £1.75 for a previously free service.

I have had other issues with Pipex since they took over Toucan so I came to the conclusion that it was now time to switch providers. So being an Orange mobile contract customer I rang Orange to ask about switching to their telephone and broadband package. I was informed by Orange that my landline number was not recognised by their system and that this was due to Pipex removing my number from the BT exchange, and if I wanted to move providers then I would have to purchase another telephone line (this would cost £150 from BT).

I was not aware that Pipex had removed my line from the BT exchange. Can they do this?

When I worked for Sky Broadband,Talk Talk did the same to hundreds of Sky Broadband customers who had their phone with TTalk,telling them they'd have to get their bband from them,TTalk.
As Sky bband was out less than a year,this left them in a sticky financial situation.

cmylod

I left Pipex in 2007 after 2 weeks of no signal on the line - their support was a disaster: every day I'd get a call-us text, the daily call was to "check your microfilter". That wore thin quickly, so I got a MAC after my 5 loyal years and legged it with 1 month's compensation for a clear crap service.

March 2010, I'm minding my own business when a Pipex letter informs me they want (wait for it) 70.000001 quid "or else". Or else what? They'd "suspend" the serive they haven't provided for 3 years. Soap opera continued: they "suspended" the broadband in their tiny minds, then they "cancelled" it, and *bang* I got a welcome-to-Pipex email saying "it's now turned on!" All a piece of uninteresting fiction. Actions taken: repliy to the email - it bounced; report them to the DPA commissionair with evidence (Square-root of f'all result, the UK Office is asleep at the wheel), Consumer Direct (they're awake - wait for any actual paperwork if they're chasing an imaginary bill).

As regards slamming your voice phone service: yes, they tried that on me in 2006ish. I have a BT block on slamming, BT's tech side were very swift to recognise Pipex's Homecall mess-up and reversed it, I had a very good chat with the BT (Openreach) person who fixed this and saw what a mess Pipex were becoming when the Italian cowboys rode in.

Motto: even if you're ok with P, T, TT, plan to run a mile from them. The stench is too strong. Your service is doomed!

antdad

bagnut wrote: »

I have had other issues with Pipex since they took over Toucan so I came to the conclusion that it was now time to switch providers. So being an Orange mobile contract customer I rang Orange to ask about switching to their telephone and broadband package. I was informed by Orange that my landline number was not recognised by their system and that this was due to Pipex removing my number from the BT exchange, and if I wanted to move providers then I would have to purchase another telephone line (this would cost £150 from BT).

I was not aware that Pipex had removed my line from the BT exchange. Can they do this?

Exactly what happened to me...it seems it was in the small print somewhere, I also contacted Orange and they told me to get a line installed by the Post Office and then ask Pipex if they would kindly transfer my number.

I'm not under contract but there anything I can do or am I locked in with Pipex?

meggsy

Pipex were once a great ISP but they were brought down by Tiscali.

Customer service was terrible when I left 2 years ago for Zen Internet. Pipex still use their own letterheads and last week I received one of them telling me that I owe them money for my telephone service, this was a 'letter before action'

I didn't have their Homecall service only BB and the account number doesn't relate to me either, so I guess that the tradition of getting everything wrong is continuing with TalkTalk

I won't bother trying to ring them, even letters seem to go astray. I put my complaint through ISPA and it was eventually resolved, now they have decided to pop up and annoy me once again :mad:
(I notice that Pipex/TalkTalk are no longer members of ISPA)

bloop_2

I'm currently going through something like this too!

In March 2010 I was suddenly charged £29.96 after paying £9.99 for the last 3-4 years. I phoned to ask why; thinking it was some sort of crazy usage thing that pushed the price up, and was shocked to hear that it was actually because Talk Talk has changed all existing PIPEX customers to their top-of-the-range tariff!!!

Apparently they sent me a letter, which I didn't receive, stating this. I asked for a refund as I'd not agreed to the change in tariff and it was refused (shock horror). I asked for my MAC code and cancelled the account (and my direct debit), and have subsequently moved to Zen (never going for a longer than 1 month contract again!). I couldn't believe a company could act like this and fraudulently take money from me.

Thinking how good life was (Zen internet is great) I received a letter from Pipex at the beginning of June asking for ~£230!!! After phoning they confirmed that they incorrectly applied a termination fee, which they agreed to waive and said I would not hear any more from them. However, since then I have received more letters including the threat of passing the debt to external debt collection.

I'm kind of hoping they do, because if they pass my details on they are in breach of the Data Protection Act. This will get them in a bit of trouble (lots if they do it to often and enough people complain).

With each letter I have phoned their customer services, who tell you reassuring stuff, but you still get the letters! So I've written a letter of complaint (guess what -no response yet!), in order to push ahead and get the ombudsman involved.

I'm asking for recompense for the phone calls, the fraudulently taken money and stress/time lost from work and with family.

I bet there are plenty more of you out there getting harassed by Pipex/Talk Talk!!!!!!!