Fast4/V21/Biscit (merged threads)

oap

http://v21status.biscit.net/index.php

GuessWho_2

Nix wrote:

Interesting little post here in case you guys and gals haven't seen it yet... :think:

Interesting thread Nix, certainly food for thought, but i think there may be some differences.
TT were offering some people a service that they couldn't provide, so are probably in breach . .

The situation here is that the service has been poor or non-existent at times

As the service (dialup) is not advertised as "always on", or as business standard, with guaranteed max down times, it is unlikely anyone would be successful on that front.

However, if Biscit refuse cancellations, and continue to do so after certain actions are taken, then there may be scope for action there.

just my opinion . . .

GuessWho_2

Hi exprog,

exprog wrote:

Again, if they were to be given the benefit of the doubt, the issue is not the difficulty of sending an email but perhaps them being confident that the accounts and their own 'cancel account' software are in a state where accounts can be safely cancelled; no-one would benefit from their using unreliable software that might randomly cacel the wrong account if it worked at all. I don't know the real situation but merely feel that, at this stage, there could be an innocent explanation.

i will be in a much better position to comment on that situation in a couple of days . . .

exprog wrote:

I really think that at the moment I'm waiting to see where the dust has settled in, say, a couple of weeks. When and if new and unacceptable terms and conditions are made known I will expect to be allowed to leave on the terms previously agreed i.e. instantly.

You may need to watch out for any new terms that are published which may make yours redundant.

I hope, for your sake, that your plan for getting out is watertight

Regards

GuessWho_2

Hi oap,

oap wrote:

are these isp's all the same?

These kind of threads do shake your faith in the system, but no, they're not all the same (quite)

oap wrote:

I do have a friend who has been with Tiscali for four years and never had a problem!!

i had heard there were one or two; question is, who's the other one??

Regards

Nix

oap wrote:

...are these isp's all the same?

No ISP appears to have the will to give top grade service with non-inflated charges and therein lies the problem for the majority of us. It just doesn't appear to be cost effective.

Shame really 'cos, if just one tried it, I believe everybody would win, including the ISP! :j

Or is that just too simple? :think:

Looking over the last few million posts or so, I can't help but notice that an effort in simple communication would solve so many problems. What is it in this world today that makes people in these businesses act the way they do? Is it this incredibly short sighted business sense that just takes over, safe in the knowledge that there are always more fish in the sea to keep the share holders happy and profits healthy? Perhaps it's the people themselves who are generally unhappy and stressed out? Let's face it, despite our western world wealth and luxuries, our happiness levels haven't exactly been soaring. Maybe the modern communication network that rarely sees you face to face? Perhaps the feeling that we're all just living to work and not working to live? Looking at our own government...er...let's not go there, my own happiness level will disappear altogether! :rolleyes:

Just wondering...

GuessWho_2

I thought i read someplace ........

JoanneJ

Guess Who stated re taking F4/V21/Biscit to court (as T/T have been successfully sued):

"As the service (dialup) is not advertised as "always on", or as business standard, with guaranteed max down times, it is unlikely anyone would be successful on that front."

But UNLIMITED DIAL UP surely means just that; UNLIMITED?

With D/U use

1) you do not get fast download speeds (I get nothing above 31.2 kbps) so cannot easily access video/music/flash sites (and even software updates can take longer than the 2 hour cut-off point to finish d/load so stifle maintenance),

2) you cannot use landline phone whilst online, and

3) the 2 hour max cut-off point proves very inconvenient if in the midst of a online transaction etc.

So this is definitely NOT a B/B service. therefore it surely only merits a £5 monthly charge when B/B can be purchased for £10 P/M.

When F4/V21/Biscit have

1) FAILED to provide even that flawed UNLIMITED DIAL UP service to me from 19/11/06 to 3/11/06,

2) have caused me to miss out on expected habitual use of banking/utilities services,

3) have destroyed habitual use of goods purchasing routines etc online, due to being denied any net access (even Biscit issued 0845 numbers failed to work),

4) took THREE monthly payments over 5 days

5) managed a TOTAL failure to communicate to customers (from all 3 companies involved) via phone/email/letter (all requested repeatedly at great time/financial expense)

then I am surely allowed to sue for compensation; as Cullin has done successfully with T/T.

Also anyone care to explain why a company (Biscit) with apparently 36,000 customers only has a physically contactable address in a grubby looking, single staff member operated 'estate' agency 'shop' at

9 Hale Lane Mill Hil London NW7 3NU????

GuessWho_2

Hi JoanneJ,

I will attempt to answer some of your points, but remember, it is only my opinion

JoanneJ wrote:

But UNLIMITED DIAL UP surely means just that; UNLIMITED?

I appreciate what you are saying JoanneJ, but you are taking the term at face value and applying logic.
I'm afraid the ISP industry doesn't think quite like that!

The use of the word *unlimited* is really now a misnomer.

I also appreciate the problem is less acute with dialup accounts, where the download speeds are much slower, but that still does not guarantee you a connection for 24/7

Within your terms there will be a clause similar to

"we apply the following restrictions: This is not an “always on” service "

they also say (within my terms):-

If usage is such that it is significantly affecting service to other users we will instigate congestion control measures. This is necessary to allow all subscribers access to the service.

So it is clearly not designed to be used for 24/7 downloading (even dialup)


Also, although systems failed, extra measures were put in place. The fact that they didn't work is probably immaterial. At least in the view of the law - they tried !

So it's only my opinion that a case for poor or lost service would probably fail


Incidentally, most BB contracts will now also include a FUP (Fair User Policy) which will usually be fairly woolly but warn users of excessive downloading (often without giving hard figures)
This is often used by the ISP at their own discretion.


The issue regarding the extra billing needs to be first of all approached by informing the company. If they fail to act or respond, then further action can be taken.

I couldn't possibly comment on the address which is registered at Companies House!!!

Don't get me wrong. I am on your side. I want to cancel my account for various reasons but have so far not been able to. I really do hope to have better success this week.
But i will not be attempting to start any claims procedure.
If you are serious about this, can i suggest you do get further advice first? At least speak to the CAB (citizens Advice Bureau) if no one else.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/winnn6/index

I think Cullin's case was probably a little more straight forward.

Perhaps someone has other views on this ??


By the way, for downloading large files with dialup it is best to use a download manager
(software that controls the download, so that if the connection is lost it will pick up where it left off, onced re-connected) Probably won't work on streams though.
and to be fair, they do actually suggest use of a download manager in the terms (mine)

So, just to recap, the terms are everything in these situations,

Regards

spud17

Joanne,
The observation re dialup speed depends on BT's infrastructure (I think) much the same as BB speeds.
F4/v21/biscit has consistantly been the fastest of the 4 I have tried .I have gone online 4 times today at 46,45 36 and 32 so for me this is one reason why I'll probably stay.
This is not meant to sound as if I am boasting that my speed is faster than yours!
Regarding extra payments being taken, I eventually got a call back assuring me I would be reimbursed by last Friday -I'm still waiting.
I can now send email but still cannot receive despite trying every combination of password suggested here and elsewhere.
The 2 hour cut off seems to be random,in the past I have been online 4hrs+,today over 2hrs at one stage (keep this quiet).
Being fairly new to this I am trying to fathom out a download manager I found on techsupportalert.comthis should help with interrupted downloads.
Heres to another week battling to get everything back as it should be.

Capt_Slog

GuessWho wrote:

I saw this link on another forum and caretaker's blog which may amuse anyone who hasn't seen it



Now you can watch live updating on no. of tickets etc..

Apparently only one ticket answered yesterday

I thought i read someplace they were gonna blitz these at the weekend
Hmmm....must have been dreaming again

Oldest ticket "26 days 2hours" !!! :eek:

I wonder if that's mine? :rolleyes:

Still no connection and coming up to the date when they take the next payment, had no service since the last payment.