Is your phone & broadband provider any good?

Thommo2

I use the Phone co-op - great customer service - installation and house move both handled immediately, rather than BT "6 weeks" prediction - good rates phone / mobile / broadband, exemplary customer care AND ++++ for Martin - surprised you haven't picked this one up !!!! - join as a member for £1 and you get Dividend /shares back - proportionate to your useage / bill - last year I got £11.47 Dividend plus £0.57p interrest - FOR NOTHING!!

SHOULD be recommended by MSE, I think!! :T

stmartinsdiver

My major grouse with the Post Office is not the Broadband service which is fast and reliable, but the technical support. We've had problems with their email server stopping at the same time every evening for over 6 months, and they just don't want to know. After all the usual excuses, eventually one of their Customer Service people admitted to me this was a known problem but he could not get their technical staff to investigate it! Despite providing masses of evidence they don't even bother responding to emails. We've even been told that they don't support their Webspace offering.
What a diabolical shambles they are. When it works it's great - when it breakls you're on your own!

Mark_In_Hampshire

MSE_Archna wrote: »

For each of the following providers, you can vote Good, OK or Poor.

AOL
BE
BT
Kingston communications
O2
Orange
Plusnet
Post Office
Primus
Sky
TalkTalk
Utility Warehouse
Virgin
None

OR

I don't have broadband
I don't have home phone

I've always been bemused by why people keep moving from Talk Talk, to BT or indeed any of the big players, then back again, complaining that they're both absolutely useless.

In my experience smaller companies with much more to lose are the ones to go for.

And they're the best rated ones.

And they're missing.

IDNET
AAISP

.. jump out immediately - they're among the best rated ISPs and you can't vote for them. (Line + broadband)

Zen seems to have been added now.

It can hardly be a poll of the best providers when it misses out the option to vote for the companies which have consistently been considered the best for years running.

Eclipse is one obvious one missing from the ISP list. www.ispreview.co.uk has a good list of all ISPs.

In addition, to get a better quality of result, Virgin Media needs splitting between cable and national as they are entirely separate services, the former being well rated and the latter being appallingly rated.

This hits on an infrastructual point. Only Virgin Media has its own network and everyone else (barring a small number of local projects) has to deliver their services over often knackered, creaking phone lines.

Here we can get ADSL and we used to have Zen Internet who supplied a 1.7Mbps service down, 448knps up with a profile (what the line is capable of) of 1750.

We now use Three 3G which is 5Mbps to 6Mbps down 1.5Mbps up.

In fairness, I should rate Zen highly, and do, notwithstanding the lack of infrastructure which means they struggle to get the service to me. However on the strength of the actual performance supplied:

Do I rate Zen as being absolutely appalling, and Three as being excellent?

linni

I know that i'm going to be shot down in flames but I've been with TalkTalk for several years and, so far, i've not had any problems with them. I dare say one day I will have a problem and regret what i'm saying!

Gardenite

I've only given Sky a "good" rating because I actually asked when switching to them whether the line would interfere with my phone and they said "no".

In actually fact, my phone doesn't always ring when I'm on the internet. I just hear the ansaphone clicking on. Sometimes the ansaphone message disappears and people just can't get through as it doesn't ring or let them leave a message. Sometimes it switches from "you can leave a message" to "you cannot leave a message" and again, I have no idea who has been trying to get through if I'm not in the room with the ansaphone and therefore don't hear the "click".

Also, can't play back any message when the internet is on and sometimes can't even use my call list to call someone until I switch the modem off.

missminx

My current provider isn't listed, but it is Vodafone and they are brilliant. Super helpful, very good customer service (far better than Vodafone mobile). Really pleased with them.
Previous provider was Post Office Broadband and they are the worst I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. Even complained to Ofcom, but the PO just flat out lied to them so it's an on-going dispute :mad:.

karanda

What about Onetel? I know they are part of Talk-Talk now, but them seem to operate completely separately, and their customer service is excellent now they have pulled their service centre back into the UK from India. Real people at the end of a phone, who have authority to deal with queries, issues etc. I get a good bundle deal from them considering I live in the middle of nowhere. It isn't their fault broadband can be slow at times, its the fact that the rural areas have been really let down by poor planning and investment by BT.

millie

linni wrote: »

I know that i'm going to be shot down in flames but I've been with TalkTalk for several years and, so far, i've not had any problems with them. I dare say one day I will have a problem and regret what i'm saying!

I have also been with them for years and agree with you never had a problem.

Miró

linni wrote: »

I know that i'm going to be shot down in flames but I've been with TalkTalk for several years and, so far, i've not had any problems with them. I dare say one day I will have a problem and regret what i'm saying!

I've been with TalkTalk for nearly 3 years now. The setting up time was a nightmare but that was more to do with the previous supplier being difficult. Have been perfectly happy with TalkTalk since things have been up and running.

Solly_Atwell

All those of you switching providers, be thankful you have a choice.
If you want fixed line broadband in Kingston Upon Hull you HAVE NO choice other than Kingston Communications. :mad:
You are at their mercy for supply and price.