SSE broadband feedback

dpc1979

Well i wasn't getting what i was sold. I allowed them the chance to fix which it was'nt I informed them when i first reported the fault that i was also making it a formal complaint. When they told me they could'nt find a fault I told them to send me a deadlock letter and i would send that with the data from the Sam Know's Ofcom box to the ombudsman(SSE has six weeks to respond to a complaint) http://www.ombudsman-services.org/handling-complaints.html

I gave SSE the option of a deadlock letter or allow me to leave my contract without penalties which they agreed to.

Remember to make your complaint formal - USE http://www.resolver.co.uk/ if you need help

GET evidence to support your claim - Speed test results from different sources testmy.net or http://test3.speedtest.btwholesale.com/

And dont be fobbed off ask for a time scale and keep it logged and make sure they know that you will take it to the Ombudsman if your not happy, They will charge SSE around £550 just for looking at the complaint as long as you have a deadlock letter.

also read http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/im-not-getting-the-broadband-speed-i-was-promised-what-can-i-do

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/complain/phone-and-broadband-complaints/adr/

malakoffee

I've taken the standard broadband.
Old ISP : Plusnet
New ISP : SSE

New service date : 29th Oct 15

Various emails from Plusnet stating a "cease" on 28th Oct, then "service cancelled" on 5th Nov ! ? !

I left the old router in place - expecting the dsl signal to drop out at some point ( at which point I would connect the SSE router/modem ).

Nothing happened. Service on Plusnet as normal.

30th Oct - phoned SSE
First they said that SSE was running so Plusnet could NOT be running. After tech consultation they said definitely switch the router in order to pick up their service.

Now I know - both services ARE running simultaneously.

I guess it is the dsl Username & password, within the router that determine which service is picked up.

I hope this info helps folks avoid being billed by both services.

Raywill

Hallo again,
You mentioned blacklisting. The credit-scoring firms do not operate on the basis of hearsay or disputed bills. That would be too risky. They store recorded data that cannot be disputed. So if you owe £10 on your credit card they record that until you pay it off. What you have to beware of is being sued and losing the case in court. In other words, a County Court Judgement or CCJ . And a High Court Judgement, too, if it is a bigger amount. If you pay off your Judgement in full I am not sure how long it stays on your file. Different credit-scorers may have different rules. I know people who have trouble buying from mail-order companies because they are high-net-worth individuals, with no credit cards and no money borrowed, and, of course, no nasty CCJs! In other words, to some credit-scoring companies they do not exist!

Beccicorni

Switched as it sounded a good deal, sadly to good to be true. Internet speeds less than half what was advertised. Internet often goes offline for no apparent reason. Worst bit of all is when you try and speak to anyone it takes a MINIMUM of 25 minutes to get through to anyone! Wish we'd stayed with BT despite the price!

Dominic123

Installation and switch from BT went smoothly and it works pretty well.
However buyers beware – the Parental Control features you may have become used to at BT are not there.
(That's to say - limiting content, not hours. The router can restrict hours).
The 'Internet Security Suite' login username & code supplied, as reported elsewhere in this thread, did not work. A nice guy in the SSE Portsmouth Call Centre said this was a known issue. He did clear this in 48 hours, but this confirmed that all that is on offer is a rather clunky Windows application.
No Mac or Android option. Netintelligence.com who make the suite do offer an iOS app, but what's needed is control at the router/ISP level - for every laptop, phone and ipod / tablet.
I am cross this was not made clear in the offer.

My plan is to buy a Netgear R6250 or similar because Netgear make a big thing about parental control features through their 'Genie' app.
But I do feel bounced into this.

The TG589vac router supplied by SSE is apparently not able to be set up for 'OpenDNS' filtering (I'm learning more than I really wanted about all this). The particular router is hard to research, but it seems that way.

Search for ... support.opendns.com Technicolor-Router-Configuration

The Netgear system seems easy-ish to use.
Any better ideas welcomed.

gassieb

gassieb wrote: »

Our move to SSE broadband has been fraught with !!!! ups and delays.
The staff are very polite and personable but the left hand does not seem to know what the right hand is doing.

25/5 - We agreed with SSE verbally to move our broadband to them. We are on a LLU line so did not need a Mac Code. However, because of this there may be a 7/10 day period without broadband because they say they have to close the LLU line and then reapply to BT to get another one up and running. This is inconvenient to us as we run our business from home but we accepted this.

16/6 - Without notice our broadband/phone was cut off. We rang our old supplier who said the line was dead and registered a fault on the line. I rang SSE to enquire if they had an installation date - the lady advised phone line being installed today! Therefore, I had to ring back the old supplier to advise there was no fault on the line – it is dead because it is being moved without our having been given notice.

22/6 - We don’t actually use the phone part of the broadband package because we use my partners business phone line (which is cheaper). I assumed the phone line must be up and running as I had received a couple of phone calls on the ‘new line’ (though asking for the wrong person). I rang SSE to enquire when the broadband aspect would be installed. They told me they use a ‘daisy’ system and when the phone goes ‘green’ on their system they issue the broadband side of things. Turns out our phone line is not working and still ‘amber’ on their system. After a lot of faffing around the phone line is confirmed working but still ‘amber’ on their system. I am past through to the resolution manager who informs me it is lucky I phoned because they wouldn’t have known it was still ‘amber’ unless a customer informed them. Because we don’t use the phone aspect it could have been a considerable time before we were aware there was an issue. I am told the phone should go ‘green’ tomorrow to enable the broadband aspect to be instigated and ‘fast tracked’ to get broadband running this Friday. This sounds hopeful.

23/6 - Resolutions Manager phones to inform me phone still ‘amber’ on their system therefore won’t be able to be fast tracked now and is likely to be installed 7th/8th July 2015. She said she would file a query with BT Open Reach and give them 48 hours to respond.

26/6 - Phoned but Resolutions Manager not in so referred to lady on broadband section (Hannah) who said she was d/w the case. Phone now ‘green’ on the daisy system but broadband is shown as being incompatible. I query how this can be as we’ve been on broadband on that line since 2006!! She promised to look into and resolve this matter and get back a.s.a.p

29/6 - Hannah advised BT are going to ‘update our line’ but their open case will not be resolved until Fri 3rd July. She will then put the broadband order in and it will be ‘Fast Tracked’ so we should be up and running by Fri 10th July. I was assured it would be up and running by then.

1/7 – Curious clicking noise on new line when my mother rings by mobile. Is this because BT are doing something? (We’ve not had this issue before).

6/7 - Hannah phoned and left a message to advise broadband ordered to go live on 20th July (!) However, the line is still showing as live with our old supplier (!!) so can’t be ‘fast tracked’ and we may need to request a migration. I was furious upon listening to this message as it is now 22 days since the exchange began and now the intimation is that we will have to wait another 14 days on top of the 22 days and there is still a supposed problem of us being still connected to our old supplier (Which didn’t seem possible as we had an LLU line that couldn’t be migrated). I phoned Hannah (who is very pleasant to speak to). She advised the broadband router had been ordered. I said we received it today. She said this couldn’t be possible as she only ordered it this morning and it was early afternoon. It was decided I connect the router and when I did so, the reason the line was shown as live was because it was actually live with SSE and Hannah seemed oblivious to this! (Right hand not knowing what left hand doing it seems). We were offered a maximum of £20 for the inconvenience.

9/7 - A 2nd router arrives today! (Did Hannah not cancel the order?) Will there be other complications to do with us now having two routers….charged for two lines or one cut off? We hope not but owing to the hash up setting us up, I do not have much confidence). The deal was for ‘up to 18mb’ and when the verbal agreement was made we were assured we’d get at least 12mb (This was double our previous suppliers figures. I understand, it takes 2 weeks for the broadband to reach it’s expected speed. I hope so, because thus far the speed (upload and download) is woefully short of our previous supplier (Home Telecom)…who incidentally have charged us a disconnection fee!

12/7 - Curious clicking noise returns to new phone when speaking to my mother again (Though this time via her landline) – I have spoken to her between the 1st clicking noise of 1/7 and today without any clicking issue. Could BT be working on our line to set up the 2nd router they’ve erroneously sent us??

To sum up so far – If I’d realised the hassle we would have had in moving to SSE broadband, I would not have done so. At no point have we received any communication in writing telling us when either the phone or the Broadband agreement is due to officially start. Despite them being very polite to talk to I have found them inept and could not recommend them.

Just thought I'd update you to advise we've only just recieved our SSE talk account number - 5 months after joining them! They've also sent a letter dated 21st October 2015 telling us our telephone service will be up and running by 22nd June 2015! They've asked us to complete a DD form, which we'd already done when we applied for the service in May. They've yet to make any deductions from us nor have they credited us with the promised compensation for their !!!! ups. I sent a lengthy email to their Resolutions Manager today (1st November) - had an auto response telling me the lady is away until 1st September 2015!!!! Can't they do anything right? To summerise : Don't join them!

malakoffee

It all looks like a very mixed picture.
What we cannot see here is any comparison between :-
1) Switching from OLD ISP to SSE
2) Switching from OLD ISP to ANY OTHER ISP
i.e. the comparative performance

I must be one of the lucky ones ( silent majority ? )

The switch went according to schedule with no loss of dsl at any point. ( In reality the two ISPs running simultaneously for a number of days on the same line !! )

Having used the standard broadband for a number of days now :-
The speed is at least as good as the previous ISP.
Solid connection with no dropouts.

I've been using Linux for years, so the inability to use their "Internet Security Suite" is no loss.

So far, so good for me. I do have great sympathy for those who have had a bad switch though. . . . frustrating, stressful and bounding on the surreal.

PS. And I.A.C. ( Indirect Access Codes ) are working for the phone calls too. e.g. 18185

dpc1979

Well switching from SSE back to BT took two weeks for BOTH landline and broadband.

I got given what speed i should be getting in a range and also a minimum speed.

I got given all documents/contract sent to me before going live.

The process switch to BT was a pleasure and in comparison to SSE its like comparing M&S to Happy Shopper!

edit
I also got £160 quidco cash back and a £100 sainsburys gift card

stevenpc

have to agree with malakoffee my switch from tt to sse was as smooth as a babys B.Service has been first class on adsl speed a steady 15+no dropouts has peeked at +16 at times compaired to steady 12 from tt thats as long as we didnt have any bad weather)also never had any problems when ive contacted them on the phone.
I had a phone call from tt today made me even happier as i couldnt understand a word it is such a joy to speak to sse staff they are pleasant polite and english i have to give sse 5stars.

GarbageGuy

Dominic123 look in Netintelligence under managed internet, there is all sorts of blocking options including adult content.

I had the engineer out yesterday and he was testing my line upto 60mbs and was very happy with it, until I asked him to do some download tests, then it all went wrong some pages wouldnt even load on testmynet, he said " oh its Daisy "
A few hours later I phoned SSE for an update to my complaint, after about an hour I was given the BB faults number ( 08001975446) as this would be quicker.
Guy on faults said go to thinkbroadband and download a sample 512mb file ( which I have been doing for the last 2 weeks ) it should take 70 seconds, it started of at 12mbs = 5 mins , then went down and down till about 40k = over an hour !!! he said he will escalate it and ring me back today, I did mention about getting out of the contract, he seemed ok with it.