Problem with Pipex

cepheus

I am tired and sick of this company. Yesterday they cut of my connection since they couldn't debit my replacement bankers card. I anticipated this problem back in April when it was changed, because they have done this before, so I warned them by Email.

26th April: My bank has renewed my debit card. The last time this happened you cut me off without sending any word on the Pipex Email address, please ensure this doesn't happen again. Please confirm to this address that my direct Debit still operational and my internet access will continue uninterrupted. I pay a great deal for the standard of service and I will not tolerate any further problems.

No answer

1st May Could you please reply to this query. If it of any help my User ID is ...... I

No answer

Yesterday (29th August) Wham! a message popped up saying they have disconnected me and they cannot contact me. :mad: I have not changed Email, address or any phone number since I joined them. Can anyone suggest someone who supplies a basic wired ADSL broadband service with good customer service

In short what is the most stress free way to change away from pipex broadband + telephone? Thanks in advance.

mrgeesbigcircus

I have been with Pipex broadband for just over a year, and have now decided to switch to another supplier due to Pipex no longer being competetive.

I signed up at a time when their basic broadband had an uncapped monthly download allowance for £14.99 per month. Overall over the year the service has been consistently good - minimal broadband outage (perhaps 2 notable times over the year, and only for a matter of minutes) and no need to phone them except to remember my login details.

However, as I have now come to cancel, I was informed by the customer advisor that I had an amount of £50.13 outstanding on my account. He advised that this was due to me exceeding my monthly download allowance of 2GB.

I was transferred to another department, and whilst on hold I checked my Pipex account online. My next statement does indeed state that it will be £50.13 instead of the usual £14.99, the only additional information stating "Additional 3Gb download - £29.90". I checked all through the T&C's of my account, both online and the little paperwork I originally received, none of which states anything about a download limit or charges.

Upon speaking to the next department, all they could do is advise that the download limit is stated on the details of the offer before you sign up, and that it has always been there - and that I should pay the amount. She could not help any further, so I ended the call.

I have been fortunate enough to be currently changing bank accounts, and the Pipex direct debit has not been set up, meaning they have not been able to take the amout.

My issue is that the only place that the download limit is now stated is on the actual broadband "offer" on the website before you sign up (which, being a web developer myself, I know has little legal grounding and can be changed at a moments notice) and there is nothing stating it on the more "legal" small print once you have taken out an account. I have not even been contacted about this increased amount, and would have been taken from my account had I not checked it.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to carry this forwards?

Thanks,

Paul

fox2319

I was with pipex for around 3 years and was relatively happy with them until around 6 mths after I left (free broadband offer). I paid all my bills in full, allowed the direct debit to go a month or so past my disconnection and (what I thought was) the final bill and then moved on.

6 mths after I left, I got a bill demanding money for some money which they hadn't taken due to their internal billing system problems. I tried calling them initially to request a copy of the bill which clearly showed my outstanding balance and have yet to receive this. As a result I've not paid them and am happy to leave it at that.

It's a shame though as I was happy with them when I had them but have been completely unimpressed with their service since. Dunno who you'd have to complain to about this sort of thing though, their customer services bunch seem to be hopeless and I'm not sure what sort of jurisdiction ofcom etc. would have

irishjohn

maybe these changes are down to pipex being sold to tiscali recently?

mrgeesbigcircus

I think the Tiscali situation could have triggered these events, but there has been no communication that the terms of my contract were going to change.

I'm going to get in touch with the ombudsman regarding the legal situation. I don't see how they could possibly see that putting a capped limit on the offer and not in the T&C's of the actual contract can mean the same thing.

Either way, I'm not setting up the DD until this has all been cleared up. I'm actually cancelling my BT line as well so they won't actaully have a physical connection to my property.

llanboidy

Hi,
A friend has recently been informed that owing to having exceeded his
download limit he will be billed extra for the month. He is on the £14.99
tariff but does not download films, music etc. and is only on his pc for a
short time each day.
I thought at first that it could be connected with the Tiscali takeover
but he tells me he had had a previous warning some months back.
Is it possible for one person`s download allowance to be stolen by a
another user?

miamistu

That would be possible if he had an unsecured wireless network - sounds likely if he doesn't use his pc much.

SC01

Hi. Having a saga with Pipex at the moment. The first problem was that the account was set up in my ex's name but I paid it via monthly debit card. When I requested the necessary forms to change the account to my name (at last count, at least 5 times) they've never been sent. I changed the contact email address to mine via the website.

Second and main problem is with actually paying them. In June I lost my card that was registered with them to use as payment. I remembered in July and changed the details via the website and thought no more of it ie that they'd collect any outstanding payment with the next one. I assumed that had happened as I had broadband access as normal.

Now today, my ex forwarded me an email from Pipex (that they had sent to him on the email I thought had been deleted and replaced with mine) saying they were processing the online cancellation request. What online cancellation request?!?!

He phoned them and asked what was happening and they've said they haven't received payment since May (the last payment before I lost my card) and so were cancelling the service and that £248 was outstanding and had to be paid.

I've checked their terms and code of practice and while I perfectly understand a service being cancelled for non payment, surely they need to inform you that they haven't been paid. Sure enough, it says in their very own code of practice that this is precisely what should happen but hasn't. I've no objection to paying the outstanding amount but I don't feel I should pay the rest.

Has anyone else had any issues like this? Any tips on how to take it forward? Thanks in advance.

Stantheman

Just really need to get this off my chest.

Ive had Pipex Broadband for 4 years and payed each month on my credit card. I didnt realise but for the last 4 months they hadnt taken payment. One day my connection stopped so I rang them and they told me they had suspended my service as my credit card had expired so they hadnt been able to take the money. It turns out that they had the incorrect expiry date on my card as it doesnt run out till next year!

When asked why they didnt contact me they said that they sent an email to me. Only problem is they sent it to my hotmail account which I gave them when signing up but I dont use it anymore so obviously didnt get it. Any way I paid 1 months rental and said I would have to pay the outstanding balance at a later date. They then reconnected me.

I completely forgot about it until 2 weeks later when I again lost my connection. I rang them to be told that I had been disconnected due to non payment. This time however I would have to set up a whole new account and wait up to 7 days to be reconnected because they had completely closed my account.

I wasnt happy but it got worse when they told me that I had lost all my email accounts (12 in total) and that any mail sent to them whilst waiting for reconnection would be bounced and lost forever. This made me flip out as all the email accounts are in constant use and its essential that I access them daily.

The upshot was that I had no choice but to sign up again as I need those email addresses and am now waiting to be reconnected. To add insult to injury the package I had was £18 a month and the new one is £20, although it is 8mb as opposed to my old 2mb so I dont mind so much.

What really annoys me in all of this is that their only means of communication to me was via an old hotmail address. Surely they should have contacted me by letter or phone before cutting me off or even through one of my 12 active email addresses that I have with them. Secondly if they had the wrong expiry date on their system then how the hell did they manage to take the money for the last 3 years! Everytime I sign up using a credit card and get the date wrong it isnt accepted.

They have given me one months free rental as a sweetener but I intend to complain a bit louder and hope to get 3 months free.

Anyway, I feel a lot better now. Thanks for listening. It means a lot...

Stantheman

Ive just posted about the exact same problem earlier take a look.

irishjohn

Have you not reconciled your bank account since May? I don't let a week go by without checking mine shows all the transactions it should show - and if I lost a debit card - I would be checking all the more to watch out for potential problems.

The automation of changing details on the internet should reduce problems - but experience tells us this is not necessarily the case so its best to carry on being vigilant for your own priorities.

My advice is - call them like your ex did - find out what you owe, pay it and ensure the details are now correct with them, and carry on enjoying the internet (and be vigilant)

Or

Pay your debt - you have had the system since May so you do owe the money - and then look for another provider who is better at administration and move to their service - and post here to tell us all about them so we all know who is worth moving to.