Avoid Onestream Broadband!!

iridium101

Just a warning folks, do not sign up with Onestream for your Broadband.

I foolishly did.  Firstly there's a hidden software licence charge that they will take from you without properly informing you about it, very sneaky.  You don't even know it but you've bought anti virus software off them.  Until you see your bank statement, then you know.  

The service itself is intermittent and not particularly good, though not really bad I have to say.  But not much use to heavy internet users.

Then 18 months later comes the time to get rid (you will want to!), of course if you try and move before the 18 months they will absolutely crucify you with charges.  18 months on and the price nearly doubled, but they don't really tell you that or particularly remind you.  So if you're not careful you're into paying way too much for what's a very mickey mouse service.  I fortunately realised and got out.  There's a short window to act, make sure you have your wits about you.

But that's not the end for these scammers, oh no.  So I leave, and move to Sky.  Two weeks later I get an email, we're charging you 30 quid as we didn't get the router back.  The charge went out that same day leaving no chance to do anything about it.

When I left and was on the phone with them, this router thing was never mentioned by the advisor.  I had no email to tell me to send it back.  They know full well you aren't going to go back after 18 months to re-read their contract so deliberately don't tell you about returning the router or where to send it so they can charge 30 quid for the useless piece of plastic junk that's not even worth a fiver.  Why don't they send out a returns package if they want it back?  What do they want it back for, are they sending 2nd hand ones out to new customers??

So even when you are no longer a customer, they still have your card details and can just charge to it whenever they like with some hidden scam.  I have had to contact my bank and tell them to decline any further attempts by Onestream to charge my card, as I simply do not trust them.  They will find some new way to say I owe them money I guarantee it.  I'm in the process of taking this further.  They are thieves, there's no other way of saying it.  

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.  And if you have vulnerable relatives make sure they do not sign up or they will be scammed left right and centre.

oldernonethewiser

I've always expected to send a router back, it is their kit not mine. 

Having said that I've just left NOW and they told me there was no need to send the router back but could request a return label if I wanted to. 

iridium101

oldernonethewiser said:

I've always expected to send a router back, it is their kit not mine. 

Having said that I've just left NOW and they told me there was no need to send the router back but could request a return label if I wanted to. 

I would have no objection to sending it back, its just that they never told me to or where to send it.  They just waited and then took money off me.  Also I'm fairly sure when I signed up I paid something up front which I thought was for the router, though I could be wrong.

Its very underhand, how many 30 quids have they accumulated this way, a lot I can bet.

My advice would be, as soon as you move to a new supplier, immediately contact your bank and instruct them to decline any attempts to charge your card by Onestream or they'll get you one way or another.

oldernonethewiser

My advice would be to check what you signed up for, be aware of all the potential charges and confirm when you end a contract. 

Instructing a bank to refuse legitimate charges won't end well. 

iridium101

oldernonethewiser said:

My advice would be to check what you signed up for, be aware of all the potential charges and confirm when you end a contract. 

Instructing a bank to refuse legitimate charges won't end well. 

No one re reads a contract after 18 months.  You expect to be properly informed at the time you leave of what you need to do. They deliberately don't do that.  I've absolutely no qualms whatsoever getting my bank to decline further charges.  Its a matter of principle, if they are going to be underhand and unethical then it'll have to get nasty, bring it on.

oldernonethewiser

You can read a contract when you get it and make a note of any requirements. Not difficult to do. 

Some people do check their contracts at the end of the term too. 

Your failure to understand terms doesn't make them unethical or underhand. 

jbrassy

I'm not saying Onestream are amazing, but I haven't found them to be that bad. Firstly, I chose to use my own router instead of renting one off them which sounds like a good decision.

What they do with antivirus is sneaky and I got caught out. However, they did refund me after I rang up and complained.

However, the service itself has been fine. The Internet is pretty quick and I'm getting the speeds they advertised. 

As for the price going up after 18 months, this is pretty common across broadband providers. Just have to remember to cancel and switch 1-2 months before your contract ends.

iridium101

jbrassy said:

I'm not saying Onestream are amazing, but I haven't found them to be that bad. Firstly, I chose to use my own router instead of renting one off them which sounds like a good decision.

What they do with antivirus is sneaky and I got caught out. However, they did refund me after I rang up and complained.

However, the service itself has been fine. The Internet is pretty quick and I'm getting the speeds they advertised. 

As for the price going up after 18 months, this is pretty common across broadband providers. Just have to remember to cancel and switch 1-2 months before your contract ends.

Yes fortunately I was on the ball with that as they do their usual and don't make things clear, I've seen a lot of people on other forums who have unwittingly ended up in a new contract with much higher charges.

 I work from home so they were a bad choice from the get go, I got wooed by the price.  The actual broadband is not terrible, its usable at best.  Regular short outages, OK ish speed but not really modern day useful.

Its just the very poor comms (deliberately so) and the underhand methods.  They know what they are doing, they are getting a revenue stream from it and its unethical.  Just be careful, and leave them as soon as you can.  They will, absolutely, try their best to scam some money out of you before you go I will put money on it.

iridium101

oldernonethewiser said:

You can read a contract when you get it and make a note of any requirements. Not difficult to do. 

Some people do check their contracts at the end of the term too. 

Your failure to understand terms doesn't make them unethical or underhand. 

What about vulnerable people?  People who aren't up on this sort of thing? You shouldn't have to be, that's my point.  I can imagine my parents for example being totally ripped off by this lot.  I'm just warning people, avoid this company.  I don't care what anyone says, they are scammers.  And it can still be a scam if its in a contract somewhere.

WillPS

I had Onestream for a year ending in March 24. They sent a router, which is still in its box unused (have my own much better equipment). I left after the contract had finished and wasn't asked to send it back nor charged £30.

I agree that some of the autobundling of nonsense software and repeated retention calls stuff is rather old school and heavy handed tho. I wouldn't go out of my way to do business with them again.

iridium101

WillPS said:

I had Onestream for a year ending in March 24. They sent a router, which is still in its box unused (have my own much better equipment). I left after the contract had finished and wasn't asked to send it back nor charged £30.

I agree that some of the autobundling of nonsense software and repeated retention calls stuff is rather old school and heavy handed tho. I wouldn't go out of my way to do business with them again.

Interesting about the router.  Are you actually sure you weren't charged, better check your bank statement, they are in the habit of doing these things without telling you!  But if not then that shows inconsistency in the application of their methods and that doesn't surprise me at all, its probably at the whim of individual employees.  Incredibly unprofessional.