Broadband Ombudsman?

charcoal_2

Anyone know of a regulating body for Broadband?

PaulK_3

OFCOM deals with BB as well as phone, TV and radio.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/internet/

Plusnet_company_representative

If you're looking for a dispute resolution process, ISPs tend to have ADR's with companies like OTELO and CISAS.

marshallka

Just a note about complaining to CISAS.

I had a complaint with Virgin Media going back far to when they first bought 20 meg bb out in that we had an old cable modem. I always rang them and complained that we never had a decent speed and each time after paying the 25p per minute onto the technical bit they told me my router was the problem.

This went on and on and in the end i demanded to speak to a manager. I had a long discussion with the manager and was told that my "old" cable modem was the problem and that a new one capable of 20 meg would be sent out. This was slightly better and after only ever having about 5 meg and then getting 8 to 10 meg we put up with this but asked about the money that we had being paying over the last 18mths and whether we were going to get a rebate for not having 20meg. They agreed to send out a cheque for £342. This I was told was within 28 days. I then kept calling them about the cheque and each time was told it is in the post. I then called again and emailed a few times regarding this cheque in that i had paid for 20 meg bb and never had it as their cable modem was the problem. I then, after near on 3 months received a reply back from them saying that they had already applied a discount to our bb and we would not be getting the cheque from them. I then filed a complaint with CISAS about this matter and waited and today received a letter from CISAS to say that Virgin Media had not accpeted CISAS getting involved as it was over 9 months that they had received a complaint about our Broadband on file. I have now rang CISAS and asked them to reconsider this as my complaint was about Virgin Media telling me (5 different managers actually told me) that i would be getting a cheque and telling me it was actually in the post and then withdrawing their offer. I think CISAS are a waste of time really as any Broadband provider can look back over records to any complaint you have ever made and then say its out of date for CISAS to get involved. I am so annoyed at this. They can do just as they please by the looks of things.

The moral is if you make a complaint to CISAS make sure you have never made a complaint to the company further than 9 months previous as the company can then give that date to the CISAS and they can object to CISAS getting involved.

Cordwell

I'll have ago at the complaint CISAS thing.
But how do you choose a new broadband supplier, what a minefield. Especially as we are in rented accommodation until we find and buy a new house.
Virgin have two different charges one for the net and one for the phone that bear no relation to each other even allowing for the online discounts? The BT site is unfathomable and you cant contact them by telephone unless you already have a landline! I don't. Sky is just too good to be true so it probably is not.
Where can I go to for advice for the best broadband telephone package, there is no optical supply at my current address.
Does anyone out there have a problem with overseas call centres, you would think that a company like Virgin, if it is going to use foreign jobs, might ensure that all of their operators can speak at least some English. And why should we be paying for the 0845 phone call to talk to them?

ste_coxy

Also look into OTELO - they are the telecomunications ombudsmen - I had a 3 mobile broadband complaint and they were a great help!

They managed to get my 18 month contract cancelled and I am having a refund of £75 too.

Inactive

Cordwell wrote: »

I'll have ago at the complaint CISAS thing.
But how do you choose a new broadband supplier, what a minefield. Especially as we are in rented accommodation until we find and buy a new house.

Have a look at the smaller ISP's, many of them do 30 day contracts and have very good customer feedback.

IDNet, Newnet and Zen are a few, there are others.


Do a compare of customer feedback here;

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/compare.html

Cordwell

Thanks for that Gentlemen.

Still confused but I have a plan now. But I have heard that Sky suffers from very dubious reception and connectivity in specific areas of the country. One such being the Cotswolds. Sky themselves discount this because the satellite can go anywhere and see everything, they say. But skepticism when spending this sort of money is very healthy. Can anyone offer an explanation?

Cheers PC.

espresso

Cordwell wrote: »

Thanks for that Gentlemen.

Still confused but I have a plan now. But I have heard that Sky suffers from very dubious reception and connectivity in specific areas of the country. One such being the Cotswolds. Sky themselves discount this because the satellite can go anywhere and see everything, they say. But skepticism when spending this sort of money is very healthy. Can anyone offer an explanation?

Cheers PC.

As this post is titled Broadband, you seem to be still a bit confused, as Sky broadband is not delivered by Satellite but via your phone line. The two things are not connected other than by the name Sky.

Inactive

Cordwell wrote: »

Thanks for that Gentlemen.

Still confused but I have a plan now. But I have heard that Sky suffers from very dubious reception and connectivity in specific areas of the country. One such being the Cotswolds. Sky themselves discount this because the satellite can go anywhere and see everything, they say. But skepticism when spending this sort of money is very healthy. Can anyone offer an explanation?

Cheers PC.

:rotfl: Best laugh I have had all day, the Sky satellite ( which isn't even owned by Sky) , cannot move anywhere, it certainly cannot see anything, it is in a fixed orbit, not that any of that matters, it has SFA to do with Sky Broadband.

Still laughing sorry.. :rotfl: