Pipex Homecall and Pipex broadband: watch out

carlosthejackal · 30 June 2006 at 4:59PM

I'm moving house and pipex say that I am liable for the other months left on my 12 month contract, ok fine.

But when I move instead of just finishing off the 6 months I have on my current contract at my current 23.99 price, they say I have to cancel and sign a new 12 month contract which has gone up to 33.99! They say the pricing plan I am on at the minute is no longer available and so have to pay the extra to get the equivalent service that I am on now.

The deal is Pipex Max at 33.99-

# Up to 8Mb broadband
# NO usage allowance*

Are there anyone out there offering completely uncapped upto 8meg broadband for less??

Thanks:mad:

wonderfullife_2 · 1 July 2006 at 2:32AM

Hi
Yes Pipex are annoying, especially when they took over f2s, and ruined it.

I'm with UKFSN, a reseller of Entanet, not totally uncapped, but excellent value, you'll find them on http://www.adslguide.org.uk/isps/compare.asp

Upto 8mb speed, 1mth contract, 30gb on peak, 300gb off peak, for £19.99mth.
Peak hours are defined as Monday to Friday 08:00 to 22:00
Off-peak is defined as Monday to Thursday 22:00 to 08:00 and Friday 22:00 through to Monday 08:00.

Hope this helps

IanW555 · 21 July 2006 at 3:52PM

I have been with Pipex for 3 years now. I received a phone call from Pipex saying they could increase my broadband speed from 1 meg to 3 meg at no extra cost, all I had to do was phone there customer service number to arrange it. When I phoned I was told that as I was an existing customer my speed cannot be increased (although my BT line will accept 3 meg), this offer is only for new customers.

I have complained many times by email but all have been ignored.
I am now on the move to Talk Talk.

I have also lost my 180 Pipex Xtra points. They state that I should have spent them before telling them I was leaving them.

:mad: AVOID PIPEX AT ALL COSTS :mad:

Gazpablo · 21 July 2006 at 4:15PM

This is a variant of the old "marketing confusion" and "charge higher prices to existing customers" trick. I've had a Pipex broadband connection for years (currently £23.44 for 1mb uncapped service) and in June received an unsolicited promotional phone call from Pipex offering Pipex Homecall which basically gives line rental for £9.99 plus one of two call options: "Hometime" which for £4.50 a month gives unlimited national and local calls between 6pm and 6am on weekdays and all weekend. The £4.50 monthly charge is reduced by 50% for the first three months. The second calls package is "Anytime", which is unlimited national and local calls 24/7, again half price for the first three months. Pipex also promised that the broadband speed would be increased by up to 8mb (or whatever maximum up to 8mb is achievable on your line) in early July. This was a reasonable deal so I signed up.

Having not had the broadband speed increase by 20 July I contacted the Pipex broadband people - they replied it was a Pipex Homecall matter. A phone call to Pipex Homecall brought the response that it was a Pipex broadband matter - and yet both divisions are part of the Pipex company!

Meanwhile two direct debits come off my bank account now (one for Pipex phone calls and one for Pipex broadband).

I then noticed on the Pipex website (https://www.pipex.com) that Pipex is offering the "Pipex Max plus Anytime calls" package (up to 8mb uncapped plus 24/7 calls) for £27.49 plus £9.99 line rental whereas I'm currently paying £27.94 plus £9.99 line rental for Pipex 1mb uncapped broadband and Hometime calls (unlimited national and local calls between 6pm and 6am on weekdays and all weekend), that is, paying somewhat more for an inferior package.

Pipex broadband has now offered a "Pipex Go" broadband at £23.99 for up to 8mb capped at 15GB - still an inferior package to that offered to new customers.

Now battling with Pipex to admit that Pipex Homecall and Pipex broadband are part of the same limited company and that the phones package was mis-sold and what are they going to do about it? (given as a Sky customer I could get a good deal from them).

Gazpablo

IanW555 · 22 July 2006 at 12:58PM

That is exactly what happened to me. Pipex Homecall told me to phone Pipex Broadband. Pipex Broadband said Pipex Homecall had no right to tell me I could get a higher speed and a lower price as they are a seperate company.

I am being ripped off for being a loyal customer.

:mad: AVOID PIPEX AT ALL COSTS:mad:

Lyncroft · 22 July 2006 at 11:57PM

I'm still waiting for my free telephone calls from May. I've stopped chasing it and will cancel the contract at the years end. Mickey Mouse outfit.

Ian_W · 24 July 2006 at 10:44PM

Been with Pipex 2.5yrs but emailed for a MAC to-night, having twice phoned CS, pressed all the various menue buttons to be told, "the queue's too long, call again!".
They were pretty good at first but their prices are now well and truely out of kilter and their reliability isn't brilliant over the past few months either, though speeds are still good. I don't want their poxy phone service - we only spend about £6pm on landline calls - from what I've seen above and elsewhere what was once a very good ISP is now mediocre so I'm not waiting for their long promised offerings to existing customers.
I wasn't much interested in their rewards scheme but their [always] fairly useless website wouldn't even let me log in to them to spend them before I go.
Never mind, I'm going for a monthly contract with IDNet - no big saving but well regarded by customer reviews - to await Sky's package coming on stream and being tested for a few months by other users!

IanW555 · 25 July 2006 at 6:16AM

You must spend your Pipex reward Xtra Points before you get your Mac code as they take them all away as soon as they know you are leaving.

Even though the rewards were pretty rubbish it is very unfair that they should take all the points away that you have collected over the last couple of years.

Even if you try to contact them about this they do not answer your emails. And it does state in there terms and conditions that you will lose them all.

Pipex offer a very expensive package with a very poor service.

:mad: AVOID PIPEX AT ALL COSTS:mad:

Lyncroft · 25 July 2006 at 12:46PM

I emailed to cancel the phone calls part of my deal (never received it in the first place) and also to cancel the anti virus (never received that either but bet it wouldn't stop them charging me after a year). No email back but apart from one which said I had used over 70% of my usage which is blatantly wrong. They say click on a link to upgrade and it takes you to an area which says you have to ring up to upgrade. Hopeless, I'll be off after a year.

cdunne · 25 July 2006 at 1:44PM

I totaly agree with the comments in this thread. I've been a Pipex customer for three years. Originaly they seemed really good at customer service. I come to cancel and have found (after the 4th 30 minuite call) that the have canceled the broadband but will not release the line for anouther 10 days, is this normal?

A word of warning if you want them to do a line check do not call after 5 because the staff aren't there to do it. (I was told to call again at 8 only to find their offices didnt open until 9!)

Any ideas of the best way to complain to them.

Oh I've just looked and my loyalty points were still avalible so I've tried to cash those in.

IanW555 · 25 July 2006 at 2:04PM

The only way to complain to Pipex is email which is always ignored.
I have tried many times over the last month.

:mad: AVOID PIPEX AT ALL COSTS:mad:

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Pipex Homecall and Pipex broadband: watch out

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