Are XLN any good

Good day all.

XLN Telecom does try to give good service but like all companies it is run by a few people who just want to make money. Things to look out for:

1: As people have pointed out on here, the hidden charges. Too many people get caught up in the idea that the call prices are wonderful, and they are, but then get caught out. Remember the following:

£199.00 Cancellation charge. They hammer you with this wether you are moving premises, or closing down your business or anything like that. If you are moving to another company and you are in your contract still then unfortunately you will more often than not have to pay this, however you can argue the point that the company promise is "If we cannot beat another offer we will match it" if XLN telecom cannot beat or match the offer you get from another company then they are failing in a promise, and therefor have trouble justifying a cancellation fee. You can argue that, also ask to speak to a supervisor, you are legally entitled too. Also be aware that on occasions normal agents have pretended to be supervisors, so make sure you get the name of the person and ask them their position. This way they have to be very careful what they say. Also make a note of the date and time you called in, you can then request a copy of the call to back up your version. Remember, all calls are recorded.

The cancellation fee for moving premises or change of tennancy is another one of those charges that gets applied to accounts. If you are moving premises or doing a change of tennancy you need to do the following things:
1: Ask the person if there will be a cancellation fee, they should tell you if there will or there won't. Remember all the operater you are speaking too has to do is click on a box that says "Waive cancellation fee" They will not get into trouble for this. They have 100% authority to cancel any cancellation fees that apply.

2: Cancel your direct debits straight away and pay your final invoice manually. YOU REALLY NEED TO DO THIS! Many times the company has taken £199.00 plus VAT from peoples accounts and had to refund it, yes you get the money back but you do not need the shock of going to your account and finding that money of that amount has been taken. I am sorry to say that in many a conversation people forget to cancel DD. Yes it is a pain that you have to do it, and it is annoying that the company does not do it for you, but nonetheless it always helps to protect yourself a bit.

We then have that Magical Phrase of "We will pay your cancellation fees!"
Yes they will do this for you, but again as has been pointed out, you need to extend your contract. So 1 year equals 50 pounds. Check about this before you sign. Alternatively check with your current provider if you in contract or not and what the charges are likely to be. XLN will not do this for you. There has been occasions when 500 pounds has been charged from another supplier!

Another issue people have is with e-billing. Many people sign up and ask to be put onto e-billing as it saves them the extra pound they get charged for paper billing. However you need to be aware that you will not get any bills through the post but only to your e-mail. Many people have phoned in and been angry they are being threatened with disconnection but have not had any bills. Make sure you go for paper billing to start out with.

We have then the BT engineer call out charges. Now more often than not you have to be aware that the engineers are human and are out to have an easy day! They may tell you one thing, but then tell the company another thing.
When you get a letter telling you that you are required to pay a call out charge (Even if the engineer says it is not your fault) do not get overly worried. You can arrange to pay your bills by manual payments, and only pay the phone bill amount itself and not the call out charge. You can appeal against the call out charge and explain why you are appealing. The operator will then be able to cancel any Direct debits, will recalculate your bill so that you are only paying the cost of calls and line rental and not paying an amount that is being disputed. Obviously after 28 days if you get the decision against you then you can pay normally or appeal to ofcom.

Remeber when you are on the phone to them that the level of service you get from person to person may vary due to the amount of experience of the person you are speaking too! I would also give a hint to you that when you call in think of this: The person taking your call will probably have spent the best part of the morning having people shouting at him, questioning his parentage and making slanderous accusations about what he does in his spare time! So how do you stand out as a person he automatically wants to help?
Be Nice! I know it is difficult when they have sent you an invoice where they are taking your money, and children into slavery but be nice. Remember you have an issue and the person is there to help you. Yes you do get the people who are ignorant and just want to get you of the line, but be nice and polite and you will get further. There is a difference between being nice and polite, and being a push over. But remember being nice will get you further. After all the person you are speaking to has not issued your bill or nor have they got anything against you personally. They are just a poor sod in a job used as a human shield!

Another hint for you: Get the name and extension number of the person you are talking to. That way if you have to call back you have a person to chat with and that way you have someone to question should things go wrong.

I hope this helps! If you have any questions or are not sure about things please put them here and I will try to help you out. I am not saying I will solve every problem you have, nor am I a stooge for the company, but I am on the customers side.

Remember also that you can ask for the non payment by direct debit charge to be removed. The company can do this.

Another thing to be very aware of is your contract: The contracts are known as evergreen contracts this means that the contract automatically rolls over into a new 12 month contract once it expires. This can be a pain as you may think you are out of contract. You could make a note in a diary or on a calender to remind yourself.