BT CS made me cry!

jmcwobbles

OMIGOD they are driving me batty I don't know what to do! Here's my story:

I moved to a new apartment in Monkstown at the beginning of Aug. The previous tenants never disconnected the phone line, and we decided to go for BT Broadband (we had IBB before but the connection kept dropping so wanted something new and BT BB service seems to have a pretty good rep), so rang them up to get the account transferred into my name and get BB set up. Because we didn't have the old tenants forwarding information (for them to sign the account transfer form), I was told I had to post in a copy of our lease with an application form, which I did.

2 weeks later, having heard nothing, I rang up to see what the story was, only to be told that the account hadn't been updated at all yet ("we get thousands of post every day you know", I was told), and was told to fax it in. The fax number they gave me didn't work, so eventually I emailed it into them via their online form.

2 weeks later I received a letter confirming the order and asking for a prepayment of 125 before the order could be processed, which I paid immediately, and was told it would take 5 working days for the payment to go through before the order was even looked at.

Yesterday, after 2 more weeks, I rang for an update - the guy I was onto eventually told me "that order is listed as complete" - I said that can't be the case, because I ordered BB and haven't received anything yet, at which point he transferred me over to sales. I told the sales girl my story again, and she said "that order is listed as complete" - turns out they only processed the phone line part of the order and nothing had been done about the BB!! She said "I can put through a BB order for you now", I said "Well can you expedite that order please because I have been waiting for this for nearly 2 months", to which she responded "oh well then you need to talk to complaints" and transferred me without even waiting for me to respond! At that point I was actually starting to cry "anger tears" cos they just pi$$ed me off so much, so I had to hang up on them!!

Argh now I don't know what to do - I'm not sure if we're stuck with the phone line now or if it is still possible to walk away from them altogether and find someone else - only BT had looked like the better option for our place so don't even know who else to go with! Can't get NTL, can't get Smart, dunno who else would be good for reasonable prices!!

Sorry just wanted to rant about BT I can't believe how awful their CS is, I've never experienced worse!!

JJ

You could go to your local citizen's advice bureau. With broadband I don't know if you'll get much joy but I was trying to get just a phone line in my last place and I was waiting over a month due to Eircom's incompetence so I went down to my local citizen's advice bureau and they helped get a technician down to my place the very same day. Result!

coady

file a complaint with comreg


http://www.comreg.ie/

jmcwobbles

Thanks, I think I'm gonna try ringing them once more time, cos I feel like I shouldn't really complain if I was the one to hang up on THEM last time we were in contact, so I'm gonna give it one more shot (keeping the "anger tears" at bay!) and if I get the same treatment I'll certainly go straight to comreg. It's just unbelievable how bad the customer care of such a big company as BT can be!!

jor el

jmcwobbles wrote:

BT BB service seems to have a pretty good rep

The broadband, yes. The company, sadly no.

2 weeks later I received a letter confirming the order and asking for a prepayment of 125 before the order could be processed, which I paid immediately

What was that for did they say? €125 for connection is daylight robbery. eircom charge about that to install a new line, but will re-connect an existing line for about €20, and sometimes for free. Did that letter make any mention of broadband?

Finally, when you started this whole "adventure", are you sure you ordered broadband? Can you remember them going through the options and asking for a username and password. They should have taken all this from you when ordering broadband.

It's just unbelievable how bad the customer care of such a big company as BT can be!!

The worst thing is that BT are fully aware of the problems they have in their billing, accounts, customer service and sales departments (that's pretty much the whole company there) and yet they do nothing about it.

jmcwobbles

No the €125 wasn't a connection fee, they said it was a prepayment and that "This will be held on your account and credited to your first BT bill(s)."

No the letter didn't mention anything specific which is bloody stupid! It just says "Thank you for ordering a BT service" so I just assumed it referred to the BB & Talk 2MB which we ordered - I'm definitely sure we ordered Broadband, the first girl I spoke to, who told me to post in the lease, sent me out a paper application form in the post, which has all the options/username stuff, and I sent it all in together (via post/fax/email). I have a scan of the form so know exactly what I ordered. And besides, I remember talking about the Broadband and asking how long it would take, when I called to make the prepayment, so they definitely knew I order broadband.

They're such a feckin' shower!

But (stupidly perhaps) I still want to go with them cos of the internet reputation - they've gotten a pretty good result on the poll in this forum too. One more chance and then they're out!

dub45

jmcwobbles wrote:

No the €125 wasn't a connection fee, they said it was a prepayment and that "This will be held on your account and credited to your first BT bill(s)."

.....................................

They're such a feckin' shower!

But (stupidly perhaps) I still want to go with them cos of the internet reputation - they've gotten a pretty good result on the poll in this forum too. One more chance and then they're out!

Sadly it is this type of attitude that allows companies like BT to behave in the manner you have described. They have messed you about big time, got a 125 euros up front without presumably issuing any receipt, not provided the service you signed up for. In fact they have not demonstrated a modicum of professionalism and you still want to go with them:rolleyes:

Do yourself a favour and search for BT and billing on here and see what they have consistently put people through. In a country with proper consumer leglislation they would have been closed down years ago and not allowed operate again until they got their act together. With act being the operative word:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Sponge Bob

time maybe to give our new consumer agency a rattle over the issues , separate complaints too.

1. unreceipted deposits BT take €125 and never issue receipts .
2. charging for non services , misbilling.

thats http://www.nca.ie/ , compose yeerselves

as you complained to BT a month ago you may ask Comreg to intervene, info@comreg.ie , see if that shower will get off their holes ??

Barlow07

coady wrote:

file a complaint with comreg


http://www.comreg.ie/

The answer to everything "comreg". I have yet to hear of a customer getting anywhere when they report this to comreg.

I had same problems almost three years and yet i still read so yes there Customer service is bad and Sales department (€€€€) see the euro signs, but there service is seems to be not to bad, but thats just hear say.

Brando_ie

I have had to stop using them as a preferred BB option. I have assisted various friends / friends of friends to get up and running with some sort of BB for the last few years and had settled on BT as my preferred option (their bundled package inclusive of line rental made it the most attractive) but in the last 6 - 9 months their CS has degenerated into a complete joke.

Generally I cant intervene in CS problems as they wont deal with anyone but the account holder. I have had / heard of big problems across the whole gambit of customer service, from sales, technical and accounting (over billing) including tales of accounting dept laughing at my sister who was trying to determine why a two month €45ish a month bill was $215 (which 10 months and a disconnection later has yet to be refunded) she was eventually hung up on. Also many refusals to transfer to a manager and the technical department claiming that their BB was not compatible with a 'Belkin' wireless adapter despite being an incredibly popular model AND it being the very adapter I use for my own BT BB connection.

As I am based outside Dublin it makes the list of viable BB options quite small but BT can no longer be recommended by me and sadly I am all to familiar in recent times with the OP.

Try to keep plugging away and make sure to firstly get the name of whoever you are talking to prior to re-stating your issue and when you call back simply refuse to talk to anyone but whoever was last dealing with the case (you will find it is amazing how many times they actually 'DO APPEAR' to be working today if you are insistent). Good Luck :mad:

Sponge Bob

Brando_ie wrote:

but in the last 6 - 9 months their CS has degenerated into a complete joke.

Months , really , Months :eek: ?????

Maybe you should Tell Someone who may be able to sort it out .....although I frankly despair of anyone sorting BT Ireland CS out .

Brando_ie

Sponge Bob wrote:

Months , really , Months :eek: ?????

Maybe you should Tell Someone who may be able to sort it out .....although I frankly despair of anyone sorting BT Ireland CS out .

I think I may well drop an email to Mr McLaughlin referred to in your email. I am a great advocate in writing to someone who may be able to facilitate a change to poor service. BT will certainly feel a backlash if their CS continues to decline and although I felt that my decision to discontinue using them would be sufficient to make my point it doesn't really help those who will find themselves in the same predicament in the future. I feel a strongly worded (and possibly ignored) email is on the horizon. Cheers Bob.

Sponge Bob

Well he did show a desire to fix things around this time last year , unsurprisingly after a stentorian campaign on Boards conducted largely by surveys ....albeit with some flak from those who believe that BT is an irredeemable shambles and always has been and always will be. I thought surveys did a mighty job at the time and that someone had to do it.

Its probably time for the by now TRADITIONAL and by now ANNUAL Boards campaign to harass BT into some form of eptitude

It is basically no good to anyone if the second largest DSL carrier in the country starts to disintegrate as they have oft done in the past through sheer disorganisation and organisational ineptitude and lack of focus .

A polite but firm email as to their most recent shortcomings is in order should one have a detailed list of grievances to escalate to on high .

I have thankfully avoided them for some time myself .

dub45

Sponge Bob wrote:

Well he did show a desire to fix things around this time last year , unsurprisingly after a stentorian campaign on Boards conducted largely by surveys ....albeit with some flak from those who believe that BT is an irredeemable shambles and always has been and always will be. I thought surveys did a mighty job at the time and that someone had to do it.

.........................................

I have thankfully avoided them for some time myself .

You will recall that in the end they dumped Surveys when it suited them and after he had acted as unpaid customer liaison officer while it suited their purposes. I had begun to wonder if they had improved given the recent silence on here about them but brando´¨s post assures me that they will never be anything more that a shower of wan***rs.

Any so called reputable company that cannot organise themselves to give receipts for payments should be avoided at all costs. I wonder how their internal audit function can allow such malpractise?:rolleyes:

Praetor

Brando_ie wrote:

claiming that their BB was not compatible with a 'Belkin' wireless adapter despite being an incredibly popular model AND it being the very adapter I use for my own BT BB connection.

Hello!

Nothing to do with the main post but for further issues, the "problem" between BT's Routers and Belkin adapters is not that they are not compatible but that Belkin's Wireless Network Utility will not translate BT Voyager's ASCII wireless encryption key correctly.

The solution is quite simple, for customer with Windows XP, use windows wireless utility to manage wireless connections on computer with an older operating system change the key to hexadecimal.

Oh, Belkin has also released an update that fixes this issue.

That simple

Oh and Danny McLoughlin is no longer BT Ireland's CEO.

Hope it helps!

dub45

Praetor wrote:

Hello!

.........................

Oh and Danny McLoughlin is no longer BT Ireland's CEO.

Hope it helps!

It doesn´t seem to matter who the CEO is in there the same crap has been going on for years!

Sponge Bob

be the fuk there is indeed .

chris clark

http://test.enn.ie/article/10059900.html

okcomputer

BT are completely rotten to the core and are probably the worst bunch of cowboys out there after NTL and 3 ireland in that order .

jmcwobbles

See I disagree with that, I know NTL have a terrible rep but I have to say in the 2.5 years living in Bray and after moving to Monkstown 2 months ago, I have had excellent service from NTL. They even ring me the day before they come out, and narrow the all-day window to a couple of hours - and they always arrive on time and are always helpful and give me what I need. No experience with 3 so can't comment there, BT are the absolute number 1 worst CS I have ever come across.

I'm going to ring them back this evening and try once again to get the BB sorted out, and will take the advice here of getting a name up front.

BTW re: the receipt issue, no I never received a receipt for the €125 prepayment (which I will also ask for today) but they did give me an Authorization Number which (I think) is meant to be used as confirmation that the amount was paid.

NextSteps

I remember a few years ago, we were having such trouble with BT - I think we were trying to get a modem from them - that we got in the car and went to their call centre to find a manager or someone to talk to. (This was after about 2 weeks of hour long phone calls, and you know how it addles your brain.) We marched in to the receptionist, said we wanted to speak to someone... and she picked up the phone, handed it to us... and put us on hold!

jmcwobbles

UB wrote:

I remember a few years ago, we were having such trouble with BT - I think we were trying to get a modem from them - that we got in the car and went to their call centre to find a manager or someone to talk to. (This was after about 2 weeks of hour long phone calls, and you know how it addles your brain.) We marched in to the receptionist, said we wanted to speak to someone... and she picked up the phone, handed it to us... and put us on hold!

LOL are you serious??? Cos we were actually thinking of doing exactly that, walking in in person and demanding to speak to someone! I can't believe they did that - what happened then??

Sponge Bob

I know someone who spent a whole afternoon in BT reception while they found someone to deal with the issue and then actually deal with the issue.

My advice is

1. Bring lots of water and energy bars.
2. Do not sit inside the big window where the sun catches ya, you get unnecessarily dehydrated that way.
3. Charge the PSP and the DS up fully before you go there.

NextSteps

jmcwobbles wrote:

what happened then??

Civil disobedience.

Praetor

Sponge Bob wrote:

I know someone who spent a whole afternoon in BT reception while they found someone to deal with the issue and then actually deal with the issue.

My advice is

1. Bring lots of water and energy bars.
2. Do not sit inside the big window where the sun catches ya, you get unnecessarily dehydrated that way.
3. Charge the PSP and the DS up fully before you go there.

Hello!

Again another update, BT Ireland Customer Care Team is no longer in Dublin they moved to Derry a few weeks ago, there are only a few old Customer Care agents left in Dublin and they will be all gone at the end of the month.

You can still give it a go

good luck

Sponge Bob

Only managers left then , thats good !

Praetor

Sponge Bob wrote:

Only managers left then , thats good !

good point...

Sponge Bob

In the interests of efficacious resolution I think that Boardsies should ALL have a particular day for going to BT

The lobby is boring by oneself so if EVERYONE went there on ( say ) a monday afternoon at 2pm then .

1. BT managers would know NOT to schedule their interminable meetings at that time
2. People would have company and really make a nice social occasion of it.

After a while BT would get into the swing of it and would have the coffee machine ready for 1.50pm and maybe even a couple of Kimberleys and Mikados for those who like to keep their sugars bubbling.

Why not designate 2pm Monday as THE time ????

jmcwobbles

Ha ha sounds like a plan - see you then!!

NextSteps

Sponge Bob wrote:

In the interests of efficacious resolution I think that Boardsies should ALL have a particular day for going to BT

The lobby is boring by oneself so if EVERYONE went there on ( say ) a monday afternoon at 2pm then .

1. BT managers would know NOT to schedule their interminable meetings at that time
2. People would have company and really make a nice social occasion of it.

After a while BT would get into the swing of it and would have the coffee machine ready for 1.50pm and maybe even a couple of Kimberleys and Mikados for those who like to keep their sugars bubbling.

Why not designate 2pm Monday as THE time ????

We could bring a CD player, and play 'Greensleeves' right back at them.

RangeR

UB wrote:

Civil disobedience.

Very good. A Heartfelt chuckle spewed out of me

jmcwobbles

I had a voicemail on my phone there about an hour ago from a supervisor called Niamh from BT who had been going through a few change of account name files, and came across mine and saw that I have an issue that still hasn't been resolved and she wanted to contact me and help me get sorted out!!

SHE actually rang ME off her own bat to help me!!

I'm in complete shock, I rang her back and she apologised for the mistake and said that she would get the modem sent out to me (she even offered to send it to my workplace if it was easier than my home address) in the next few days, and she would see if she could get the connection up as soon as possible, and that I'll receive a text to let me know when the connection is done.

Now I know "I'll believe it when I see it" but I'm impressed that this girl contacted me at all and she really seems to be on the ball - plus I have her direct number so can keep chasing her til it gets sorted. I was bracing myself to make another frustrating phone call after work so now I'm delighted!!