# Bulldog + Pipex + Tiscali + Talk Talk = Carphone Warehouse



## healeydave (Jun 4, 2003)

Carphone Warehouse has just announced it has taken over Tiscali, so thats a whole bunch of ISP's in the UK that have merged into one over the last few years.

We'll wait with baited breath to see if this merging of businesses and their back end technology has any knock on effects for users connectivity as has previously happened in the past with "LLU exchanges" & "Transparent Proxy Services".


----------



## Johnbyte (Nov 4, 2008)

healeydave said:


> We'll wait with baited breath to see if this merging of businesses and their back end technology has any knock on effects for users connectivity as has previously happened in the past with "LLU exchanges" & "Transparent Proxy Services".


TalkTalk have confirmed clearly that their infrastructure doesn't support analogue modem to modem calls. I suppose that's marginally better than Tiscali who just stopped providing this service.

I don't see this merger providing any benefits to subscribers. Just depends how much damage it does...


----------



## anansi (Jul 21, 2009)

so what do you guys think about the merger so far? how is Carphone Warehouse handling the loyal customers of Tiscali???


----------



## healeydave (Jun 4, 2003)

With the problems I had with them over-charging my account and refusing to refund me, I wouldn't touch any company under that banner now with a barge pole!

I actually had a case open with them where they admitted they had over charged me and refused to refund any of the money. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I won through in the end though, that wonderful thing called a direct debit mandate


----------



## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Catch anything with the baited breath?


----------



## velocitysurfer1 (Sep 6, 2006)

I've been with TalkTalk for over 2 years with very few problems - probably the same amount that I had with freedom2serve previously. 

I'm happy with the online customer support and also there phone support once you get through the 1st offshore (!) callcenter.

So whilst there is a load of bad press out there (as there is with many large companies e.g. sky, npower to name two) there are also lots of satisfied but quiet customers !


----------



## healeydave (Jun 4, 2003)

TCM2007 said:


> Catch anything with the baited breath?


Hi Stuart, 
I didn't understand the question


----------



## healeydave (Jun 4, 2003)

velocitysurfer1 said:


> I've been with TalkTalk for over 2 years with very few problems - probably the same amount that I had with freedom2serve previously.
> 
> I'm happy with the online customer support and also there phone support once you get through the 1st offshore (!) callcenter.
> 
> So whilst there is a load of bad press out there (as there is with many large companies e.g. sky, npower to name two) there are also lots of satisfied but quiet customers !


Well I've had no problems with any company either, when our agreement or service hasn't needed to change. People often don't if they're happy to keep paying and their service stays the same. That's the easy part for a company to keep you happy 

With the prices changing dramatically over the last 5 years, I decided a couple of years ago I would I would look for a better deal. I had initially gone with Bulldog many years ago because they were the only company offering 8Mb ADSL lines country wide. My service with them was fine but in those days we paid a premium, my 8mb was nearly £50 a month.

Many companies were offering similar capacities for half the price, so I called to say I was moving and they offered to bring me costs down in line with the rest of the industry. If I had said nothing, like most companies, they would happily carry on taking the money.

My tariff dropped as agreed for several months during which time Pipex took over Bulldog. It wasn't until I put my accounts together that I noticed Pipex had started taking £50 again. I raised a case with them, they agreed there was an error and were all very apologetic but to cut a long story short, several months later they were still fobbing me off with excuse after excuse and still taking £19 per month too much!

When I tried to bring it to a head, requesting copies of all the information (they have to provide via the data protection act), threatening court action etc. They changed their stance, went back on everything they had agreed previously and had the audacity to say after all this time that they were not going to repay any of the over payments they had taken!

They said they were going to credit me £80 which was the maximum amount by company policy!

I was fuming at the idea of being taken for a ride and having to go through the hassle of court action. This is the type of company they are, playing on the fact that most people won't think its worth while!

Fortunately a shrewd friend of mine told me to read the direct debit mandate which I had completely overlooked. If you dig out a bill with that familiar mandate printed information, you will all recognise it, but few will probably be able to recite what it says.

I'll save you the bother, I will paste it at the end.

My favorite part is point Two which basically that states that if the organisation or the bank makes and error, you will get a full and immediate refund 

It took me 20 minutes to put a letter together clarifying what the company had done wrong. I sent it to my bank (the Natwest), I had a call from a nice young lady (I think), a couple of days later saying they had credited my account with all of the money.

When I consider how much time I wasted over the months trying to fight with that useless company trying rectify their own errors, just to get my own money back, I won't make the same mistake again 

I'm sure the bank doesn't lose out either, I think they just get the money straight back from the organisation, which makes me smile every day I think about it.

I sincerely hope velocitysurfer is quoting an opposite experience (where he has had a problem and its not been a hassle to get it rectified) , because it means very little to state you have no problems with a company, if you've not had any issue to be resolved either!

P.S.
I forgot to mention during all the hassle, Pipex was taken over by Tiscali and Tiscali was taken over by Carphone Warehouse.
Some bright spark thought it would be a good idea, without warning, to move Pipex customers to their crappy LLU exchanges which stopped modems working properly. So all those companies come under one useless banner now which on the plus side makes it a little easier to avoid them all now 

*The Direct Debit Guarantee*

*The Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.
*
1. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit the organisation will notify you (normally 10 working days) in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request the organisation to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

*2. If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.*

3. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when the organisation asks you to.

4. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify the organisation.


----------



## tonywalk (Sep 10, 2002)

healeydave said:


> Some bright spark thought it would be a good idea, without warning, to move Pipex customers to their crappy LLU exchanges which stopped modems working properly.


You could always move to my area on the Mottram exchange.
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/MRMOT

No LLU nonsense here.


----------

