British Telecom - Game over for A gamer.

Its about March this year about and I am looking at my xbox and feeling betrayed, once again I can hear everyone in the party and no one can hear me.

I speak to a xbox friend DHX who informs me its probably my ISP thats the issue, some fierce cursing and google searches reveal I am not alone in my torment.

The time has come to move on, until then I have been using my dad's internet connection who lives in my house, this no longer serves the purpose.

I use my broadband to do my websites work from home and most importantly my Xbox live, Xbox has been growing more and more important for a few reasons.

It is the place I go to relax, I am getting more and more involved and have been moving on - I am in the ambassador program (SWEET !) and am now more than ever involved in sharepoint and also the connect testing program for several microsoft products and test groups.

It cant be trusted, added to this the stuff I see on my dad's pc when I go to fix it is the kind of thing I dont want to and cant afford to be associated with on an ISP or IP basis.

NO REALLY its bad.

 

So I start looking for a broadband provider, "HEY" says 80's/90's Andy "BT have an awesome rep for internet and customer service pick them" I do HUGE MISTAKE.

I call them up and sort out my package questions are asked.

• No I dont download films.
• I write do email and game, I am a gamer safe to say I am online when I am not asleep or at work (this should have been a clue to them on my usage).
• I watch films online streaming on live and download demo's and games from Xbox live.

All done they reccomend the basic package, "Really" I say "I would worry I will go over the limits (very low)" !

They tell me in a calm voice that it doesnt matter as they never do anything and not to worry, the days of speaking to a UK call center are long gone by the way - we are in outsource town population (me) Gulp!

I am signed up and 1 week later the problems start, no phone arrives, outsource sally forgot to include my free net phone, outsource Frank wants me to pay for one - and so it begins, OH to add its a week and they are annoyed as I am over the low limit set and threaten to throttle me ! (sounds painfull).

 

By kicking up a huge stink we manage to get me my phone only when I manage to speak to someone from the @BTCare team on twitter who is from the same side of the planet.

It was no hassle for them and left me wondering what the issue was.

 

Issue 2.

I am being billed 3 times the amount quoted each month sets me back over 100 pounds as opposed to the 20-30 quoted, this takes 10+ phone calls to resolve, I am starting to know the outsource team on a first name basis.

So far 1 has swore at me and 2 have hung up, I later find out on my notes they have stated I am hanging up on them, at this point I am not suprised by this.

 

Issue 3.

My card is stolen, every other company change the Direct debit details and no issues.

I call the team again, hey its my pal outsource sally (JOY) - your ahead she tells me I dont need a payment now you in advance call me at the month end and I will set up a new DD for you.

Problem being before this happens a charming young man who sounds just like APU from the simpsons calls me up in the middle of the night to tell me he is about to cut off my broadband unless I pay the full amount right now, not the monthly payment the whole quarter.

My installation fee my quarter the whole kazoo, at this point I go mental - this leads to a supervisor speaking to me who agrees to call me on payday but wants it all, they promise not to restrict my line.

Something does not feel right so I contact @BTCare again, they promise to call me at a specific time on payday and take a partial amount of what she wanted. - they check my line ..... OUTSOURCE APU LIED, they have restricted me this would have seriously effected my ability to work.

 

Payday arrives, the call from BTCare doesnt come and the manager from the outsource center calls for the full amount they want or will cut me off, I am now caught I am trapped and being blackmailed by the outsourcer.

I ask for an hour to contact the uk people, she is annoyed I dont trust her but agrees, DESPERATE now I tweet and tweet to BTCare -...... nothing.

With no option and caught between being cut off and the outsource blackmail tactics I have to pay the whole amount in full in advance...

BTCare finally respond the next day, they are sorry that they didnt call, I want to cry ......................

 

 

Final issue.

 

Random drop outs - (The saga of liar liar pants on fire)

 

My broadband is randomly dropping out the hub lights go from healthy blue to orange, but AHAA I have learned from my outsource Woe and go straight to BTCare.

I tell them I am getting drop outs and disconnections I give specifics, they ask me how I connect.

My day job is its support so I answer.

I use ethernet to the hub I have tried 3 leads I have also used wireless to test and remove possibility of net ports.

I have refreshed my DNS and IP and reset the router I even did a rest to the default settings and reset it up from scratch.

 

A day goes by - It happens again, I ask btcare, they ask me ... they ask me.... "they ask me how I connect."

Aaaargh.

I go through the whole thing again and I am told this -

This goes on for a while with me insisting I drop out them insisting I dont, when someone tells you something is happening and you say "you have been fine for 2 days" if you think you are or not, basically your saying.

"LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE"

 

in the end I lost it and here is what happened. -

=====================

hekate180 andy (Hekate180)

Hey @BTCare know how I keep telling you broadband down and you say been up 3 days basically sayin lying . Bite me http://yfrog.com/15457umj

----------------

Thats right my army of faithful attack gnomes I had to prove it with a picture using my iphone, (bangs head on desk)

So an engineer is sent out, I have to take time off work, he is in the exchange and hour and informs me

in the time I was there it dropped out 17 times................... 17 TIMES.

I show him the tweets on my screen how can they not be seeing that then look what they have been saying, he looks embarrased - "I ... I cant really say why they said that there is no way you could not see the equipment was dropping it out. I cant really comment".

I ask " so the test software is pretty worthless they have then eh is it just a magic 8 ball, he looks embarrased at how I have been treated.

"I am really sorry"

He looks genuine and I can tell he has had this conversation before.

so far BT have offered me a free month, a free month for all this hell....

And that it my merry tale, I havent touched on the awesome virus software they sent me MCafee when they had that massive vulnerability this year that trashed my data and meant I had to download everything again, or the fact that because of this my usage was high and they would "Throttle me" again.

OR any other of the wonderful interactions with them.

message here

BT is not the choice for gamers, hell its not the choice for anyone - avoid my attack gnomes.

Here is a site that will help you find better and cheaper anyway I found. http://www.uswitch.com/

Now if I could just get out of this damn contract, sadly the one thing they seem to be good at is not letting you leave.

 

 

 

Comments

[Geonis]

I trust British Telecom. It is one of the biggest giant of communication industry in UK. British telecom services are inclusive of BT Broadband, BT Phone and BT Vision etc.