Does Anyone know how to solve this problem? BT feel free to answer.

While trying to sort out a friends Broadband Connection
(he was changing from a Business Broadband Connection to a Personal Broadband Connection ( he had paid all the necessary fees and filled out all the paperwork etc)
His Business Line cut off and he was left with no internet connection whatsoever.

I was transferred 12 times to different people and several of them said they couldnt understand by reading the screen what was going on and several admitted a Big Mistake had been made (by BT). My friend made 40 phone calls himself...al to no avail.

Whats happening now? Will let you know in 7 days....thats how long BT
reckons it will take to re-connect his Broadband Line (and no supervisors will talk to either of us).
Well done BT.....

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

Hello Annie

Yes, I recently had a similar problem with virgin media. I lost my broadband connection, but couldn't get any help from them. I had to threaten to disconnect before they finally put me through to a technichal team.

I'll tell my story on here in more detail soon, but I've been experiencing techinchal difficulties on here as well.

Just take comfort from the fact that you're not alone with today's technichal ignorance, Annie. Hope you get things sorted with BT, let me know how it goes.

Speak to you soon,
Fraught.

Thank you for replying Fraught.

When you find a moment please tell your story because that is the only way we are going to find a solution to this problem.
My friend is still cut off from a Broadband connection and is now receiving bills for services he isnt getting. He is not a happy bunny but will be registering and telling his own story...JUST AS SOON AS HE GETS ONLINE
AGAIN.
(I am shouting so that BT can hear).

Your light at the end of the tunnel...made me smile.

Thanks Annie, your're welcome. Glad you like my 'end of tunnel line.'

I may as well tell my Virgin Media story now I've got the chance.

So anyway, after an on-and-off connection with them for some time, it completely went.

I called virgin media, and after selecting the right number on the menu, I got this enthusiastic, female recorded voice which said "right, let's get you some help fast." And did they? Did they bloody hell!

They just gave me the number for technichal support. Now let me tell you about this so-called 'technichal support team.'

When I dial the number, I get this monotone 'beeeep,' which is followed a few seconds later by a two-tone type of engaged tone, which goes on for a while, then I get another female recorded voice which says "sorry, lines are busy, please try later." She says this again, and the line goes silent. Then nothing happens.

It makes absolutely no difference whatsoever what time I rang this number, or how many times. Its supposed to be a 24-hour line, and I rang it at 11pm one night, and even at 4:50 am when I got up for the early shift at work....And I got the exact same bullshit!!

Too busy to take my call at 4:50 am??? Who the hell were they trying to kid?

So in the end, like I mentioned, I called back one day, and threatened to disconnect. "Why?" they asked. So I told them.

Just like I thought, they then put me through to someone. At last. I explained the problem, and the man suggested I get a new ethernet cable for my modem. I did that, and it made no difference. I rang back, and was taken through a series of settings. That made no difference either. He then gave me the number of a team of experts, which would have cost me £1 per minute if I called them. I didn't.

I thought of this computer whiz I know of, phoned him, and explained the situation to him. From what I told him, he said virgin media had taken me through the wrong settings! They'd taken me through the dial-up settings, and I'm broadband!

So I rang them back, explained this, and was taken through some different settings. Still made no difference. I also wasn't happy with the attitude of the person on the other end of the line, either. Thought he was a bit of a prat, to be honest.

The next thing I did was ring the computer whiz back, and had him come and sort it out himself, which he did. It turned out that I somehow had two versions of internet explorer going at once, and the two had clashed. So he got rid of one of the versions.

Okay, the problem wasn't really virgin media's, but why the hell couldn't I have spoken to someone the first time I rang them, and why was I taken though the wrong settings? I can only assume that someone in the customer service department accidentally put me through to the wrong section.

In the end, I had been without my internet connection for just over four weeks! I did get a partial connection back just before it was fixed, but that's only because I reversed the settings on my computer.

Why is it, that in 2008, in a so-called era of technology, we can't even get any help when our internet goes wrong? Its about time these people sorted the internet out properly so that it stopped going so wrong in the effing first place, and secondly, we need some real teams of dedicated professionals who don't treat their company's customers with contempt! And that's the best word I think I can use to describe them at the moment!

If you like, you can print my story off Annie, and show it to your friend with the BT problem. I'm sure he'll have a chuckle at it, and will feel better knowing there's others out there suffering with today's shit-headed ignorance. I'd love to read his story when he gets himself sorted, too!

Anyway, thanks again Annie, and I'll see you on here again soon.

Best wishes,
Fraught.

Hi,

Sorry to hear that story Fraught.

My friend is still waiting for BT to get their finger out
He is doing very well in the Bill Department they now send him bills with the amount Nil written on them!
Between us we have about twenty people from BT saying
"We have made an error"....
but that doesnt help much when the line is tagged and you cant get a connection.

One BT man said to me "I am reading my screen and see we have lots of complaints about this....hold on I am still reading....be patient...
ten minutes later he said
"I cant understand what anyone is saying but it looks as if he will be connected at 3pm (he wasnt)"
If a BT Broadband engineer cant understand what anyone is doing or saying what hope is there for the rest of us?

However, when my friend does get a connection he will be registering on this
website and telling all.

Meanwhile...he waits and waits and waits...while keeping calm (not).

Have a good Bank Holiday.......

Hello Annie

Blimey! You'd think the fact that they acknowledge there's a serious problem would mean that they take a step forward, now, wouldn't you? Its like banging your head against the same brick wall.

Yeah, can't wait to read your friend's story. Is he likely to use some colourful language? I hope so. Lol

Anyway, you have a good bank holiday weekend too, Annie.

Best wishes,
Fraught

Thanks Fraught.

Spoke to him yesterday.
He has now spoken to 65 people (all timed and dated) as he put it "Where one would have done"....but if they want to pay 64 sets of wages who am I to complain?

except we are complaining because we the customers own BT...we have paid for it over the years by our line rentals etc.
They dont give a damn. They know exactly what is going on but why kill the goose ?(who lays the golden egg)

Sorry to have to tell you that his language will be polite....he is a very controlled guy.....(he is of course furious but he hides it well ).
However its not for me to say what he will do ....but it should be interesting.

Have a great weekend everyone....lets hopethe rain stays away.

Anne

Hi Annie

I know exactly what you mean. All companies like BT want is their customers' money, nothing else matters. I think its criminal the way they're allowed to do this to people.

I'd like to see some tough new legislation against companies doing this. Just because they have a big name, and lots of money, they think they can do what the hell they like, that they're better than everyone. And the real pisser is that they're allowed to get away with it!!

Ugh, it makes my blood boil. In an ideal world, whoever's in charge of these greedy extortionists should be severely prosecuted, and the people they've treated like crap compensated. Its time this kind of thing stopped, I think.

Anyway, its good that your friend can compose himself so well. I wish I could do that. Still like to read his story, when he can get on here. We can still express ourselves very well without expletives, I think.

Keep us posted. And the rain has started here. But I don't really care!

Anyway, best wishes.

Fraught

BT made over £2.5 billion profit this year.

Look under Head Office section as admin have posted some facts and addresses which are interesting.

The rain only falls on the righteous so that counts me out

Anne

I'm surprised they don't make even more profit than that. And think of how many years BT have been around, making massive profits. Some years ago, I switched my phone from BT to cable, and saw a significant drop in the size of my bills.

Later, some burk in a suit was canvassing my street, trying to get people to go back to them. I told him I wasn't interested, and he didn't push it.

Remember their stupid tv ad, with that old song 'I'll be working my way back to you, babe?' And some did. Not me.

I thought it was the sun which was supposed to shine on the righteous, anyway. lol

Speak to you soon, Annie.

Fraught